Mystery Sickness?

[NonstickRon]

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Tank size: 55g
pH: 7.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:10
kH:?
gH:?
tank temp:86F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): This is the issue, I'm not seeing any syptoms. Fish are dying on me and I can't see anything wrong with them till right before they start swimming upside down or I find them stuck on the filter intake. Last fish to die was a female bolivian ram today, she was weak and couldnt' swim upright, her gills looks slightly swollen and red but it could be my imagination. I had been losing a fish a day for about week and decided to treat with Jungle "Lifeguard" and I thought it did the trick but the day after the waterchange that closed out the treatment, the bolivian female died. Interestingly enough, didn't lose any fish during the 6 day period I was treating with Lifeguard. Deathcount so far: 3 female bolivian rams, 2 angelfish, 3 siamese algae eaters, 3 flame tetras, 10 harlequin rasboras, 1 cory cat,

Volume and Frequency of water changes:10g weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: RenaXP3 w/sponges, ceramic rings, biochemstars, microfloss - in that order. Chemicals: liquid plant fertilizer, neutral regulator and PRIME during water changes. Recently did a 5 day regimen of Jungle "Lifeguard"

Tank inhabitants: 2 siamese algae eaters, 4 flame tetra, 6 black neon tetra, 5 two-inch veil angels, 3 blue rams, 1 bolivian ram, 3 corycats, 1 bristlenose pleco

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): the black neons...I'd been watching them at the petstore, they've had them for at least a couple months - added them last night during the water change

Exposure to chemicals:

Digital photo (include if possible): no access to digital camera

 

[kribensis12]

Most likely Gill Flukes. Lifeguard is crap IMO. I have used it before, teh only thing it can cure is a disease that dosent exist. Get something specifically for Gill Flukes like:

Quick Cure
Fomalin
Fluketabs

Basically if Flukes are listed for things the med cures, get it. Salt can also work, but i would just goes for the meds.

 

[NonstickRon]

Thanks. I thought I was doing good with the lifeguard, it lists flukes along with every other fish sickness I know about. I'll try and find something more specific as you suggest.

 

[NonstickRon]

Hmm.. Found this article on gill flukes. http/www.geocities.com/steevward/dactyls.html

Seems that just about every gill fluke treatment is going to be hit or miss. The one they recommend the most I have no idea how to get my hands on. I'll do more reading.

 

[electric yellow]

I have a few tanks at home. My main communal tank which houses my plecos, gouramis and a few other ones went through a bad phase of losing a fish a day. Sometimes even two a day.But then there were some days where none would die. I treated the tank with everything for every disease imaginable. I did water changes, gravel vacs and slowly it slowed down. Whatever it was. I put it down to maybe an internal bacteria. As there were no visible signs of sickness and they all seemed fine one day then dead the next its the only thing i could put it down to.

Just be persistent. Keep the tank spotless and sterile as best you can.

 

[Tolak]

Look for PP at a store that sells supplies for water softeners.

 

[WILDER]

Signs of skin and gills flukes are.
Opaque body with excess slime.
Red inflamed gills or pale gills with excess slime.
Flicking and rubbing against objects in the tank.
Laboured breathing or gasping at the surface of the tank.
Swimming in a jerky movement.
Weighloss sometimes.
Spitting food out.
Sores on the body of the fish.
Erratic swimming.

You have to redose after a week to catch the young fry as they hatch.
Also gill flukes cause bacterial infections as in the parasite hooks they carry a nasty bacteria which enters the fish
bloodstream once it pierces the skin.
When finished parasite med back up with a bacterial med.

Inflamed swollen gills can be bad water quality.
Bacterial like bacterial gillrot.
Gill flukes.

 

[NonstickRon]

Checked every fish store in town, best I could find was some Quick Cure and Jungle Parasite Clear. I'll keep this posted.

 

[NonstickRon]

Stopped by the place I think my problems originated from today and asked him what he does for gill flukes. He said he doesn't think it's gill flukes and that its probably hex. Either way he sold me some HUGE tablets of clout. 3 tablets meant for 100 gallons each, I'll have to split them up. I treated with Jungle Parasite Clear on Sunday afternoon. So a three day wait and then I do another treatment...is that wednesday or thursday? And should I treat with the Clout or the Jungle Parasite Clear again?

 

[WILDER]

Swollen red gills can be bad water quality, bacterial gillrot, gill flukes.
Hole in the head usually start off as pitting in the head region or spots with puss coming out of them.

Left a list of fluke symtoms.
Shouldn't really medicate a tank till you know what you are treating for.

The clout med covers hex and flukes.

Clout
Manufacturer: Aquarium Products
A very strong and effective medication for parasitic and protozoan infestations. Treats: Ich, Hydra, leeches, Planaria, Epistylis, Trichodina, Hexamita,Tetrahy-mena, body fungus, digenetic flukes, parasitic copepods, monogenetic flukes and anchor worms.

 

[NonstickRon]

Swollen red gills can be bad water quality, bacterial gillrot, gill flukes.
Hole in the head usually start off as pitting in the head region or spots with puss coming out of them.

Left a list of fluke symtoms.
Shouldn't really medicate a tank till you know what you are treating for.

The clout med covers hex and flukes.

Clout
Manufacturer: Aquarium Products
A very strong and effective medication for parasitic and protozoan infestations. Treats: Ich, Hydra, leeches, Planaria, Epistylis, Trichodina, Hexamita,Tetrahy-mena, body fungus, digenetic flukes, parasitic copepods, monogenetic flukes and anchor worms.

Well unfortunately, its either that or just watch the rest of my fish die.


No holes in heads. Although looking at my fishes that are left, I'm guessing the next one to go will be one of the flame tetras, its starting to look a bit thin.

 

[WILDER]

I know how you feel but adding meds till you no what wrong can do more harm than good.
I wasn't convinced it was gill flukes till you answered more question.
Flukes can make fish lose weight, so can hex, internal parasites, old age, not feeding enough, fish not eating.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing or laboured breathing.
If no flicking and rubbing I doubt its flukes.
Also fish can erratic swim with flukes.

A very good link to hole in the head.
<a href="http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html" target="_blank">http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html</a>

Very good link to gill flukes.
[URL="http/www.geocities.com/steevward/dactyls.html"]http/www.geocities.com/steevward/dactyls.html[/URL]

 

[NonstickRon]

I know how you feel but adding meds till you no what wrong can do more harm than good.
I wasn't convinced it was gill flukes till you answered more question.
Flukes can make fish lose weight, so can hex, internal parasites, old age, not feeding enough, fish not eating.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing or laboured breathing.
If no flicking and rubbing I doubt its flukes.
Also fish can erratic swim with flukes.

A very good link to hole in the head.
<a href="http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html" target="_blank">http/www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html</a>

Very good link to gill flukes.
<a href="http/www.geocities.com/steevward/dactyls.html" target="_blank">http/www.geocities.com/steevward/dactyls.html</a>

No rubbing. Well, not none...but not much. I have to watch the tank for a good while before I see anybody do it. Thinking back, the Rams i had die looked thin...but the other fish didn't, maybe I just couldn't tell. The Flame tetras seem to fade, lose their color a day or two before they die. I only noticed this one flame tetra looking thin cause I had a couple others in there to compare it to.

 

[WILDER]

Was they rubbing before you added the med or after you added the med.
What does it look like when your fish go to the toilet.
Check the anus of the fish to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any fish have sunken in bellys.
Lost any fish to bent spines.

 

[NonstickRon]

Was they rubbing before you added the med or after you added the med.
What does it look like when your fish go to the toilet.
Check the anus of the fish to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any fish have sunken in bellys.
Lost any fish to bent spines.

Only fish I ever actually SEE pooping is the angelfish, and it looks reddish brown when they do. My angels are white, the poopholes are pinkish. Havn't seen any significantly bent spines, no. I don't think anybodies belly looks "sunken" either really. Is there a better way to inspect fish than just looking at them in the tank? Is it ok to take them out and handle them a bit? Seems like it would be too traumatic.

I'll plop down a chair in front of the tank tonight and watch them for about an hour and see what I see.