Possible Parasites? Advice Needed!

[Chad]

So do you want to keep him, or the other angels?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Well I obviously want to keep him but if he won't exist peacefully in my tank then he'll have to go! Separating him and increasing the size of my group is the last ditch effort, after having already increased the size of my tank. What will be, will be!

 

[Chad]

I've learned that fish have temperaments just like people. Sometimes you just get a grumpy fish.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Just thought I would update on what's happening with these angels. They haven't improved at all, they haven't really gotten worse but the slime coat is slowly thickening as the days go by.

Because they have been showing signs of stress for a week now, I decided to go ahead and treat the tank with Waterlife's Sterazin for gill and body flukes. It also treats internal parasites. If there is anything going on with these fish I feel pretty confident it's gill flukes.

Just FYI Sterazin ingredients are: malachite green 0.08%w/w, formaldehyde 0.2%w/w, piperazine citrate 0.34%w/w and acriflavine hydrochloride 0.055%

 

[the_lock_man]

Sorry, only just come across this thread, but I thought that angels were best as singles, or a mating pair. I thought that when you kept a group, there would be aggression. I'm not the world's biggest angel expert though.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

You can usually get away with groups of 6+ which is what I have now. I had 4 when the bullying was going on and now have six, including naughty boy. The 5 in my main tank are getting along brilliantly so far. I suspect I have an unusually aggressive male on my hands which you sometimes get with angels from what I've read. Being cichlids they are going to fuss at each other a bit which is normal and not a problem - I'm just hoping that with increased numbers he'll calm down.

 

[Chad]

I always like to point out that angelfish are cichlids and share a similar temperament. Large groups, singles, or mated pairs seems to be what works. How large of a group I believe depends on the tank size.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Just thought I'd post a little update on these guys. Their slime coats have nearly cleared up to normal now and they are maybe a bit more active. BUT now their fins are looking a little tatty *sigh* - one step forward, one step back! I've added a dose of melafix to the tank this afternoon, I figure it can't do any harm!
 
I haven't put my naughty male back in yet. I'm undecided if I should wait until this is cleared up but at the same time...only two fish are affected. Ah well, they are only halfway through the fluke treatment so watch this space!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

I could do with having your opinions on something please
 
The female angel is continuing to show improvements. She has virtually stopped clamping her fins, slime coat is back to normal and the red lines have faded somewhat. She was the first one to show illness. However, the second angel - while "his" slimecoat has also gone back to normal, isn't improving like the female. His fins are damaged in a way I've not seen before. The rays of the tail are still there but the skin between has disintegrated. I noticed yesterday that he had a U-shaped area of his tail that looked like it was going to die back and today it has started to do so. I'm wondering if it's the fin clamping itself which is causing the damage...hmmm they have been clamped for a while now, it may be possible!
 
They are on day 7 of a 10 day treatment of Sterazin and I have put some melafix in as well, just on non-medicated days once I noticed some fin damage beginning.
 
Lastly, and this really has me stumped. I was watching them all poop after dinner tonight (as ya do!) and I watched this angel have a nice normal, healthy looking poop immediately followed by a fair amount of white fluid, almost like milk that quickly dispersed in the water. I've been googling like mad and can't find any reference to this! Any ideas??
 
Here's a couple of pictures of "his" tail.
 

 

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

His tail today...something nasty going on here Tomorrow is their last dose of Sterazin but it's clear that the problem hasn't been solved...
 

 

[TwoTankAmin]

It looks like bacterial fin rot which requires antibiotics. I know in the UK the med situation is awful. What you tried so far will not help with this. If you do not treat the fish, expect things to continue to degenerate.
 
Your bully angel wants to be the boss of the group, It may simply never be willing to tolerate things otherwise. With angels number my mute agressin for a but, But when a pair forms and is ready to get jiggy, it will all fall apart.
 
Mine were in a 45 gal. which is smaller than your 90,  but I am still not sure if this is big enough to matter once you get a pair. Nor can one assume other fish in the tank will be safe. Angels are still cichlids and they will often drive off or kill other tank inhabitants when spawning and tending young.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Thanks TTA, I'll see what I can source
 
My bully angel hasn't been in the tank for 3 1/2 weeks now so this is a bit out of no where. His fins were a bit nipped from before I removed the angel but have been healing well since.