Angelfish Dieing Slowly!

[pyroo]

My angelfish was healthy, eager to eat and always swimming around, and 4 months later, it started to hide, when it breaths, it opens it mouth bigger than usual...(bigger gulps), and it also has red marks near its mouth, like it has a bleeding nose, fins sometimes clamped, it eats and spits, stringy white poo, what should I do? I read the internet that it could have a internal bacterial infection, I also have other angelfishes in there (all healthy), whatever disease this one has, would the others have it too in the future? How can I treat the angelfish if it is an internal bacterial infection, I read that you'd have to stick a needle in it with antibiotics, otherwise, its a goner since internal infections are harder to treat...

Tank size:55g US
pH: 6.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:0
kH:?
gH:?
tank temp: 80 C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): above

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25% 1-2weeks

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: iron for the plants

Tank inhabitants: rummynose, cardinal, rasbora, corycats

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none

Exposure to chemicals: none

dumb question---> DIY CO2 would have nothing do with introducing bacteria into the tank right?

 

[Spooky76]

I wouldnt think the CO2 would be a problem, unless you think your 02 levels could be low, but if the other fish are OK, you would think not.

I would treat if with a borad spectrum bacterial medication, like the interpet anti internal bacteria.

 

[pyroo]

im nooooo where near a petshop and i have no ride, therefore, i can't get any medicine, are there anything in the house that i can use to help the angelfish to recover? Its getting weaker now, it can barely swim...it "jerks" quickly to move around

 

[scooterchick]

I'm very surprised your nitrate reading is 0. With a 25% water change every 1/2 weeks you should have a reading, I would guess between 20 and 40. Which makes me wonder if your amonia and nitrite readings are accurate.

How many fish exactly do you have in the tank? Certainly it sounds like an internal bacterial infection, you can gets meds at your lfs, as for what you can do now, the only thing is a water change until you get those meds. I'm sorry to say your angel sounds as though it's quite advanced and I wouldn't be hopeful of saving him. However you have to eradicate the cause.

Can you test your water again? You MUST have a nitrate reading, are you using strips or bottles? Strips are not very reliable.

 

[pyroo]

yeah, i use the strips, but i dont think it a nitrate problem though since the other angelfishes are doing great, and i also have lots of plants in there to get rid of any excess nitrate

 

[Spooky76]

Strips are poo really. They are awfully inaccurate.

I do a 25% water change every week and sometimes put some easy balance in, and my nitrate is about 25. Although its low on the scale and nothing to worry about, it can get higher and still be ok, having 0 is a worry though.

And to answer your question, I know of nothing else you can do for him without medications no. Just maybe a 10% water change everyday for 3 days until you can get some medicine.

 

[pyroo]

hey, thanks a lot for the replies and help, but the angelfish didnt make it *sigh, it was a veil-tail ghost angel...