Another Problem?!

[Christine1014]

When it rains it pours, I guess. I've been keeping fish for six years and have never had to medicate... now I'm looking at twice in one day!

Okay, so my danios have mouth rot. I got the PimaFix stuff for that, and was about to medicate the whole tank when I noticed one of my swordtails had some stringy, mostly white, poo hanging from him... I'm assuming he came from the LFS this way, as he's only been in my tank for 36 hours, and livebearers are particularly prone to parasitic infections (right?)...

SOOOO. Instead of medicating the whole tank, 'cause I wasn't sure about mixing meds and wanted to get the danios treated ASAP, I put the danios in the hospital tank and gave them their meds. Now - what to do about the swordtail?

Here's the rest of the info:

Tank size: 44 US Gallons
pH: 7
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 30
tank temp: 78

Fish Symptoms: Perfectly fine; just stringy white poo.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 30%, weekly

Chemical Additives: just Prime with water changes

Tank inhabitants: 2 black skirt tetras, 3 danios currently in hospital tank being treated for mouth rot, 2 ghost shrimp, a neon, and a platy. Oh, and 4 swordtails. One of which has stringy white poo -- not sure about the other three.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): The swordtails!

Exposure to chemicals: none


I'm thinking my options are:

1. treat the 44 gallon tank with all the inhabitants (minus the danios, who are already in the hospital tank).

2. Move the danios back into the 44 gallon, move the swordtail(s) to the hospital tank. Treat the 44 gallon (with the danios now, and everyone except the swordtails) with the PimaFix, and treat the hospital tank with the swordtail(s) with something for the parasite.

3. Put the danios back in the 44 gallon, and treat everybody for everything.

4. Pull the swordtails out of the 44 gallon and create yet another hospital tank. (And as my spare filter, heater, and airstone are already in use on the OTHER hospital tank, I'm hoping this isn't the best option!)

Ahhh!!!!!!!

 

[jourdy288]

sorry, but you can have a ten gallon tank for hospital use. I now sign off until tommorow. What is the quality of the sword?

 

[Christine1014]

The sword seems to be fine. I never would have noticed a problem if I hadn't been watching the tank when he had the poo hanging from him... I don't have a spare 10 gallon, but I've converted a 15 gallon tuperware container into a "tank" -- and luckily I have several more of those containers in the closet!

 

[WILDER]

Mouth rot can soon kill a fish need maracyn one and two or maracyn plus.
Try some shelled peas first on the fish with the long stringy poo, if it dosn't clear up get back to the board.
Check the fish amus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.

 

[Christine1014]

Thanks, Wilder. Unfortunately, I came home from work today to find the swordtail with the stringy poo lying dead on the bottom of the tank.

As for the danios in the hospital tank, I've been treating with PimaFix; is Macaryn Plus stronger/better, or will it do the same thing as the PimaFix?

 

[*Fishkies*]

Jungle Fungus Care tablets are also a great fungus medication. It works quick and is very efficient!! It says it treats mouth funugs, however I have used it for treating fin and tail rot the most.

 

[WILDER]

For mouth rot you need a bacterial med, pimafix is for fungus, in the uk we use pimafix with a bacterial med. for back up.
Get the maracyn, pimafix will be no good on its own.
R.I.P.

 

[Christine1014]

Thanks Wilder... I get off work in about 20 minutes, then off to the fish store again, I guess.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=710333&CatID=448

http/www.articledepot.co.uk/article-29320.htm

 

[Christine1014]

Thanks Wilder, just read that article.... swabbing its lips?! Clearly the author never met my Huey, Dewey, and Louie! I'll save that for the last-resort method as my danios would only stay that still if they were pretty much dead... the good news is that they're not lethargic at all and still eating.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdcolumn.htm

Good luck.

 

[Christine1014]

Okay, meds are now in the tank. Any thoughts on whether I should also add some aquarium salt, too? Would that provide some additional help or should I just stick to the macryn alone?

 

[WILDER]

What fish do you keep in the tank as not all fish can tolerate salt to well.

 

[Christine1014]

Actually, the danios are in the hospital tank by themselves - put them in there after I discovered the swordtail (now dead) with probable parasites in the main tank. The other inhabitants of the main tank (3 more swordtails, two black skirts, a platy and a neon) all seem perfectly healthy so I was really hesitant to put the sick danios back in there...

 

[WILDER]

You could add one teaspoon to every 5 gallons.
Good luck.