oh no!

[Nuttygal! :0)]

....I feel like givin up.....

Amoungst other tanks, I have a 45gal that I got and set up in December. It's current fishies are
5 platys
3 angels (1 sunset blusher/ 2 peach long-fin)
4 gouramis (2 neon dwarf blue/1 opaline/1golden)
1 very small black moor (will go and live in the pond when he is a bit bigger)
10 guppies (7 female/3 male)
3 bronze corys
4 shrimp
2 lovely female bettas
5 black widow tetras
2 small plecs (not common plecs - can't remember name!)
2 BGKs (will be moved when they need to be)
4 silver-tipped tetras

I don't know what is happening. The tank has real plants, gravel, plenty of air from plants, airstones etc, all the fish are well-fed with bloodworm brine shrimp, flakes, algae/catfish pellets, cucumber, potato and other veggies, all the fish get on well, and I do big 50% water changes every week.
I've had these fish like this for 4 months, and everything has been great.
Well, then the other day, I noticed one of my female guppies had a fungus type/whitespot thing. I thought this was strange, as the water is always ok because of the water changes, and I started treating with Protozin, as this is the med I always use. Eventually it cleared up. Then it came back. But this time, more guppies had it. So the tank is being treated again. Then last night, I noticed a dead fishie floating at the top. It was one of my female bettas. Then I came down this morning, there was a shrimp dead, a female guppy dead, and a male guppy who looked really dead but was still swimming. He had gone all white and looked like he was peeling - you know, like when you get sunburnt.
By this time I'm r-e-a-l-l-y worried. I come home a little while ago, there's a dead gourami at the top (opaline), my other betta dead, my golden gourami looking dead and peeling, the male guppy dead, and one of the BGKs staying very still at the bottom, but still looking fine and alive.
What on earth is happening?? I know that I'm too blame, but I don't know what I've done wrong! I have loads of fish, all tropical, and I've only ever had one out break - and that was whitespot!
I don't know what to do, what caused this, or anything!



Please help me

 

[akitty6552]

You might want to get your water tested. 50% every week is actually a lot...there is such a thing as too much of a water change. I'd suggest doing 10% every week if you want to do it every week, or 25% every two weeks. Usually ich comes from stress so most likely something is a little off in the water...hard to say though

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Nuttygal! :0)

There are certain forms of bacterial infection that can sweep through a tank, literally decimating the population overnight. Columnaris Flexibacter is one of these and this is the time of year when it often appears.

You are doing right by your big water changes, but be certain to do good bottom vacuumings too, if you have gravel. Remove every bit of uneaten food as well.

I would suggest (for flex as well as other, more common, bacterial infections) using Kanamycin, or Maracyn and Maracyn 2 at the same time, or if you live in the UK, Myxazin or Interpet's Anti-Finrot & Fungus Medicine.

At the same time, it will help slow the growth of the harmful bacteria if you increase the oxygenation by adding an airstone (if needed) and slowly lower the temperature to no higher than 75-76 degrees F. or 24 degrees C.

Keep up the treatment for the entire length of time directed on the packages even if the symptoms disappear sooner to prevent the development of strains of bacteria that are resistant to the medicine you used.

Good luck; I hope your fish recover soon.

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

Thank you Sylvia and akitty6552.
My golden gourami has died now too.

 

[CFC]

I agree with inchworm that it sounds like it is most likely columaris that is wiping out your fish. Follow inchworms instructions and it should be cleared up within a week or two.

There is no such thing as changing too much water as long as the parameters and temperature match, some discus and ray keepers will change 100% of the water each day!

 

[rdd1952]

I know little to nothing about diseases but it looks as though you are overstocked. I didn't take the time to calculate out the exact inches of adult fish because there are so many but that looks very heavy. The large water changes may make it work out fine though. But if the water is getting bad between changes, that can cause stress. As akitty6552 suggested, I would test the water if you haven't already. If the fish have grown much in the 4 months you have had them, they would be creating more waste now than before possibly causing a problem. I know that overstocking gets blamed for a lot of problems that it maybe has nothing to do with but it's always a good place to start looking.

 

[guppygirl]

Use a full dose of malachite green!! I had this before in my 55, it almost wiped out my whole tank. It's good to do a quarantine in a smaller tank too!!

 

[Iron Man]

Regarding the water changes....when I overstocked my african cichlid setup...I made a compromise and changed 25-30% twice a week. It worked out very well. If your tank is that stocked and you are going to change that much water....I would do like they said and at least test the ph before changing that much water. I would compare it to the tapwater ph to make sure I wasn't shocking them. Overstocked tanks can change water parameters pretty quickly....you'd be very surprised sometimes....I know I was.

Stress can bring on disease in fish like nothing else I've seen, so just make sure that wasn't the culprit so you can prevent anything that was done on your part.

Personally I think you may have just ran into some bad luck and I'm really sorry to hear of your loss.

Just don't give up hope it can all be fixed though with a little patience.

 

[pseud]

Yeah, I also think that's too many fish for that tank too, and I think that's the root of your problem.