Someone Please Help!

[jimmy78]

Hi Guys,

Right I have a 100 litre tank of 12 glowlight tetras and 15 platys...

There is a tetra that is swimming round in circles and upside down, sometimes on his side. he is eating though, and is swimming about pretty fast. Just noticed it last night.

What is this? Whirling disease?

I just got a load of plants from ebay (amazon swords and a few others) could this have introduced something?

What shall I do?

How do I treat him?

How do I stop the others getting this?

Help me!!!

 

[WILDER]

Your tanks abit on the overstocked side.
Need to look at your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

The symtoms he is showing can be the fish is dying, toxins, ph shock, bacterial, parasites, internal parasites, swim bladder.

Any signs of flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing, darting.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Does he look skinny or bloated.
Any worms prutruding from the anus.
How old is the fish.
What do you feed the fish.

I would also issolate him for now.

 

[jimmy78]

Your tanks abit on the overstocked side.
Need to look at your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

The symtoms he is showing can be the fish is dying, toxins, ph shock, bacterial, parasites, internal parasites, swim bladder.

Any signs of flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing, darting.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Does he look skinny or bloated.
Any worms prutruding from the anus.
How old is the fish.
What do you feed the fish.

I would also issolate him for now.

0ppm ammonia, 0.1 Nitrite (why - tanks not new), 0.5ppm Nitrate, ph 8.

I isolated him in a 20L tank, used cycle and treating him with Interpet internal bacteria treatment. He is breathing fast on his side at the bottom. Not swimming much. Very thin poos trailing from his behind.....constipated?

NO worms, parasites, or anything like that.

His fins showing early signs of fin rot.

Feed the fish Tetra Min Colour, tetra flakes or aquarian flakes....this fish is around 18months old. Doen't look thin or bloated or anything different apart from fins.

Another fish in main tank has now developed a cotton wool like growth on mouth and ragged dorsal fin on edge....I think its Columnaris....???

Shall I treat main tank with Interpet No. 8 Finrot & Fungus?


I've ordered a better filter, Fluval U4 should be better thn the 3plus I have currently.

LFS said to add some salt and treat the tank with either Melafix or Interpet no.8....
Any help appreachiated.
Jim.

 

[jimmy78]

It's an outbreak of Flexibacter Columnaris. (IN THE MAIN TANK)

 

[5teady_2012]

It could be a internal parasite though, if your nitrite is raising, do more water changes, obviously the filter can not cope with the amount of waste being produced.

.

Another fish in main tank has now developed a cotton wool like growth on mouth.....???

This is a tough one, once it gets like that it needs fast and good treatment.

Wilder is the best one to sort you out, she is great

 

[jimmy78]

I've added salt to the man tank, treated with interpet no.8 anti finrot & fungus and have ordered a new, better filter....fluval u4.

What else can i do? Hope i'm using correct meds....it's definately an outbreak of Flexibacter Columnaris.

 

[WILDER]

The interpet finrot and fungus med not that good on columnaris. Also been known
for fish to have bad side affects to the med.

See how they go. If the fish start to act odd start removing the med.

Lower temp by two degree's aswell for now.
Myxazin by waterlife and pimafix are better meds for columnaris in the uk.

>COLUMNARIS<br />The hospital tank should be heated to approx. 74 degrees. 76 and above is the ideal breeding temperature for columnaris. Though there is some dispute over lowering the temperature, my experience has been that 72 is too low for the medication to work rapidly, 76+ causes the disease to breed more rapidly than the anti-biotic can kill, and 74 is "just right." Remember to keep this temperature stable!<

 

[jimmy78]

Ok thanks for the info.
Just thought I'd say a couple months ago I had the same thing happen - 2 platy's had same symptoms - it was columnaris - I treated with waterlife
Myazin in hospital tank - It didn't do anything - they both died! That is why I didn't use it this time.

Can I use the Pimafix with interpet med in the main tank? I have this already...I know it's a natural remeady so just wondered....I also have melafix.....maybe I should have used tghese in combination.

The little glowlight tetra in hospital tank is still alive, although on his side still......See I treated him with Interpet anti internal bacteria treatment......he has been eating the java moss in that tank as his poo is green so at least he's eating....what shall i do with him if no improvement?

 

[WILDER]

Add the pimafix.

It its a bad strain of columnaris lfs uk meds are no good.
They only really work on mild bacteria infections.

 

[jimmy78]

He's still alive, on his side though still.....I think he is eating the plants still. Noticed his poo is stringy and green/white....no he's become maybe slightly bloated....loosing his colour....

...have added pimafix and ordered some anti bac & anti paracite Jungle Labs fish food from the USA......Why can't they just sell it over here? And the vets won't help here - all the meds are usless in the LFS.....weird!!!

Shall I use melafix too?

Cheers,
Jim.

 

[Kitty_Nin]

Be sure to take any carbon out of your filter, or it will suck up all your medicine!

 

[WILDER]

In the uk the law is that only professional qualified peoople can subscribe antibiotics.
To be honest I'm glad they have these laws. In the wrong hands meds can be lethal and over used.

 

[jimmy78]

In the uk the law is that only professional qualified peoople can subscribe antibiotics.
To be honest I'm glad they have these laws. In the wrong hands meds can be lethal and over used.

I get your point, but on the other hand if we had anti bacterial and anti parasite fish food available here in the uk, lots of ill fish could be saved. I've learned a lot though in the past couple weeks - PREVENT is the key word here for me......over-filter the tank, keep on top of water changes and just prevent any illness - as treating fish is a nightmare!

A really good stocker calculater is www.aqadvisor.com - every newbie should take a look.

My glowlight tetra is still alive! I'm determined to get him healthy!

Cheers for your help guys with all this.

 

[WILDER]

The best bit of advice is to invest in a quarantine tank. Also double's up as a hospital tank.
Best to issolate new fish for up to 4 to 6 weeks, before adding them to main tank. If they show no signs of desease.

 

[jimmy78]

The best bit of advice is to invest in a quarantine tank. Also double's up as a hospital tank.
Best to issolate new fish for up to 4 to 6 weeks, before adding them to main tank. If they show no signs of desease.

Out of interest how do you keep the hospital tank / quarantine tank cycled - especially if your switching from sick fish to new fish - needs to be cleaned out....do you use new fiter media?