Problems And More Problems

[Lace]

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately i'm experiencing several problems in my tank. First of all i'm having a small ammonia spike so do not know exactly how much this is contributing to the problems. I'm water changing 50% twice weekly at the minute.

Ammonia 0.5
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
PH 7.6

Some of my fish have ragged tails, red gills, one is skinny, a couple stay at the top of the water whilst a couple stay at the bottom. Some have stringy white/clear sometimes sandy poop.

Their diets consist of a mixture of the following, flake, catfish pellets, algae wafers, and (from previous advice on this forum) once or twice a week they have bloodworm, cucumber and live foods - varies depending on what lfs have in. Usually 1 starve day a week.

Any help will be appreciated, and i can get some photos if needed although it may take some time...

Many thanks

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.

Red gills can be due to bad water quality, bacterial gill rot, gill flukes.
Any excess mucas on the gills.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, darting, erratic swimming, laboured breathing or gasping.

The fish that's gone skinny has he lost weight due to not eating.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any worms prutruding from the anus.

 

[Lace]

Thanks very much for the reply.

The tank is a 5ft, 380 litres. Fish are as follows

2 L182 plecs
5 red rainbows
4 bosemani rainbows
5 banded rainbows (I think)
4 blue rainbows
6 pearl danios
2 Ellioti cichlids
4 clown loach
6 Platys
4 female guppys

No mucas on the gills that I can see.

Some of the fish - usually the rainbows do seem to flick occasionally, The guppys and some of the platys are gasping at the top.

The skinny fish is a platy, this seemed to happen after she had fry last, she dosn't seem to have recovered. Dosn't have a sunken belly just seems really skinny.

I can't see any problems or anything protruding from the anus'.

Thanks again

Lace

 

[WILDER]

Immediate water change and increase aeration.
The flicking, red gills, and gasping could be due to the ammonia reading.

I would worm your fish for camallaous worms.
Whats your location.


Camallanus



Symptoms:

When the fish is stationary, deep red worms can be seen protruding from the anal pore. They are only visible when the fish is still because the worms retreat into the intestine at the fish’s slightest movement. Other signs may include an inflamed and enlarged anus. In severe infestations, the fish may become emaciated and spinal curvature may also occur.



Cause:

The parasitic worms Camallanus Cotti and Camallanus lacustris. These small, livebearing parasitic worms attach to the intestinal walls and rectum with pinchers. The worm’s grip is so tight that any attempts to remove it forcibly will rip away tissue from the intestinal wall. The worm’s pinching causes ischemia (reduced blood flow) to that part of the intestine. In time, the tissue to that part of the intestine will die, at which time the worm will migrate to another part of the intestine. This causes perforations throughout the intestine, which allows other pathogens to gain entry. If the fish is not treated, either the parasite or bacterial will kill the fish. Camallanus infestations occur most often in livebearing fish such as Guppies and Mollies, though infection is possible in all fish. Camallanus infestations are contagious. All fish, including those not yet showing visible symptoms, as well as the aquarium, should be treated.



Treatment:

Treat with Internal Parasite Guard, Pipzine, Disco-Worm, Trichlorfon or Fluke-Tabs as well as a medicated food to prevent a bacterial infection.

 

[Lace]

I am in Yorkshire, UK.

Many thanks for the help and advice Wilder its much appreciated.

 

[Lace]

Hi again can I just ask if these meds are uk based i cant seem to find any.

 

[WILDER]

There this med but think you can only buy it online.
http/www.thegreenmachineaquatics.com/mal...ol%20001/198936

 

[Lace]

Fantastic, have ordered some many thanks Wilder. Also the medicated food is there a name i should be searching for? Unfortunately the LFS round here arn't too good.

 

[WILDER]

Don't think you can buy internal parasite medicated food in the uk.

 

[Lace]

Ok thanks for the replys, fingers crossed the Sera stuff works.

 

[WILDER]

Has the med arrived yet.

 

[Lace]

Nope still not arrived, hoping it should be here sometime this week.

Thank you for thinking of us Wilder, its much appreciated.

 

[Lace]

Ok need a little more help with this please.

Still havn't received the med, due to a mess up with paypal... long story had to re order the med. Yesterday I noticed a couple of the rainbow fish have worm like beings hanging from the anus'. Today one of these rainbows has a mass of white cotton wool like growth on both sides of its body.

Please is this a fungus infection? and what should I treat first?

Many thanks in advance

Lace

 

[Forestpisces]

As wilder said previousely the worms could be camallanus.

As for the cotton wool like growth would it be pssible to get a picture.
Does it looks to be raised up, under the skin or actually on top of the skin, is there any redness around the white patch?
Any flicking or rubbing from the fish or any of the others?


Also some more water stats could be helpfull

 

[Lace]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes I was aware about the worms, I was just trying to point out I have actually seen these now.

I have tried to get a picture to no avail, the growth is on both sides of a rainbow fish who is swimming very rapidly round the tank. It literally looks like someones stuck some cotton wool on top of the skin. No redness as of yet.

Some fish have been flicking and rubbing occasionally, but not very often.

Water stats this morning before water change were:

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm