Unknown Ailment

[Kaidonni]

When the situation first hit last year, I suspected that it may have been due to changing one-half the filter media and not realising it could have sparked a mini-cycle until it was too late. Only two fish in that instance had wasting - the little Clown Loach and a White Cloud Mountain Minnow. The other White Cloud Mountain Minnow to die was bloated and had a reddened look to his body.

 

[Kaidonni]

I just realised that White Cloud Mountain Minnows are particularly intolerant to copper...eSHa 2000 contains copper sulphate at 8.0mg per 20ml. I dosed for 43 litres, so 11/6/6/6 drops (an additional day added in). Oooh...each bottle can treat 800l for three days, 8/800=0.01mg/l. I changed the middle filter wool yesterday, but I'm going to swap over to active carbon now.

 

[Kaidonni]

More issues now...hoping it's constipation, but from at least one WCCM there has been whitish/light-coloured stringy faeces hanging from the anus. I'm in the process of improving their diet by feeding de-shelled peas on a more regular basis, and will feed with some live food on the weekend. I don't often pay attention to their excrement, although in the past it has seemed normal (as far back as the other weekend when I dosed with levacide), and I don't want to jump to conclusions that it is certainly an internal parasite or bacterial infection. I've already lost one fish this time around, and I need to realise it's put me on a high alert status where I might be prone to panic and do anything to stop any more fish dying (anything usually not including stopping to actually make sure something is wrong). I don't want to go dosing for something the WCCM's aren't suffering from, not after what the fish have already been through...

 

[WILDER]

If the peas don't solve the problem don't hesitate to post back.
 
Good Luck.

 

[Kaidonni]

I'd say the faeces is white/whitish/light-coloured and more thread-like than normal faeces. Prior to feeding the peas yesterday, I did notice on the one White Cloud Mountain Minnow what appeared to be normal brownish faeces together with the abnormal faeces (in that instance, the thread-like faeces, then a small clump of normal faeces, followed by the thread-like faeces again). Since that time I haven't seen that particular WCCM pass any waste. I'm hoping that's indicative of constipation (given the diet I've provided...flake food and pellets...). I plan to feed some daphnia on Saturday, as an article I read online regarding fish constipation recommended chitinous live foods.

 

[star4]

Silly question, have you fed bloodworm recently? I had a similar panic with one of my white clouds until I saw that it was the outer case of a bloodworm that it was passing, weird not seen it before.

 

[Kaidonni]

Nope, haven't fed bloodworm in ages; bought some bloodworm last year, fed a few times, but wasn't certain the fish were all that interested in it - it fell to the bottom, so the WCCMs didn't get much (and my lone Black Neon Tetra at the time). The Clown Loaches didn't ever show much interest in it either. The diet has been primarily flake food for the WCCMs, and flake food/catfish pellets for the Clown Loaches. I'm going to vary the diet significantly more now. The WCCMs in particular seem to love the de-shelled peas.

 

[star4]

It was just a thought. If they are eating pea's regularly now, it could just be they are working well and are not actually passing anything, showing up as a white stringy movement. Just keep a check.

 

[Kaidonni]

If I recall correctly, I'd last fed peas three weekends ago, the weekend prior to treatment with levacide (didn't get around to peas that weekend due to all the panic). That'd put two weeks between. I fed peas on Sunday this week, and then yesterday. Plan to feed a few tomorrow, although it doesn't do the job for the remaining Clown Loach (he's usually up towards the top terrorising WCCMs and nicking the flake food). I've planned the daphnia for Saturday due to my plan on doing a 25% water change on Sunday (performed one today also - there was still some pea about this morning, and the WCCMs were still picking at it).

 

[Kaidonni]

I'm curious, I'm feeding de-shelled pea regularly now (each feeding time, which is every other day), and the WCMMs in particular devour it. How much pea is too much? Can it have adverse effects on fish? I still feed flake food, and last weekend fed live daphnia (the two male WCMMs proceeding to display to one another like they were on steroids a short while after they started on the daphnia). I didn't feed peas the Wednesday or Saturday just gone, so today and Monday this week were the days on which I fed pea, and then the Thursday and Tuesday before that. I also don't boil the peas, I just leave them to defrost for about an hour or so (I do cut them up into tiny pieces and mush some of them).

 

[WILDER]

Just a few peas twice a week, or even 3 times a week.
Daphnia also a good laxative so keep it in the fish diet.

 

[Kaidonni]

I'll have to mix daphnia and blood worm - the Clown Loach probably won't do any good with daphnia, and in any case, the WCMMs devour the daphnia. I mistook blood worm for tubifex, but my lfs assured me they are different and that few retailers deal with tubifex now due to where they are raised. Any particular preparation methods as regards blood worm at all? I noted the methods for preparing tubifex off about.com (by Shirlie Sharpe), and while I won't be feeding tubifex, do I need to follow a similar routine of cleaning them over a number of days, ensuring they aren't fouling the water they are kept in? Or do I just siphon off as much water as possible and put the blood worm directly into the tank? Also, probably feeding live food next weekend next (aiming for every two weeks or thereabouts).

 

[WILDER]

I would keep a way from tubifex I wouldn't risk it either. I sure that they made my goldfish ill.
I only fed my fish frozen foods so not to sure on live foods.
When I feed my fish frozen foods I would just take the cube out of container and add to a small
plastic dish, adding tank water.

 

[Kaidonni]

Heh, just reading up on bloodworm, and an older topic on the forums from June 2011 focuses on a lot of fish dying after a mix of new introductions and feeding live bloodworm. The topic is here, http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/363609-bloodworm-killing-fish/, and someone else mentions trouble with live bloodworm, while one member only feeds frozen due to issues with live bloodworm and parasites. I may have to reconsider live bloodworm, fortunately frozen bloodworm is sold at my lfs.

 

[WILDER]

You can use myxazin to sterilise food.
http/www.waterlife.co.uk/seaquariums/myxazin.htm