Can anyone help please. I have a tropical tank 160litres, I have a 14" plec, 1 angel, 1 elephant fish, a small plec, 6 small mollies, about 45 platties. I've been having a problem with my fish for a while now.l I have asked the advice of my local fish supplier as to why my fish are having a problem. I was told initially that it was a bacterial problem and treated it with anti-bac treatment. I had my water checked at the time and everything was normal. No-one can explain why my fish are having this problem. I've only lost 2 with dropsy, and about half a dozen with swollen abdomen. The fish supplier tried to tell me that the ones with swollen abdomen were growing outwards instead of long ways. I think he must have lost the plot, however I stand to be corrected, but they're too swollen for this to be the case. It amazes me how they can live like this, even to the point of eating and swimming around as normally as the others. I have now used nearly a whole bottle of anti-bac to no effect. I have only just found out that this treatment is very bad for my elephant fish. Can anyone please tell me what the problem could be caused by and how to rectify it. The platties are still producing babies which are very healthy, the ones that survive that is, so something is working ok.

Your help would be appreciated


Linda

This originally got posted inthe Welcome section and got no replies so I'm bumping it back up here to try to get her some help.

Your tanks overstocked.
Can you post water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
What do you feed your fish?
Are scales sticking out.
Epson salt baths help draw the fluids out.

This post has been edited by Wilder: Jun 25 2008, 05:19 AM

Thanksfor your reply. I don't know my stats just that I was told by the fish shop that tested my water that it was ok. I feed my fish aquarium tropical flakes and blood worms. I've already put tonic salt into the tank sorry I forgot to mention it. I've only had 2 fish that had their scales sticking out. I know that this is dropsy, it's the others with hollow abdomen that I've never seen before. According to two fish shops I have spoken to bacterial infection is not catching. How many fish should I have in this tank. I have 2 pumps going. One is a floor pump and I brought another internal flavel for the size of the tank.

Bacterial infections are catching.
If a fish pecks at a dead body desease can pass on that way.
Once scales stick out organ failure, fish never make it once scales stick out.
So some of the fish have a sunken in belly as that can be internal parasites.
Check the anus of the fish to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed,
What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.
Lost any fish to being skinny or bent spines.
Seen any worms prutruding from the anus.

I would take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
I would also suggest investing in some liquid test kits of your own.


This post has been edited by Wilder: Jun 26 2008, 01:25 PM

Thanks for the information. None of my fish have sunken in belly and the anus of all the sick fish is not enlarged or red and inflamed. Toilet is normal. I've lost several fish but they look completely normal, not skinny or bent spines. No worms protruding. The main symptom of the sick fish is very large abdomen which makes them look like little golf balls, rather like a puffer fish when it's blown up, the strange thing is that they are swimming and eating normally. It takes several months for them to die. They look as though they are going to explode and I can see through their skin to their insides. I will take a sample to the fish shop for testing but I don't know if they are good enough to give me readings but if not my daughter can do one for me hopefully at the weekend. I've asked the shop for a testing kit but they only sell lots of individual ones and not all of them.

All you can do is maybe add a bacterial med to the tank.
Don't feed for a few days.
Don't feed bloodworms more than once a week.
A good varied diet of frozen foods and veg.
Epsons salt baths help draw the fluids out.
Once scales stick out the fish rarely make it.