Dieing Anabatoids.

[Miss Dib Dabs]

In the past two weeks I have lost two sp.gouramies to some nasty fungal infection and now my daughters male betta has it. They are/were all in seperate tanks, all with mature filters and good water conditions. I thought maybe it was something airborne since it's only been the air breathers affected so far despite both the gouramies living in community tanks (No other fish in those tanks has contracted whatever this is and show no signs of illness or infection). The advice I've been given today is that it could something getting in through the tap water that is affecting them....but if this is the case why have the other fish not been affected? Also I have other tanks of gourmies and fry and bettas (All in their own tanks with seperate filtration) and I'm scared this will continue to spread.
As it is Houdini is fighting this and is still going right now.
I treated him with Eisha 2000 this morning but have now run out of it and the store had none. Have another fungal based med to use and have been advised to boil the water b4 using it in the tanks. I will be cleaning out Houdini's tank as soon as the water is cool enough. Seems to take for hours.
Also have been told I can treat the other tanks with methalyn blue as a precautionary measure since I get no pre-warning of attack and to clean all the things I use (Buckets, nets, hoses etc) in the tanbks at any time thoroughly and to be sure no clean my hands when moving between tanks.
Is there anything wrong with any of this or anything you can add? I hate seeing my fish being attacked by an infection that is acting so rapidly and un expectedly.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Durbkat]

You can add some salt to help and maybe some Maracyn 1 it teats body fungus.

 

[WILDER]

I had guppys with columnaris all the guppys got it but not any other fish like tetra's, columnaris lives in the tank water all it takes it a stressed fish and and bad water quality, some fish are more prone to bacterial infections than others, i would do some water changes on the main tank, get some anti internal bacteria med and anti finrot and fungus med by interpet, can you put them all in a issolation tank the sick ones.

http/article.discusnews.com/cat-02/columnaries.shtml

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Hon, re-read my first post. They are ALL in different tanks! The two gouramies were in tanks in totally seperat parts of the house. One upstairs and one down. (The 15 and the 30 in my siggy). Houdini has a tank of his own. The other two died within 12 hours of the fungus showing. No other signs or symptoms whatsoever. The water quality is excellent! 0 Ammonia and nitrIte and low nitrAte (around 10ppm). All mature tanks with no new fish added and regular cleans all round.
Have just done a very large water change and started with the new med. Water is a little warmer (Having been boiled and cooled for a fair number of hours) but it doesn't seem to worry him. He's still keeping very quiet and only occasionally moving around. Still keeping him in the breeders net with the water level lowered so he doesn't have to try too much to reach the surface. But he is still very poorly.
The only other factor I can think of is there has been other illness in the house recently. Not just myself or my children but one of my cats had to go to the vets last week and she had a temp of 105! Thankfully she could be treated and recovered very quickly.
Is probably just coincidence but thought I'd mention it.
Hugs,
P.

 

[black angel]

is it possible that you are using equipment for all the tanks? Even getting your hand wet in one tank and putting it in another can cross the infection over.

 

[WILDER]

Has the temp gone up in the tanks lately, i agree with black angel as if you haven' been sterlising equipment then it can pass to other tanks, i would turn the temp down in the affected tanks as high temps makes it multiply faster.

 

[sylvia]

What your fish have is unlikely to be fungal (which occurs as a secondary infection over already dead tissue) - it's actualy bacterial. Generaly speaking, this is flexibacter columnaris or aeromonas and, in the UK (I think you live there), Interpets anti fungus & finrot seems to work well (treatment number 8 ). Lowering the temperature is especialy important and may be the reason your other fish have not caught it. I would imagine the temp. in your anabantoids' tanks are higher than your typical community. Also, stress can make fish more susceptible. Your three-spots have been breeding recently so that's likely to have left them quite stressed and/or weak. Bettas are likely to be susceptible due to the smaller volumes in which they are kept though, of course, I have no way of knowing how big your betta's tank is. Lowering temp. should make a huge difference so try to get it to below 76 deg F (the lower the better but don't go so low as to stress your fish and do it gradualy).

I found a very useful article on flexibacter specificaly. It also mentions the use of salt (which I had not thought of mentioning though I have tried it in the past - I'm not sure whether or not it played a role as the fish was also treated with meds/lowered temp.): http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

edit: also, watch that, if you add salt, there are no scaless fish in the tank
Actualy, I edited because this smiley 8) comes up when you try to write 8 followed by a bracket ... lol - very annoying sometimes

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Thanks for your help guys. Sadly Houdini didn't survive this and died sometime in the early hours. All tanks have been treated with interpets methalyn blue at half dose. I will then do a one third water change in all tanks Tuesday (assuming all is well) and have the interpets no.8 on standby for any signs of any ill fish.
Temp in the ladies betta tank is 77 and the breeding tank is at 79. The fry tank is at 79 also.
Sadly I am guilty of using the same hose in each for water changes so this is stopping with all having their own hoses from now on.
So far the breeding tank has remained clear of infection but my paranoia (spl?) makes me think one fish or another is not well, acting wrong.....you get the picture. The girls have remained clear of infection despite being in the same tank as one of the sp.gouramies that died. Fry tank and Ollies tank have shown no signs of illness either. But will be keeping a very close eye on them all!
Hugs,
P.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry R.I.P.

 

[demonmagus]

Sorry, but the worst thing is you dont know what happened

Here are some flowers for you

 

[ncjharris]

It could be coincidence, but the same thing has happened to our Anabatoids, literally in the last week or so. I came across your post searching for something to help them.

The paradise fish and honey gourami in our community have been displaying very similar symptoms to yours (nasty fungal infection) which has now entailed the fish becoming lethargic. Although the gourami is looking better, both paradises are very sluggish and the female isn't eating at the mo.
We have done a water change today and I have medicated with anti-internal bacteria as the lethargy pointed me that way. Also added (a little) salt, but from reading this will now also lower the temp a little.

Once 7 days have passed and if there is no change I'll try the anti fungus & fin rot too.

Anyway, I didn't mean to hijack your post Miss D-D, but you mentioned something about 'something in the water'. If you are in the UK, where abouts are you - I only ask as this could be a possible cause?

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I'm near Cambridge. And don't worry, it's better that the thread helps someone then goes to waste. Am still keeping my fingers crossed the precautionary treatment of all tanks (Even if alot of the fish are now upset/sulking due to having blue water ) will help protect them. It is an unfortunate thing that water companies do occasionally decide to add something to the water without telling anyone and this can be very unhealthy for our fish. Or it may simply be that some virus was in the water that didn't get filtered out and got into my tanks! I feel very sad for my daughter who's taking his loss very hard. She is only 7. I really did all the taking care of him of course but she loved him dearly. Am hoping to suprise her with a very handsome fella from KGbettas in the hope she will move on and give her love to another boy.
His tank is being given the full clean out act to make sure there are no lingering nasty bacteria and then the filter can be re-seeded from one of my other tanks. But it is still very sad. He came through so much to become a beautiful adult betta and Kacey had so wanted him to spawn with one of our girls but I said not until after xmas since we have a fry tank full of growing gourami. And now it's too late.
On a last note, when I found him, sadly demised, the fungus had been eradicated by the med I'd used but whatever internal infection/parasite/thing had caused it was so rampant and fast acting it seemed no matter what was tried it was already too late. All three now have died within 24 hours. The first two within 14. That really is rapid and deadly. What gets me is it doesn't wipe out the entire tank nor seem to spread to the other members. Obviously Houdini was alone but the other two lived in communities! My mind is going to explode trying to understand this one I swear.
Hugs,
P.