Everythings Dying!

[Raven_24]

OK I have a major problem and in another way I don't...

I got some more fish from my LFS about 2 weeks ago and put them in the quarintine tank as always - I'd previously had 3 neons in there from last time as I wanted them to grow a bit bigger before I put them in my community tank (I have 3 silver sharks in there & I know from past experiences that baby neons make a tasty snack), they'd had whitespot but it'd cleared up and they'd been fine for about 6weeks till I introduced the new fish - 6 more neons (I wanted a shoal) and a baby south american plec.

Since then ALL the fish got whitespot inc the 3 bigger neons so I did as usual - upped the temperature & added King British Whitespot Terminator to the tank but it didn't seem to work. The whitespot got worse, so much so that one neon was literally covered in it
It was past the 7day return policy to take them back to the shop so I persevered anyway but over the last 4 days all my neons are dead and only the catfish/plec is still alive in the tank. I've cleaned it and done patial water changes etc but I'm really worried now that my plecs gonna cop it as well(!)

I did my usual tests on the tank and the stats are PH - 7.2, Ammonia - 0ppm, Nitrite - 0ppm, Nitrate - 5ppm

Can anybody give me an idea of whats wrong in my tank and advice on the plec?

I forgot to mention when I added the new neons and the plec to the quarintine tank that I'd also bought 3 plastic plants and put them in at the same time, I rinsed them in declorinated water first but could that have done anything???

 

[blue_ram]

I'm a little confused here. How long did you quarantine your NEW fish before adding them to the community tank? You need to quarantine you new fish for at least 2 weeks.

If the current treatment isn't working, it's probably because you have a strain of Ick that's immune to current treatment. Find out what the active ingredients in the King British Whitespot Terminator are. Then use medication that has different ingredients than the Whitespot Terminator. Medication with combination of malachite green and formalin works really well, but I'm sure if it's available in your area (UK?). Your other option is salt. Good luck.

[edit] Just how high is your temperature anyway?

 

[WILDER]

Right how high is the temp and are you running an airstone for aeration, as meds and high temps take the 02 out of the water, were they laboured breathing, also you need a bigger tanks for them silver sharks a least 125gal tank, if you are not running and airstone it sounds like there suffocating with hardly any 02 in the water.

 

[Raven_24]

Great mutant ick(!) Hmm ok sorry maybe I wasn't too clear when writing that - I hadn't added the new fish to the community tank as I was quarintining them. The 3 neons that were already in the quarintine/secondary tank had been there for about 2 months before I put the new fish in.
Ok maybe I should have moved those 3 into the CT but like I said I wanted a shoal & they had to get bigger before I put them all in the CT & I didn't have a divider. I figured because those 3 had already had it, they'd be more resistant if my new fishes happened to have ick.
The only neon that had laboured breathing was the one that was absoloutely covered in it, it was on it's mouth as well.

The temperature in the secondary tank is about 28-29C & the K.B.Whitespot Terminator has ingredients of Malachite Green, Acriflavine & Quinine Sulphate - not that that means anything to me!

also you need a bigger tanks for them silver sharks a least 125gal tank

I think they're ok for now I have 3 in a 4ft tank.

I have been considering getting an airstone/bublewall along with moonlights for the CT but I'm not running one in the secondary tank, all thats in it is pebbles, an ornament, 3 plastic plants, heater, light & pump.
I've never used salt before so I'm quite wary about it plus I think I read somewhere that catfish are intolerant to it...

 

[Raven_24]

There's something else I just thought of...when I was getting the new fish, before they were placed in the plastic bag the girl sprayed something inside it, can't for the life of me remember what it was but she said something like it would protect them while in transport.... anyone know what this is? Just for future ref.

 

[Raven_24]

Hi can anybody else give me the names of GOOD whitespot medication other than what I've been using, & could it be anything else? My poor wee plec's covered in it now it's on his eyes & everything, & I really don't want him to die!!!!!

 

[IceH2O]

For airation don't waste money on a bubblewand,they are useless.Buy a powerhead and just hook it to the side of the tank and aim it whatever way you want.I use an Aquaclear 201 powerhead,it has many available adjustments from current strength to airation amount.

As for the disease.Are you sure its ick? I've never seen a fish get completley covered in ick.Are you sure its not some type of fungus?I've heard a lot of people use maracyn2 or melafix.

Also..I hate to post other forum info in forums but here is a good thread if you want to go the natural way:

http/www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39759

 

[WILDER]

Not the writer of this information below.
Ich (a.k.a. White Spot)



Symptoms:

Fish infected with Ich will have pure white, salt-like spots approximately 1 millimeter in size on their body and fins. Fins are most often affected first. If their gills become infected, the fish will show increased gill movements. These white spots, or cysts, may join together to form irregular white patches. If left untreated, the spots will slowly advance to cover the whole body and fins (6-24 hours). Fish with Ich may rub or scrape on rocks or gravel in an attempt to relieve irritation. Redness and blood streaks will appear on both the body and fins as the condition worsens. Its fins will deteriorate as the parasites burrow into the flesh destroying it. Fishes that are infected do not show early sickliness, and may even continue feeding lightly.



Cause:

The parasite Ichthyophthirius multifilis. Ichtyophthirius has a direct fish-to-fish cycle and thus can build up quickly in the limited space of an aquarium. Each white spot seen is actually a single living, feeding parasite attached to the fish’s skin. When first attached, these parasites are not yet visible to the naked eye. After feeding on the body fluids of the fish for a couple of days, the parasites become encysted and are then visible on the fish as small white spots. After several days the parasites break free from the fish and fall to the bottom of the aquarium where they begin to reproduce rapidly. Within 24 hours each cyst can contain up to 500 new parasites. When the cyst breaks open hundreds of free-swimming parasites are released into the water. These new parasites then seek out a host (fish) to attach themselves to and feed on. These parasites can only be killed when in the free-swimming stage. Seondary bacterial infections are common.



Treatment:

Carry out a 25%-40% partial water change and treat immediately with either Quick Cure (which is highly effective), or Rid-Ich, Rid-Ick+, Ick Guard, Ick Guard II, Clout and Super Ick Cure. In very hard water the treatment should be performed two times a day, in the early morning and late at night. Since the protozoan, while attached to the host is immune to treatment, this has to be aimed against the free swimming stages. Slowly raising the water temperature to 90 degrees (if the fish can tolerate it) for a few hours every 2 or 3 days may be effective.

Ich is highly contagious, therefore, the entire aquarium and not just a single fish should be treated.

 

[mitmop]

Hiya and Ime sorry to hear your loss. We thought we had white spot in our tank but turned out it was velvet. The fish were very very poorly and we lost about 5 fish. They too had spots on there mouth and all over the body..finns clamped etc.. the young fish died first like the 3 puffer fish and the clown loaches and then the earth eater (my favourite fish i was gutted) we saved the rest by raising the temp and using protozin at half dose (as we got ghost fish and cat fish etc sensative) we used it for about 2 weeks and I rang the chemist who makes the product and he said to put the medacine in first thing in the morning as this was the best time to ill the parasites as in the evening the water temp goes down a little, we did in the end put half in morning and half evening and we cleared it all up. We also did 10% water change each day to rid any dead parasites from the bottom. So realy we totaly ignored the instructions as he told us to. Some of ours then got itch as a kind of secondary infection and it cleared the lot up. We left the lights out most of the day appart from an hour a day for some of the fish. Through al this 3 fish didnt get anything that was the chost fish...knife fish and the bandino it was realy strange. We lost one big silver dollar and they were the worst hit. Anyway hope this helps to give you any tips and good luck.

Dawn

 

[Raven_24]

I'm actually beginning to think that maybe it is velvet disease and not whitespot afterall....

The spots are like a very pale yellowy/white colour & the plec hasn't made any progress with the WS med so maybe I should try something else. Any advice on velvet medication & stuff to do with it would be appreciated as although I've had fish for a quite a few years I've never actually come across it before. Most I've had to deal with is whitespot and some bullying in the tank from tigerbarbs years ago. Also are there any homemade meds I could perhaps use because I'm embarrassed to say I am totally skint & not getting any more money til the end of the week...

 

[blue_ram]

I'm actually beginning to think that maybe it is velvet disease and not whitespot afterall....

The spots are like a very pale yellowy/white colour & the plec hasn't made any progress with the WS med so maybe I should try something else. Any advice on velvet medication & stuff to do with it would be appreciated as although I've had fish for a quite a few years I've never actually come across it before. Most I've had to deal with is whitespot and some bullying in the tank from tigerbarbs years ago.

Velvet has consistancy of fine powder whiles Ich is closer to grains of table salt. If it's velvet, then acriflavin (sp?) based medication should be used.

Also are there any homemade meds I could perhaps use because I'm embarrassed to say I am totally skint & not getting any more money til the end of the week...

Sorry, don't know of home made treatment for velvet. Although I heard that you can treat velvet by turning off the light and covering the aquarium so no light can get to the aquarium. This supposedly interrupts the life cycle of velvet, but I've never tried it.

Unfortunately if you fish is completely covered by ich/velvet, then there isn't much you can do. Sorry.

 

[mitmop]

Yes thats correct you could try a 20% water change each day and blocking out the light as this will help to get rid of the parasite. The fish will clamp there fins tight and hang around looking misserable and generaly poorly. Its a horrid disease and like i said before i lost about 8 fish but it can be beat. It looks like glitter on the fish or very finespots....You need a protozone medicine and follow the instructions thats all i can advise realy. Good luck i hope you beat it please leave an update on how you got on and if you lost any fish. (we put some garlic in there fish food and this supposedly helps them to fight disease its worth a try i guess).

Also turn up the heat as you would with itch this helps speed up the cycle.


Dawn