Skinny Disease/knifeback Treatment Australia

[strange&charm]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post.

I'm very sad because my clown loaches are dying...my biggest loach, Strange, died this morning and I need to know if they have skinny disease or 'knifeback'.

I started out with 4 loaches - two about three inches long and two less than an inch. I hadn't seen one of the little guys for a few days (they often like to hide in the ornaments) and then found him dead. I had the water tested, and my ammonia level was up, possible because the fishes' body had been in there for a day or two and contributed to the waste.

I did a 50% water change, and then 20% daily after that for about 4 days. Then the other little guy died too! I noticed that his body was curved in a really unnatural way...very sad to see.

I kept doing water changes, making sure there was no ammonia or nitrate readings. I also went and got three more loaches from the fish store (I know they love to be with other loaches and didn't want them to be lonely). Then I noticed Strange, our biggest loach, was looking really thin and starting to lie on the bottom of the tank with his body on the same unnatural curve as the other small ones had when they died.

I tried to feed him some bloodworms - he ate a few out of my hand last night, and started to look much better! I even got him to eat a few for breakfast this morning because he looked so thin. He started swimming around and looking much better. I went back a few hours later, only to find him curved very badly - as I was watching, his body gave a terrible spasm, and he stopped breathing. I am so sad for him!! :'((((

From what I understand, I think they had skinny disease. Is there anyone who can confirm that this is the case? I am really worried about the other clown loaches . There are four of them now - 2 are about 2 inches, 1 is 1.5 and the other is less than 1. They all seem fine at the moment, but I've heard skinny disease is really contagious, and I don't want any more to die.

I live in Australia - what would be the most effective treatment I can get quickly to stop any of the others getting sick? I did a double treatment of levamisole about two weeks ago when some guppies got sick - i suspected parasites.

1. Size of tank? 70 Litres ( I know I'll have to get a bigger tank when the loaches grow. Is this tank too small for these size loaches?)

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? 0
b. Nitrite? 0
c. Nitrate? 0
d. pH, KH and GH? pH 7.1

3. Temperature? 77 degrees

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? FW (very small amount of aquarium salts in the water column

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? 6 months

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?

6 x guppys
2 x platys
1 x molly
2 x bristlenose
2 x Kuhli Loach
4 x Clown Loach (2 are about 2 inches, 1 is 1.5 and the other is less than 1)

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
No

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? Real plants - There's also a bit of ground cover (looks like grass - not sure about the name) and a broad leaved plant.

b. Sand, gravel, barebottom?
Gravel

c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors?
Two hollow pieces of plastic shapes like a ship.

9. a. Filtration?
Yes (not sure what type)

b. Heater?
Yes

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used?
LED's - on during the day

b. Any sunlight exposure? How long?
Some sun during the day

11. a. Water change schedule?
20% once a week usually (more at the moment - as per above)

b. Volume of water changed?
20%

c. Well water, tap water, RO water?
Tap
d. Water conditioner used?
Yes
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed?
Once a week

12. Foods?
Flake, bloodworm and cyclid sinking pellets

How often are they fed?
Once a day

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms?
Yes - see above

b. Appearance of poop? Have not seen.

c. Appearance of gills? Normal

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? Yes

b. What meds were used?

Levamisole - about two weeks ago. Two doses.


Any advice or help you could give me would be greatly appreciated...I am so sad they are dying


Read more: http/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/tropical-fish-diseases/skinny-disease-knifeback-treatment-australia-118274/#ixzz2AfD29eR3

 

[Aquascaper]

I think your raised ammonia levels are more to do with being overstocked rather than a decomposing body

As for the deaths themselves, possibly disease/infection bought on by the poor water quality if not straight but ammonia poisoning.

Will need to know what filter you have and also retest your water as reading zero for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates is dubious.

 

[WILDER]

What do you feed your fish. please?
What the brand name of the test kit you are using?
What is your tap nitrate reading?


Check all the fish anus to see if it looks enlarged or red and inflamed?

 

[strange&charm]

What do you feed your fish. please?
What the brand name of the test kit you are using?
What is your tap nitrate reading?


Check all the fish anus to see if it looks enlarged or red and inflamed?

Hi and thanks for much for your response.

I feed the fish O.S.I freshwater aquarium flake, Aqua-pic's Prestige Medium Cichlid Sinking Pellets and bloodworms.

I get my water tested at the LFS - it's just down the street. I don't have a test kit at home. I'll get them to test the tap water today and ask which brand of test kit they have.

I've tried to get to look at the fishes anuses - they don't seem to be inflamed, but it's hard to see. I've already buried the big loach so can't look on him either.

Thanks again!

 

[strange&charm]

I think your raised ammonia levels are more to do with being overstocked rather than a decomposing body

As for the deaths themselves, possibly disease/infection bought on by the poor water quality if not straight but ammonia poisoning.

Will need to know what filter you have and also retest your water as reading zero for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates is dubious.

Hi and thanks for your suggestions!

I get the water checked at the LFS, as it's just down the street from me. I'll get them to re-test it today and find out what type of kit they use.

The filter is an Atman power liquid filter (a bio filter - no carbon). I don't know what the specs are but I bought it to filter a 70 litre tank.

Do you think the tank is over stocked? I won't add any more fish if that's the case. If you think this is the problem, what can I do to prevent any more fish deaths? Would more regular water changes help?

Thanks!

 

[strange&charm]

An update:

I went back to the LFS to get the water re-tested...surprise surprise...

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates 80mg/L !!

There was no nitrate in the tap water.

Could this be the cause of the problem?

Also, I found out that the tank I got some of the loaches from got a bacterial infection at the fish store and most of them died. However, the loaches I got from that tank seem fine! It was one of the older loaches that I'd got previously that died, looking very skinny (as mentioned above) as if he had internal parasites. My smallest remaining loach is looking pretty unwell at the moment too.

I've been advised by the LFS to do a water change, dose the tank with doxycyclene, and clean the filter.

What do you think? None of this is making sense!

Thanks again.

 

[WILDER]

I would start to feed your fish twice a day.
Are all the fish still eating?

Sigms of internal parasites.

Long stringy white waste, clear waste.
Enlarged anus, red inflamed anus.
Fish will look skinny, or have a sunken in belly.
Bent spine sometimes.
Fish will sometimes swim on it's side.
Sometimes the fish will flick and rub.
Spitting food out sometimes.
Worms sticking out of the anus sometimes.

Bacterial infections can also cause fish to become thin.

Doxycycline is a member of the tetracycline antibiotics group, and is commonly used to treat a variety of infections.
The antibiotic will wipe all the good bacteria out in your filter.