Fish Tb

[BobK]

I almost certainly have fish tb in my tank. I haven't had the heart to euthanize my fish and sterilize the tank and equipment. I currently have 5 sailfin mollie fry that are about a year old (left from about 50). Three are in excellent shape. One is questionable, and one is sickly. I've lost two zebra danios, one to spinal deformities and one to wasting. Currently in my tank I have an extremely healthy 15" common pleco, the mollies, and one lone danio. I know I shouldn't keep only one danio, but his tankmates have died and I can't add any other fish to this tank.

I don't know what to do with the Pleco. I can't get rid of it, my niece gave it to me when it outgrew her tank. Are all exposed fish carriers even if they show no symptoms?

I'd appreciate any advice I can get. I've got a 75 gallon tank that's practically empty and I can't add anything to it. Ammonia and nitrite are always 0. Tank has two Emperor 400's and I change 20% of the water every two weeks.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

Wear some latex gloves when you have to go in the tank, here is some more information but not the writer of it.
Piscine Tuberculosis



Symptoms:

Because of the symptoms associated with this disease, it is often referred to as Wasting Disease. An infected fish may show a loss of appetite, emaciation (sunken belly), fading of colors, eroding fins, erratic swimming, scale loss or protrusion, "pop-eye" or eye loss, skin inflammation, ulcerous skin wounds or open lesions, gill deformities, spinal curvature, and Dropsy.

Symptoms may occur singly or in various combinations. Symptoms may also vary from species to species and from one individual fish to another. Not all symptoms need be present. Healthy fish may carry the illness for some time without being affected, and then become ill when stress or poor water conditions lower their resistance. The disease may run a lingering course, killing the fish slowly over time, or strike in epidemic proportions quickly wiping out an entire aquarium population.

Diagnoses of Piscine Tuberculosis is difficult, as all of the diseases symptoms may appear in other illnesses. Piscine TB can only be verified upon autopsy.



Cause:

Mycobacterium bacteria. Piscine Tuberculosis is highly infectious and can be easily transferred. Gravel can harbor this bacteria causing the entire aquarium to become infected. The disease may strike in epidemic proporations, killing an entire population of fish in record time with little to no symptoms. However, it can also remain latent for some time, progressing slowly, silently causing internal organ damage to the fish.

This illness is not always fatal to the fish. The bacteria may become encapsulated to form small nodules and as long as good environmental conditions are maintained there is no danger. However, if the fish is weakened by unsuitable water conditions or other diseases the nodules can burst. The infection then becomes acute and can kill the infected fish as well as infect others.



Treatment:

Infected fish must be isolated quickly because the disease is highly contagious (see below). Treat with a combination of sulphafurazone (0.2mg/g fish), doxycycline (0.005 mg/g fish) and minocycline (0.005 mg/g fish) administered intramuscularly. It is also recommended to feed any sick fish isoniazid. It may take up to 2 months for fish to completely heal. Kanacyn also claims to be helpful in treating Piscine Tuberculosis.


Caution:

Piscine Tuberculosis is caused by a species of bacteria belonging to the genus Mycobacterium, which is also the causative agent of Tuberculosis in humans. While the bacteria that causes this disease in fish prefers cooler temperatures than most bacteria that infect humans it is still possible for the illness to be passed on to humans. Such an infection in humans usually shows in the form of an infected nodule in the skin, although there is a chance of a more serious internal infection. If you suspect your fish has this disease, observe the strictest of hygiene to prevent the spread of this serious disease to humans.

 

[anvil63]

It should probably be noted that if you are immunocompromised (HIV, chemotherapy patient, high dose steroid treatment) that this can become a very serious infection.

 

[CFC]

Unfortunately all exposed fish are carriers and any new fish added to the tank are likely to be affected by the disease as the stress of being moved allows their immune system to be comprimised.
The only thing i can think of doing is moving the existing fish to another temporary tank and blasting them with antibiotic medications (you'll probably need to consult a vet to obtain these) and then sterilising the large tank before returning them. This "might" lower the numbers of the bacteria which cause the disease enough that it no longer presents a problem to new fish.