A downside to fishkeeping

[lizard]

I hate euthanizing my fish I had to euthanize a Neon Tetra last week, but that one didn't both me *too* much, because he was sick, stuck on the filter, and he was torn up, I think from being stuck to the filter. I think he had NTD. Tonight, I euthanized one of my Pepper Cory fry He had a very fat, round little tummy, and spent a fair bit of time lying on his side at the top of the tank. I'm thinking that perhaps he had dropsy, so I want to check and see if his tummy is full of fluid. If it is, I'll probably euthanize another one or two of my fish who have similar symptoms. I hate this part.

My Neons still have ich, too. I don't know why. I've been treating for a month and a half. I do regular (at least once a week, more often since the temperature has been turned up) water changes, I pay close attention to 'em, take good care of them, etc.

I'm just frustrated tonight...

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[lizard]

I opened up the little fishy that I euthanized. His tummy had a fair bit of fluid in it (from what I could tell), which makes me suspect that dropsy is the problem I suppose that now I ought to euthanize the other little one that's showing symptoms, too, in hopes of keeping it from spreading, eh?

This is just not fun...

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[enchanted]

Pamela, what size tank are you keeping the fry in?

I moved one of mine to my main tank just to make sure no other fish could eat them and now have moved the rest. They are probably the most active fish in the tank, especially when a guppy takes interest and wants to play. LOL

If you can move your fry to a larger tank that may help. As for the ich issue, have you tried adding Melafix/Pimafix? I've read that some of the bacterial infections such as finrot can look somewhat like ich. Is their a possibility you are treating for the wrong illness?

Just a few thoughts.

 

[snowyangel]

I'm so sorry lizard. I know putting them down isn't fun, i had to do it 5x a day for a week when my many strains of guppies had the Guppy Virus. It takes alot of energy out of you, all the depression really sucks.
Hope u recover soon.

 

[lizard]

The fry were in my 29-gallon community tank. One is doing fine, and up until yesterday, they were all doing okay. I just euthanized the other sick-looking one Poor little guy.

I'm 99.9% sure that the Neons have ich. They have the little salt/sugar granules on them. Other than that, they're fine and acting normal. I suppose it is possible, though, that some other disease is trying to imitate ich. It "acts" like ich. They get the granules, lose 'em a few days later, then get 'em again in another few days.

I dunno...

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[snowyangel]

Most ich treatments say treat them for up to 2 weeks after you see no spots just to kill the parasite in the water. Maybe you dont treat them for long enough.

 

[fufanu360]

thats too bad, its kinda nasty that u had to open up one of the fishes tummies, that musta been hard
!

 

[gaya]

Have you tried not using any meds and just doing water changes everyday with the temp raised? or you could do this in conjunction with the meds. I have a batch of neons that got ick the day I brought them home. This was back in July. I thought I licked it with a med but it came back. They never left their quarantine tank but I did water changes everyday for more than a week with raised temps and I haven't seen ick on them since August I think. Though that many water changes is a pain.

 

[lizard]

I've been treating them for a month and a half, or just over that. In that time, there has been perhaps once that I've seen *no* ich spots. There's always somebody with at least one ich spot.

I've been trying the high temperature and frequent water change method for the last few weeks, and it hasn't been helping much... I wish it had been... Now I've got the Neons in qt and am treating with malachite green and salt, as well as a somewhat raised temperature (my heater for the 10 gallon can't keep the temp much higher than 80, otherwise I'd have the temp around 86 or 88*).

Yeah, water changes every day are kind of a pain...but if it gets rid of the ich...

Darn ich...

At any rate, thanks for the responses - they are appreciated

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[livelife]

Pamela, I have no doubt that you are a more experienced fish keeper than I, but I'm hoping that I can offer a little help with your Ick. What I did with my treatments, along with the upped temps, the meds and the salt...is I did a 50% water change with a *thorough* gravel vac every 48 hours, immediately prior to each new dosing of meds. Keep doing a gravel vac and meds every 48 hours for a few days after the last signs of ick and make sure to remove your carbon from your filter until treatment is done.

Maybe I'm being redundant and you're already doing all of this.


Nat