Thinking About ...

[Ch4rlie]

Rooibos tea... Great for fish.

 
Indeed, I for one have used rooibos tea in my previous tank set up to imitate blackwater slightly and I like the look this tea stained water, not everybody like this look.
 
This is a quote from a well known member, TwoTankAmin -
 
"Rooibos tea is not really tea, it is a member of the legume family which is only found in S. Africa. It is a very sensitive plant and most of the things being organic would insure were not used would kill the rooibos plant if they were. I was told this by a Bio-Chemistry Prof. who teaches and researches in S. Afr. He has posted pics of the plants growing there on another site. Rooibos can be brewed into tea and the resulting tea can be poured into the tank. It can also be put in a very fine mesh bag in the filter. I normally brew some for every water change and add it to the big can of water I mix up for blackwater tanks. In a filter its a trial and error thing. Start little and work up til the water looks the way you want it too. I have done this too as an extra- I think you will have to replace it in a filter bag about every other weak at best and maybe weekly- I can't say. Rooibos will add many of the same good things and then some found in the catappas. Unlike the almond leaves or the cones, rooibos will not lower pH or soften water. It may actually bump the pH by about .1. It is super at giving a lovely tea stained color to the water."
 
Quoted from one of my thread i started some time ago and there is also some information about catappa leaves and alder cones, not a great deal of information but will help give you an idea of their benefits in the aquaium.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/426403-rooibos-tea-and-indian-almond-leaves/

 

[Akasha72]

my fish love it! (the tea) It de-stresses the shy one's and chills the bossy one's. Plus it's a good anti-bacterial ... it's all win win!
 
My only problem is my filter is so good it filters the staining out on day four! Grr

 

[Akasha72]

one of the harlequins has had two cyst like growths either side of her dorsal fin for a couple of weeks now and my tank lights have just come on and she's developed a third one on her side. I've no idea what it is. It doesn't look like a fluke, it looks like a tiny cyst
 
I've tried to get a photo and this is the best I can do
 

 
Putting this here as I don't want to start a new thread. I've just finished a course of API Pimafix which hasn't worked for her nor the panda cory that's got some kind of fungus that won't respond to any treatment (and I've tried a few)
 
On top of that it looks like my angels have had a scrap this afternoon and the female is sporting a bleeding fin
 
It's not a good day in my fishy tank 

 

[RCA]

It could be a sort of tumour? Hard to see but my LFS guy stated this about the potential spot on my Peacock Gudgeon. That said, although her dot is getting larger it is not spreading.

 

[Akasha72]

okay so now the 'cysts' have fallen off leaving a bloody looking hole 
 

 
I'll be surprised if this fish is still alive in the morning

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd suggest a swab of the affected area with a bit of either h2o2 or methylene blue, whichever you have on hand.
 
 
http/www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2009/07/fish-baths.html
 
Scroll way down to the bottom:
 

*SWABS:
Another similar idea is to directly drop or “paint” with a Q-Tip (or similar implement) Methylene Blue, Potassium Permanganate, tincture of Iodine, or Hydrogen Peroxide onto a problem area such as Saprolegnia/fungus, Columnaris, Ichthyophonus, or similar.
This can be VERY effective for stubborn external infected areas on a fish (such as node on fish tails, etc.).

The negative of swabs is these can be even much more difficult to perform for a nervous fish keeper than a bath, so staying calm is very important. As well, while remaining calm, it is best to firmly but gently handle the fish so as to prevent injury. I prefer using my hands once captured, not a net. For larger specimens I will use a smooth container with square sides to more easily hold the fish firmly.

Methylene Blue is safe to use for exposed tissue, which will stain blue, but this is not a danger unless grossly over used. However since MB is not very strong, if the area treated still has a slime coat, MB will likely not penetrate well (a swab may not also be called for in such an instance).

The use of Methylene Blue at full strength (in a typical 2.303% solution) as a swab, dip, and to a lesser degree a bath will also expose healthy or at least normal tissue as Methylene Blue will generally adhere to infected areas or wounds staining the area “blue” due to the lack of the normal “slime” coating fish have on healthy areas of a fish’ epidermis.
Even scar tissue will generally not stain “blue”, so this a good test of whether or not a “growth/sore” is actually an infection or similar (please note that some cancers/tumors can mimic healthy tissue and not stain blue).

Another alternative to a straight Methylene Blue swab would be the application of Hikari's Bio Bandage, which contains Methylene Blue along with Neomycin. 
This product with its adhesion agents in an isotonic aqueous solution is excellent for mild to moderate sores or mild fin damage. The adhesion agents are beneficial where areas to be swabbed still have the natural protective slime coat present.
However it should not be used or at least be the only product used for serious advanced infections.

Product Resource: Bio-Bandage from AAP

For serious infections such as advanced cases of Columnaris/Sadddleback Disease, a swab with Potassium Permanganate (as discussed earlier in the article in detail) should be performed, then possibly follow a couple hours later with Bio Bandage. As already noted, some sores, blisters, tumors, etc., may not allow adhesion of Methylene Blue and Bio Bandage may not be enough, this is where the use of Potassium Permanganate may be called for (& even it may not be enough).
Please Review "Potassium Permanganate Cautions" before using. 

If Potassium Permanganate or Hydrogen Peroxide is used as a swab; placing the fish into a quick dip utilizing a double dose of any Redox Reducing Water Conditioner such as SeaChem Prime can immediately stop any unwanted oxidation of Potassium Permanganate on the fish.

 

[Akasha72]

I've not got either to hand Eagles ... and I doubt this fish will make it to tomorrow. It's suffering, I can see it breathing heavier than normal. I'm guessing it's in pain, I'd be in pain with three big holes in me!
 
I'm torn between seeing what the morning brings and putting her out of her misery

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You could try a simple salt dip (low salinity dosage), as the salt itself acts as a antibacterial and antifungal.  You'd be surprised the strength a of a fish.
 
 
I think it was our member TallTree, that had a fish which got a burn (I think it was a burn) and blistered nearly 1/3-1/2 of the one side of the fish.  It blistered and then the blister fell off, exposing a big section of the fish.  With clean water, it made a complete recovery, but unfortunately died a few months later, if I recall correctly.  
 
 
Anyway, I'd give the dip a shot and see how the little fish responds.  Even if you decide not to do it, I'd suggest reading through the entire article provided in that link.  It is definitely worth the time to read for future reference.  And if you can manage to get any of the prescribed materials... most of them have an extended shelf-life and are useful against a variety of maladies.  

 

[Akasha72]

I've just realised something. I did my water change this morning and added my red bush tea - a natural anti-septic I believe. I wonder if the tea has made the 'cysts' fall off? I've just checked on her and the hole on her side has now stopped bleeding ... maybe the tea will work in her favour

I did have some meth blue in but I threw it away about 6 months ago. I will go and read the linked article now thank you

 

[Akasha72]

UPDATE:
 
the poorly harleyquin made it through the night and is swimming about much more this morning. I did manage to catch her eventually last night and get her into a jug of salty water for a few minutes. She was really angry at being netted and dumped in a jug so I'm guessing she's a tough old bird. she was bashing herself into the side of the jug trying to get out! 

 

[Zante]

Sounds like they were lymphocystis. Nothing serious, but when they do drop off they can leave open wounds. If the fish is otherwise healthy they heal fairly quickly.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sounds like they were lymphocystis. Nothing serious, but when they do drop off they can leave open wounds. If the fish is otherwise healthy they heal fairly quickly.

 
This is good to know, do you happen to know what causes this?

 

[Akasha72]

yes great to know Zante, and agreed it would be good to know what causes it and if I need to do anything about it or whether the fish will just heal itself

 

[Zante]

Not sure, but if I remember correctly it's a viral infection. A bit like ick, it comes out when fish are stressed for some reason, but it's more unusual than ick.
 
It can be lethal if the growths are in the mouth or in the gills, or if they grow big enough to compromise the fish's ability to swim, but if the fish is healthy and the stress was only temporary it is usually able to fight off the infection by itself.
 
That's all I know. Had lymphocystis on one of the butterfly fish I ordered once, and my friend at the LFS wouldn't let me have it until it cleared. It cleared almost completely, and it finished clearing up in my tank at home. Didn't infect any of the other fish and I haven't seen it since.

 

[Akasha72]

well I've just got a good look at her and she's looking much better. She's eating and swimming about normally today so it looks like your diagnosis was correct Zante.
 
As to the stress, yes I think they possibly are stressed which I'm hoping will be cured by increasing their numbers.
 
My angel pair have been a pain in the wotsit just lately - the female is especially aggressive right now. Yesterday she attacked the razor blade I have on a stick for cleaning my glass and so I had to give up and then later she went for my long aquascaping scissors when I was trying to cut off a couple of dying leaves. She's such a cowbag right now and I just don't know why.
 
Curviceps is stressed aswell. I'm starting to wonder if I'd be better to re-home these angels. They are stunning but they are causing problems and I'm not coping with their aggression at the moment. They're starting to affect me a little bit - I feel stressed myself just watching them at times. I often regret getting them