Angelfish Sick And Dying...

[debob484]

A couple of weeks ago I received 8 Anglefish via overnight mail, paid a fortune. They were all half dollar size, 5 months old.
I acclimated them slowly by floating their bag in my tank and adding my tank water to the bag. After a couple of hours, I dipped them out with a net and all seemed well except one who was seriously injured due to shipping. He died that night.

All has been going well with them but a black angel who hung out in the corners of the tank facing at an upright angle most of the time. At first with fins clamped and not eating. He started looking better and was swimming and eating at times up to yesterday.

When I arrived home yesterday I noticed all of the Angelfish except my smallest (who I've had over a month) hanging out at the top of the tank by the filter where the water has a current. 2 of them had swollen bellys and one had slime hanging in strings off of him. The black one who looked good except for the belly and darted around ocassionally in an erratic manner the other seemed very weak. None of the fish are flashing. The scales were flat on both fish.

I did a 10 gallon water change using Stress Coat and watching my water temp. hoping it would help.

This morning the 2 Angels were dead on the bottom of the tank so I fished them out and disposed of them.
I fed the rest and they ate but are still hanging out near the filter. One is acting ill in a corner at the top by himself however. I can see no signs of swelling or illness but I know he's next if something isn't done soon.

I've been feeding Omega One flakes twice a day and once a week I feed Freeze Dried Blood Worms in place of the flakes for one meal. I do at least a 10 gallon water change every week to week and a half.

My water tests fine:

PH 6.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrates: 5.0
Temp: 79
55 US gallon aquarium
Penguin Bio Filter

Can someone please help?

 

[The-Wolf]

hanging out at the top of the tank by the filter where the water has a current. 2 of them had swollen bellys and one had slime hanging in strings off of him. The black one who looked good except for the belly and darted around ocassionally in an erratic manner the other seemed very weak. None of the fish are flashing. The scales were flat on both fish.

sounds like a bacterial infection.
do you have any anti-bacterial meds to hand?

 

[debob484]

hanging out at the top of the tank by the filter where the water has a current. 2 of them had swollen bellys and one had slime hanging in strings off of him. The black one who looked good except for the belly and darted around ocassionally in an erratic manner the other seemed very weak. None of the fish are flashing. The scales were flat on both fish.

sounds like a bacterial infection.
do you have any anti-bacterial meds to hand?

Don't have any but am going to town this morning and can stop and get some. Don't have any idea what to get. I have a guppy, pleco and some neons in the tank too. They're all fine.

 

[The-Wolf]

I don't know US meds but any med that is for internal bacterial problems should work.

 

[debob484]

I don't know US meds but any med that is for internal bacterial problems should work.

Thank you so much! Keeping fingers crossed...going to get some now.

 

[debob484]

I don't know US meds but any med that is for internal bacterial problems should work.

Thank you so much! Keeping fingers crossed...going to get some now.

I picked up some Melafix Antibacterial Fish Remedy, hope it helps.

 

[WILDER]

Also can you describe the slime, is it mucas or fluffy, as it could be columnaris or parasite, also what do you feed the fish.

 

[debob484]

I've been feeding Omega One flakes twice a day and once a week I feed Freeze Dried Blood Worms in place of the flakes for one meal.

The slime was kind of white and stringy on one of the fish.

 

[WILDER]

You need to get the fish on a better diet, as to many dried foods lead to constipation and swim bladder .
problems.
They need frozen foods in bloodworms,brimestrimp,daphnia, microworms,tublilex worms, etc.
Veg in peas,broc,cucumba,lettuce,spinach, carrot etc.
It sounds like the fish has columnaris where are the string threads hanging from the fish, just make sure they are not a parasite as well.

 

[debob484]

I picked up some frozen brine shrimp this morning along with the medicine. I'll feed them some this evening. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere so I asked my LFS to order some fresh ones as the ones they had were old and freezer burned. Wonder if they were actually constipated?

The slime looked stringy, not like parasites. No lesions or moldy looking stuff. This was only on one fish who died, none of the others look like this. The only thing both dead fish had in common was the swollen bellys.

As for the other fish, none are swollen, as of this morning none have funny looking slime. The only thing is they're hanging out at the top of the tank looking up which is how this whole thing started with the other two.

 

[WILDER]

Increase aeration and add the med, good luck.

Could still have the bacteria infection as they hang at the surface with that.

 

[WILDER]

Does your tank smell any different.

 

[debob484]

Thank you Wilder for your time and advise.
I've added the medicine.
Off to buy a pump...

It smells a little fishy, always has.

 

[WILDER]

A mature tank should smell earthy like a peat smell.
If you have a bad bacteria infection in your tank it can smell awful, like rotten eggs, or sulphur.

 

[debob484]

Doesn't smell like rotten eggs or sulphur, that's a good sign hugh?