Fish Gasping For Air (Help Needed!)

[mark4785]

One of my Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish (DNR) is constantly gasping at the water surface. The other two fish of the same species are not doing this and still have a good appetite, and the same applies to my German Blue Rams and Black Neon Tetra.

I started with 5 DNR's, 1 died, as predicted, since I noticed its appearance was darker (darker shade of silver) and it was gasping at the surface. It died around 5 days after making this prediction. After it had died I felt there would be no further problems, but a few days later another DNR started gasping at the surface but had no loss of colour. This one also died within a matter of days.

I began to get concerned that there wasn't enough oxygen in the aquarium, but the water surface is rippling enough to allow for the entry of oxygen, an airpump is switched on 24/7 and the water quality (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH) is brilliant so this wouldn't be causing gill problems. In addition, all the fish do not gasp simultaneously so there can't be an oxygen issue otherwise they would all be gasping.

Since the water quality is fine and there's enough oxygen, I decided to treat the water with Interpet Anti-slime and Velvet (contains formalin) to treat for what I believe is a termatode (fluke) that is attacking the fishs' gills. It states that a repeat dosage can only be re-applied every 7 days, yet the treatment only seems to stop the gasping issue for around 2 days after dosing.

I'm getting fed up of not being able to understand why I'm losing DNR and not any of the other species and why anti-parasitic remedy does little to nothing.

I'd appreciate some help on finding a new parasite treatment known to cure fish that: gasp, scratch themselves on objects and yawn. These are the symptoms my fish are demonstrating.

Note: I don't have a £1000+ microscope to check what strain of the 90,000 forms of fluke is irritating my fish and the LFS which does have such a facility is over 15 miles away so I can't conduct a scrape anytime soon.

Mark.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

It does sound like a parasite causing the damage. Your best bet, since the meds aren't working, is to remove the infected fish into a hospital tank and treat with a different medication. If the fish subsequently dies the others should remain uninfected, assuming they aren't already. Watch tank params when treating as that can take the oxygen out of the water or kill the bacteria in your filter.
It might also be worth contacting your local vet and seeing if they have any ideas, or know of someone you can speak to to guide in the right direction. Best of luck.
P.

 

[mark4785]

It does sound like a parasite causing the damage. Your best bet, since the meds aren't working, is to remove the infected fish into a hospital tank and treat with a different medication. If the fish subsequently dies the others should remain uninfected, assuming they aren't already. Watch tank params when treating as that can take the oxygen out of the water or kill the bacteria in your filter.
It might also be worth contacting your local vet and seeing if they have any ideas, or know of someone you can speak to to guide in the right direction. Best of luck.
P.

Thanks for the reply.

I did transfer it to a 60 litre quarantine aquarium containing mature filter media taken from an outdoor pond. Within 24 hours the fish died. I have decided to freeze it to preserve it and I will try and get it to my LFS so they can conduct a scrape.

Another fish of the same species is now gasping and I have noticed some fungus growing on a wound in and around the gill. The wound/sore must have come about due to the gill flukes as it is not a water quality issue causing any of this. As a result of seeing the fungus, I took this particular fish out of the tank and removed the fungus with a cotton wool bud. I then gave it a salt bath and then applied some malachite green & formalin solution directly onto the gills.

I'm hopeful that what I've done will help it survive but I still don't know what I'm supposed to be treating. Clinically, they are behaving like they are infested with gill flukes..



I'm going to switch to a different medication that aims to catch and kill the flukes during all the stages of their life cycle. Before I start with new medication, I'm aware the old medication must be taken out. If I install a new carbon sponge into the filter will this be enough to remove the old parasite medication?

Mark.

 

[mark4785]

Any ideas on whether or not carbon filtration media removes ALL traces of medicine or whether a water change in addition to using carbon remover material is needed?

As discussed above, I need to remove the Interpet Anti-slime/velvet meds that I have used to treat gill and skin flukes because it does absolutely nothing in the way of helping the fish. Once I'm 100% sure it has been removed I'm going to switch to 'Waterlife Sterazin'.

Any ideas appreciated.

I welcome any feedback from keepers of Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish because I can't imagine how anybody would want to keep these. They are supposed to be tolerant of varying water hardness levels and don't mind high nitrates, but I keep these two water parameters in check for the sake of my German Blue Rams which are very sensitive, yet the Dwarf Neon Tetras are the one's dieing off (at a rate of 1 per week).

 

[mark4785]

The DNT with fungus and respiratory problems has now died. I had treated the fungus and wound near it's gill in a salt bath and separate malachite green bath but it appears some other fish in the tank has munched it's caudal fin causing it to die from stress.

There is one remaining DNT in the tank out of the five I purchased. It appears to be happy at the moment but the larger fish in the tank itch themselves every now and again implying there is still a parasite issue within the tank, and its these parasites that appear to be attacking the gills of the DNT's

 

[Athena]

I would do a 50% water change and then run your filter with carbon in before starting the Sterazin treatment. I'm not familiar with the Interpet med that you used as I've only ever used Waterlife range, so I'm not sure what period of time you must leave between using that and starting another course of meds. Does it not say on the bottle? If not, someone else on here might know the appropriate gap to leave.

Regards, Athena

 

[mark4785]

I would do a 50% water change and then run your filter with carbon in before starting the Sterazin treatment. I'm not familiar with the Interpet med that you used as I've only ever used Waterlife range, so I'm not sure what period of time you must leave between using that and starting another course of meds. Does it not say on the bottle? If not, someone else on here might know the appropriate gap to leave.

Regards, Athena

Thanks for the reply.

The Interpet med states that another fish treatment/med may be added 10 days after dosing. I was wondering if I could bypass having to wait this long because it does say 'when you have finished treatment, place the zeolite and/or carbon sponges back into the filter' as though this absorbs the medicinal properties.

 

[drobbyb]

If this illness is only affecting the rainbows, I doubt it is a parasite. In the rainbow hobby it is known that sometimes DNR have an affliction akin to neon tetra disease. These fish infected with this disease are usually found to come from commercial breeders. Usually private breeders have good quality fish since their stock is isolated and well cared for.

 

[fluffycabbage]

awww poor things! i hope you get some answers soon

 

[mark4785]

If this illness is only affecting the rainbows, I doubt it is a parasite. In the rainbow hobby it is known that sometimes DNR have an affliction akin to neon tetra disease. These fish infected with this disease are usually found to come from commercial breeders. Usually private breeders have good quality fish since their stock is isolated and well cared for.

The German Blue Rams have been showing signs of body flukes. The male was itching himself on ornaments constantly. A few weeks ago the female Ram was gasping at the surface and it seemed the medication I used killed the gill flukes she probably had. There was definitely something in the gills as the gill appears to be gaping away from the body slightly more than what was the case originally. Despite all of that, the female Ram is fine now.

The only issue I've noticed most recently which is characteristic of gill flukes is the fact that the fish will yawn every now and again. Ever since switching to sterazin, which kills body/gill flukes, I've not seen any of the fish itch themselves.