Fish Tuberculosis ?!

[lili70]

Hi.

Long story, have patience and please give me your opinion.

I have 2 fish tanks (10 & 5 gal) and 3 hospital mini tanks (with filter & aeration) .... which I didn't plan to have.
And I have the liquid testers (amonia, PH and nitrite) and I test water twice a day (also changing 25 % and replace med).
I removed the carbon filters.

1. 10 gal (cycled) : 1 betta male, 1 chinese algae eater, 3 neons, 2 ghost shrimp and a snail
2. 5 gal (cycled): 1 betta female (adorable) and 1 yo-yo loach
3. 2.5 gal tank : 3 guppy
4. 2.5 gal tank (hospital for shrimps and snail)
3. 2.5 plastic tank for dying fishes

Everything started with 3 guppy that I bought because of my son and I placed them in a separate 2.5 gal tank (with filter). One male developed fin rot and died the third day. Then the female. By that time I started Maracyn. Though I was carefull somehow I spreaded the disease. The beta male in the 10 gal tank showed discoloration of tail .... I knew it's fin rot so I started Maracyn there too. But one of the neons got pop-eye (both)and scale protursion in the same tank (10 gal). So I added Maracyn-two. I also treated the 5 gal tank which seemed unafectted until today when I saw a scale deterioration (very small) on the female beta head.

At this point I started thinking that it's not fin rot or even dropsy ..... It's tuberculosis

It's crazy and a lot of trouble but I'm really trying.
The results of medication:
- Maracyn didn't do much
- Maracyn-two brought some healing to beta male (also gave him baths in Beta Fix)
- the neon with pop-eye and the last guppy are stable under Maracyn-two but not getting better (it's hard to see them struggling with those swolen eyes but still active ... not much eating)
I feed them frozen brine shrimp (they like it a lot) .... just to be nice with them.
I cannot euthanase .... I'm unable, but I feel like I should talk with the people at PetsMart about the sick guppy . It was soooooo hard for me to cycle the tanks and the fishes grew so nice and eveybody was happy ..... and now ...

Please, tell me if it's tuberculosis .... at least I'll be prepeared.
Thank you.
L

 

[WILDER]

Fish tb this article explains it well, usually a fish goes thin or bent spine.But yes they can get popeye and dropsy, finrot problems.Take a look here to see what you think.
http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html
That algae eater needs alot bigger tank, plus they are very aggressive as they get older.Popeye and dropsy are related due to the build up of fluids.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm

 

[lili70]

Fish tb this article explains it well, usually a fish goes thin or bent spine.But yes they can get popeye and dropsy, finrot problems.Take a look here to see what you think.
http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html
That algae eater needs alot bigger tank, plus they are very aggressive as they get older.Popeye and dropsy are related due to the build up of fluids.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm

Thank you.
Yes and yes.
No curved spine but the strange thing is that every fish has different symptoms. As far as I read the TB shouldn't be sooo contagious but on the other hand has slow development which is my case. I know it's not a water or cleaning problem, for sure, or stress or temperature change or overload.

I know I'll be in trouble with the algae eater. He is as big as beta now and they chase each other for the caves. I cannot afford a bigger tank. I did this for my special needs son and now I'm sorry that I didn't buy a dog. I need to find a home for the algae eater ... if he won't die.

I know it's hard to tell and it's not very professional but .. still ... does it look like TB to you ?
I also had a cut on my hand and I didn't wear gloves .... "lucky" me. I read few books before starting this but they failed to mention the TB or the human transmision.

The poped neon and the guppy still alive this morning .... baloon-pine corn-no colors but alive and moving fast enough.
Thanks and let me know.
L

 

[The-Wolf]

piscine TB is very very very rare in home aquariums
unless you are useing live Tubifex tubifex I doubt you have it.

 

[lili70]

piscine TB is very very very rare in home aquariums
unless you are useing live Tubifex tubifex I doubt you have it.

Ok, thanks. I appreciate.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong .... I'll finish the Maracyn and let the tanks to get the biological filter back and see. Too much stress with medication for fish and me. The big tank is so cloudy ..... I can barely see the neons. The other ones ... no. Strange, because they have the same kind of filter Whisper (just different sizes).
My tap water has 0.25 nitrates (Toronto) and 7.5 PH, so I have to use spring water+distiled water (2/3+1/3) and the fish liked it. Could this be a problem ? I am adding aquarium salt. I have 0 at amonia and nitrates and 7.5 PH.

L

 

[WILDER]

All you can do is carry on with the maracyn for now.Epson salt baths if they have dropsy and the fish is not weak, helps draw the fluids out.Good luck.If you are worried about fish tb, you could freeze adead fish and take itto be tested by a vet for tb.http/www.fishjunkies.com/Treatments/salt.php

 

[lili70]

All you can do is carry on with the maracyn for now.Epson salt baths if they have dropsy and the fish is not weak, helps draw the fluids out.Good luck.If you are worried about fish tb, you could freeze adead fish and take itto be tested by a vet for tb.http/www.fishjunkies.com/Treatments/salt.php

Thanks.
I wish I could find a fish vet/lab because my vet (I have 2 cats) does not work with fishes.
Believe it or no .... the guppy and neon still alive. The guppy is losing his tail and colors are fading but moving and eating. The neon has still pop eye and swolen belly, not eating much but moving very well. Could be a fungus eating the guppy tail ? Could a PH lowering help ? I have doubts a bout adding more chemical (for PH) .... the one I saw at PetsMart has sulfuric acid in it ..... I'm not putting that on the fish ...

Any advice is welcome. God, I had no idea the fish can be so much trouble but they are cute .... especially my beta female ... she is racing with the yo-yo and can eat at any time .... anything and she is yawning. She is also my cat's favourite .... hmmmm.
L