Dilemma With Sick Fish

[LolaLouie]

Ok here's a quick summary...

I had a krib with an internal bacterial infection.. I treated him with meds in my hospital tank but he died. My 6 Cherry barbs then got columnaris (sorry if spelt wrong), 1 died.

The remaining 5 are on day 4 of their 6 day treatment for columnaris in the hospital tank. The columnaris has cleared up but i think 1 or 2 of them may have sceptecemia (again sorry for spelling). If this is the case when the 1st treatment is finished they will need an antibacterial treatement.

Now here's the dilemma. 1 of my Bolivian Rams is very quiet, she is still eating but def. not herself. Due to previous problems I'm worried it is an internal bacterial infection and want to catch it early so...

Do I risk the Bolivian Rams health by putting her in my hospital tank with columnaris and possible scepticemia?

or

Do i treat the whole tank for internal bacteria (also a safety precaution) and risk killing my 4 frogs and shrimp and creating immunity in the main tank?

or

Do I leave the Ram where she is and hope for the best?


Just want some advice or opinions on what you all would do!

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

Septicemia hard to cure once it has progressed.
I would leave the ram in the main tank, no way do you want to put a fish in a tank with septicemia
Fish with septicemia need to be issolated as the bacteria from the fish can enter the tank.

What makes you think the ram has a bacterial infection.

 

[LolaLouie]

She's just really quiet which may not be a bacterial infection but I just feel after losing my krib because I waited too long that I want to do something about it. She is not swimming around but staying still most the day. She is eating but not with much enthusiasm and this may be me being paranoid but i do think she looks a little darker than usual.

My cherrys have red blood streaks in their tail.. that's septicemia right?

Thanks as always for your reply Wilder!

 

[WILDER]

Yes red blood streaks in fins is septicemia.
Have you check your stats as septicemia can be due to bad water quality.

If she dark in colour, and be lethagic they are signs of a bacterial infection.

 

[LolaLouie]

Just checked the tank.. down to 4 cherry barbs I feel so bad because it's totally my fault, I moved the barbs to the smaller tank to avoid overcrowding in my main tank... they were fine until I moved them.

My water quality could be bad (it was ok 2 days ago though) but I don't know what to do as they are in the middle of a course of meds. I think really all my cherrys are going to die because they're such a mess. If (when) they do i'm gonna bleach the tank, filter media etc. and just cycle the tank again.

As for the ram.. that's my worry.. if she has an internal bacterial infection i don't want her to die and i don't want her to pass it on to the rest of the tank but i feel like if i put her in my QT it will just be like giving her a death sentence

EDIT: The blood streaks are not in the actual fins, they are in the tail at the top before it becomes fin.. still septicemia?? Also most of their tails have rotted away but i assume that was the columnaris. None of the cherrys have eaten for over a week now!

 

[WILDER]

I would just treat the main tank if you are worried.

If you have to perform a water change in the hospital tank, you just add the correct amount of med back to the water removed.

R.I.P.

Replying to edit.
Yes red edges to a tail is still septicemia.
Yes columnaris can rot the fins away, sounds like you have a very bad strain of columnaris get you some info.

 

[WILDER]

To be honest it hard to cure a bad strain of columnaris in the uk.
[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm[/URL]

Taken from the link above.
The signs of Flexibacter infection run the gamut from fuzzy lesions of the mouth (“Mouth Fungus”) to septicemia (infection in the bloodstream) to white fuzzy patches scattered over the body, sometimes so severe as to cause the skin to look as if it is shedding or peeling, with the fins disintegrating.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks Wilder, interesting article... doesn't look good for my barbs!

To be honest I'm just waiting for them to die as I just don't see there's any hope of them surviving. I will continue to medicate and hope but I think it's unlikely, just hope they die before symptoms get any worse.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.
If they get worse and look like there suffering, get a bucket of cold water and add ice cubes till its freezing cold, add the fish.
It takes about 20 seconds but leave the fish a while to make sure they have passed on.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks!

 

[LolaLouie]

Down to 1 cherry and 1 cockatoo ... The cherry is not eating, the cockatoo is but is spitting everything back out. Given that neither of these ever had symptoms of columnaris i think they probably have an internal bacterial infection. Hopefully they'll live long enough for me to treat them for it!

Can i do a big water change and treat for bacteria the day after meds for columnaris finish?

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

For columnaris you need anti internal bacteria med by interpet, or myxazin by waterlife, you need to add pimafix with either of the meds.
You need to do a water change and run some black carbon before starting a new med.