Please Help! :( Parrot Fish, Bacteria Or Fungus Medicine Needed?

[star4]

Show us some evidence, and please don't be disrespectful, ie "pull the other one mate".

This will be the first case of" sulpher wipes the whole tank out" that I and many other have heard of.

2 years ago while doing a wc on my 300l tank I broke the brace bar with the bucket and the bang released gasses from the gravel wiping out half the fish within half an hour, the survivers were sick for weeks and I lost some more. Similar symptoms to the poor parrot fish, white patches and sunken eyes. Now ever wc after I have vacced the gravel I give it a good stir up.

 

[Jackiee]

Well, RushingChamp 28, I did go to all the petstores in my area, and none of them were carrying Binox I even looked for other medications on the shelf with the nitrafurizone and none of them had the ingredient listed either, so I tried my best to pick out a different one..

I got E.M. Erythromycin. it says its a broad spectrum treatment and control of bacterial fish infections including fin & tail rot, open sores, mouth fungus, septicemia, and bacterial gill disease.. because she seems to have sores on her body and also tail rot.

I did a 50% water change a couple hours ago and just now added the new medication. The fish has been more active since the water change though, moving around the tank. I also removed some of the decor in the tank in hopes of making it easier for her to get to her cave she always likes to hid in being that shes a weak/clumsy swimmer right now, when and if she actually decides to swim. Also to maybe making it more likely for her to see if i put food in the tank. I really wish she would eat, she hasn't in a few days.. probably 4 now.


And ianho,
the rotten egg smell ordeal has happened one other time before to my tank.. I immediately looked up the smell on the internet when it happened and the first thing i found was that it was hydrogen sulfide poisoning and that it was toxic gas build up in the tank from decomposing matter (both times, it happened after a fish died in my tank and wasn't found to be removed). It killed off all my fish last time besides one (the fish im trying to save now) and this time when it did it again, it did the same.. killed all my fish except my blood parrot.
Everytime the smell starts, my fish start laying at the bottom of the tank, on their sides, gasping for breath, not moving. and both times only one has ever actually gotten up and survived, and only surviving afterwards with some sort of infection or something that i have to medicate my tank for. Only then, does everything go back to normal.

Ugh, hope this new medicine might work..

 

[Jackiee]

Show us some evidence, and please don't be disrespectful, ie "pull the other one mate".

This will be the first case of" sulpher wipes the whole tank out" that I and many other have heard of.

2 years ago while doing a wc on my 300l tank I broke the brace bar with the bucket and the bang released gasses from the gravel wiping out half the fish within half an hour, the survivers were sick for weeks and I lost some more. Similar symptoms to the poor parrot fish, white patches and sunken eyes. Now ever wc after I have vacced the gravel I give it a good stir up.

Do you have any idea what in the world causes the sunken eyes? It's pretty disturbing to look at!

 

[Jackiee]

Some LFS give wierd (read as BAD) advice, I have never heard anyone recommend strips over liquid test kits. 6.4 pH is fine for most species of fish, no worries there. If you are using tap water and you have city water or chemically treated water you may need to use a conditioner to remove chlorine/chloramine, which it sounds like you are doing.You should be able to find Binox in most stores, it usually comes in a small 2.5 oz (or similar) bottle, that should be more than enough. I have found that redosing 1/2 the original dose every 2 days with 50% water change to keep the level at its highest is better than the recommended instructions on the box, this has worked best for me in the past, you can also use the aquarium salt at the same time if you have it. If for some reason you can't find Binox, the most important part is nitrofurazone, the active ingredient.I never use distilled water to change the tanks, especially if you are using water conditioner you shouldn't have to spend the extra money on it. I live in the country and have well water, so I don't have to use either, which is nice, but if you are in the city you may have to stick with the water conditioner just to be sure.I would make sure that when you change water you are doing heavy gravel vacuuming, this is definitely an important detail, to make sure you are cleaning all the waste that settles into the gravel. As soon as you can get that out of the gravel, it will remove the clogged up, sedimented nastiness that the anaerobic bacteria need to "eat". No waste food = no BAD bacteria = no toxic rotten egg smell and no fish H20 quality issues.

I was using distilled for a while because after doing water changes with tap water, my nitrates were rising, and i tested my tap water finding out that it contained high nitrates and what not. So I started getting distilled. But doing all these recent water changes with the tap, i'm finding that it's not messing with my levels now.. hmm.
and I will definitely be sure to give the gravel a good stir up each time now.. I do NOT want this happening again. ever. it's so frustrating and heartbreaking to lose a bunch of fish and not to mention all the money you put into even just buying those fish. I still wish I could've found that medicine though..

 

[Jackiee]

Does anyone know if you can safely combine Erythromycin antibacterial medication with Pimafix antifungal medication? or erythromycin with amquel plus. I just tested my water after doing the 50% water change with the tap water and now it seems my water might possibly have a slight hint of nitrites in it.. i know that wouldn't be good at all. And the Amquel plus reduces nitrites..

 

[RushingChamp28]

I believe Pimafix should be safe to use with all other API products, check the label on the Pimafix to make sure. Amquel should also be safe to use with organic (Pimafix) fish treatments. I am not sure about using the Amquel with the erythromycin. I don't want to give you the wrong answer here.

Just curious, have you tested your tap water alone? Does it have ammonia/nitrites/high nitrates in it? (Not likely but it is possible) It would be a good thing for you to know what the "base" water you are starting with is when you make water changes.

Good to hear that your fish is more active with the water changes. Always a good sign.

Does anyone know if you can safely combine Erythromycin antibacterial medication with Pimafix antifungal medication? or erythromycin with amquel plus. I just tested my water after doing the 50% water change with the tap water and now it seems my water might possibly have a slight hint of nitrites in it.. i know that wouldn't be good at all. And the Amquel plus reduces nitrites..

 

[Jackiee]

I believe Pimafix should be safe to use with all other API products, check the label on the Pimafix to make sure. Amquel should also be safe to use with organic (Pimafix) fish treatments. I am not sure about using the Amquel with the erythromycin. I don't want to give you the wrong answer here.

Just curious, have you tested your tap water alone? Does it have ammonia/nitrites/high nitrates in it? (Not likely but it is possible) It would be a good thing for you to know what the "base" water you are starting with is when you make water changes.

Good to hear that your fish is more active with the water changes. Always a good sign.

Does anyone know if you can safely combine Erythromycin antibacterial medication with Pimafix antifungal medication? or erythromycin with amquel plus. I just tested my water after doing the 50% water change with the tap water and now it seems my water might possibly have a slight hint of nitrites in it.. i know that wouldn't be good at all. And the Amquel plus reduces nitrites..

I just now tested my water, okay, it has no nitrates,
but it has in between 0.5 and 1.0ppm of nitrite;
250 ppm of hardness (high),
240ppm of alkalinity (also high)
and about a 7.2 ph

so it must have slightly raised my tank nitrite level.

 

[Jackiee]

Well, after only a few hours of adding the Erythromycin, she's up off the floor now and sitting at the top of the tank, making a casual lap around every once in a while. Her body condition doesn't look much better, but she's acting better at least. Tried feeding her again, but no luck. Maybe this stuff is working.

 

[ian]

just to clear a few things up before going down the 'toxic gasses killed the fish' route.

Well if you show me some evidence that a fungal infection can wipe a tank without any signs of evidence on the deceased fish, in about 20 minutes, then i'll believe you

at what point did i say a fungal infection wiped out the tank? Its clear that the fish has a fungal infection. Melafix is good for this.

I can't comment regarding gas build ups and marine tanks.

There are a few thing that can be observed in this thread though, looking at the substrate in the tank, its just gravel. Gravel won't produce these gases anyway, it tends to be sand.

The sulphur smell...this can be a myriad of things, including rotting organic waste, cyanobacteria etc etc.

The test strips in question don't test for ammonia, the one single thing that is more than likely going to wipe out a tank. From observation, i can see that the tank is a biorb? or something similar with a ufg. The UGF in these tanks are notoriously rubbish. No my guess would be that the filter had probably maxed out and caused massive (lethal levels) of ammonia at ground level.


giving anecdotal evidence regarding stirring sand is enough i'm afraid. This is one of fishkeepings old myths that refuses to die. Think about it, when you stir your sand would you not release the gas anyway? you not going to stir every inch of sand are you.
If you want a little bit more anecdotal evidence, i haven't touched my substrate for a year and others in the planted side of things haven't for 3 or 4 years with any death.

 

[FreedomFighter]

Well, RushingChamp 28, I did go to all the petstores in my area, and none of them were carrying Binox I even looked for other medications on the shelf with the nitrafurizone and none of them had the ingredient listed either, so I tried my best to pick out a different one..

I got E.M. Erythromycin. it says its a broad spectrum treatment and control of bacterial fish infections including fin & tail rot, open sores, mouth fungus, septicemia, and bacterial gill disease.. because she seems to have sores on her body and also tail rot.

I did a 50% water change a couple hours ago and just now added the new medication. The fish has been more active since the water change though, moving around the tank. I also removed some of the decor in the tank in hopes of making it easier for her to get to her cave she always likes to hid in being that shes a weak/clumsy swimmer right now, when and if she actually decides to swim. Also to maybe making it more likely for her to see if i put food in the tank. I really wish she would eat, she hasn't in a few days.. probably 4 now.


And ianho,
the rotten egg smell ordeal has happened one other time before to my tank.. I immediately looked up the smell on the internet when it happened and the first thing i found was that it was hydrogen sulfide poisoning and that it was toxic gas build up in the tank from decomposing matter (both times, it happened after a fish died in my tank and wasn't found to be removed). It killed off all my fish last time besides one (the fish im trying to save now) and this time when it did it again, it did the same.. killed all my fish except my blood parrot.
Everytime the smell starts, my fish start laying at the bottom of the tank, on their sides, gasping for breath, not moving. and both times only one has ever actually gotten up and survived, and only surviving afterwards with some sort of infection or something that i have to medicate my tank for. Only then, does everything go back to normal.

Ugh, hope this new medicine might work..

Sorry for such a late reply, I had to go to sleep.

If she isn't eating, you could try soaking some bitezise pieces of food in garlic juice, this will make it basically irresistable to her, and will also help boost her immune system.

And with the daily water changes your water will be fine.

 

[ian]

BTW, can you tell us the stocking in this tank, prior to deaths?

 

[FreedomFighter]

just to clear a few things up before going down the 'toxic gasses killed the fish' route.

Well if you show me some evidence that a fungal infection can wipe a tank without any signs of evidence on the deceased fish, in about 20 minutes, then i'll believe you

at what point did i say a fungal infection wiped out the tank? Its clear that the fish has a fungal infection. Melafix is good for this.

I can't comment regarding gas build ups and marine tanks.

There are a few thing that can be observed in this thread though, looking at the substrate in the tank, its just gravel. Gravel won't produce these gases anyway, it tends to be sand.

The sulphur smell...this can be a myriad of things, including rotting organic waste, cyanobacteria etc etc.

The test strips in question don't test for ammonia, the one single thing that is more than likely going to wipe out a tank. From observation, i can see that the tank is a biorb? or something similar with a ufg. The UGF in these tanks are notoriously rubbish. No my guess would be that the filter had probably maxed out and caused massive (lethal levels) of ammonia at ground level.


giving anecdotal evidence regarding stirring sand is enough i'm afraid. This is one of fishkeepings old myths that refuses to die. Think about it, when you stir your sand would you not release the gas anyway? you not going to stir every inch of sand are you.
If you want a little bit more anecdotal evidence, i haven't touched my substrate for a year and others in the planted side of things haven't for 3 or 4 years with any death.

hydrogen sulfide poisoning

??There is no evidence of this, stirring sand/gravel isn't necessary in a tank. The gasses will in fact just rise and gas out of the top of the tank. They will not poison fish and definitely not kill everything in its path!

As stated this it a fungal thing, up water changed and try some melafix.

That's where.

Look, you're in a thread with 3 seperate peopple saying they've all been affected by hydrogen sulfide poisoning, and you're still arguing against it.

You haven't put any explanation towards what might have wiped the rest of the tank.

And hydrogen sulphide can build up anywhere there are air pockets in substrate, anywhere there is rotting material, and can be released by many different things.
And by stirring sand what you do is you release tiny amounts of hydrogen sulphide into the tank, where it can be handled by the oxygen in the water, but if it builds up then there's simply too much to be dealt with.

 

[ian]

look FF, i'm not getting into a debate in this thread but if you re read my last post i said that is was more than likly ammonia that killed the fish. Can you show me some real evidence of this as i have yet to see any, other than 3 people saying so, 1 of them in a marine tank. This to me isn't good enough. There are other reasons and people like to find the easy way out of things.

 

[FreedomFighter]

Ok so you are saying that an ammonia buildup or spike has probably caused all the casualties. Ok fine, now explain the sulphorous smell at the exact same time. The smell strong enough to fill the entire house apparently.

Fine if you don't want to get into a debate, but until you prove otherwise, I (and many others I am sure) will assume you are wrong.

"where's your evidence" works both ways my friend.

 

[star4]

look FF, i'm not getting into a debate in this thread but if you re read my last post i said that is was more than likly ammonia that killed the fish. Can you show me some real evidence of this as i have yet to see any, other than 3 people saying so, 1 of them in a marine tank. This to me isn't good enough. There are other reasons and people like to find the easy way out of things.

I am sorry, but how rude!!!!! just because you are a moderator does not make you automatically correct on all issues!. What happened in the op's tank appears pheasable with the smell and sudden deaths, yes ammonia would also be a contributing factor. Just because its never happened to you does not mean it doesnt happen. Demanding proof after the event is childish, its happened and a fish needs help to recover now dispite the cause.



OP
Sorry op, it must be very distressing for you, I have been there. Try some garlic paste, just a little mixed with water and soak a prawn in it for a few hours, wash it off and try feeding the parrot that. The garlic will also help boose his immune system. I hope he pulls through.