guppy dying! PLEASE HELP

[fishwatcher]

Hello all,
As you may know I just changed over to sand substrate yesterday. I have a problem now though. 2 of my guppies appear sick. The male has red gills, and a red bump on his bottom lip. Maybe gill flukes? The female has a tail that looks like it has been nipped-at, but is red in those places. Maybe fin-rot? They are both eating, but hanging around the top of the tank. I've used Primafix and yesterday I did about a 60% water change when I switched over to sand. My water parameters are: nitrate 0, nitrite 0, hardness 75, kh 40, ph 6.8, ammonia 0. I also left a stocking of the gravel on the sand to make sure I don't kill off the good bactria.
Should I be doing something different? I only have about a 1/2 gallon sized pot I can quarantine them to if need be. I just didn't want to move them again already for fear it would make it worse, if I don't have to. And my water temp is about 76-78.
Thanks for any advice!

I'm guessing that the folks reading but not responding don't know what it is/how to fix it. Either that, or they're tired of dealing with me. If the latter is the case, I am sorry I've bothered you so.

 

[WILDER]

Red gills if they are heavy breathing as well, is gill flukes as your water quality is good though you do have a slight ammonia reading, if the tail has a red edging to it that is septicemia, you will need an internal bacteria med as well as the flukes med.

 

[fishwatcher]

The meds I have on hand are Medifix and Primafix, along with a med for Ich (and other parasites, according to the label). Will any of these work?

 

[WILDER]

Pimafix

Pimafix by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals is labeled as an all natural botanical antibacterial remedy made from Pimenta racemosa (West Indian Bay) oil.


Treats fungal infections

Treats both internal and external bacterial infections

Works in combination with MelaFix to enhance effectiveness for extreme conditions

Eliminates the possibility of the development of resistant strains of disease-causing organisms

Remedy for both freshwater and marine fish

Has no effect on pH

Harmless to aquatic plants

Does not discolor water



Notes taken from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals:

Using PimaFix and MelaFix together provides the added benefit of quick tissue regeneration and wound healing.

Stressed or wounded fish are the most susceptible to fungal outbreaks. Bacterial infections are also common, further weakening the fish and allowing the fungal infection to spread more rapidly. Left untreated, fish may die from disease and stress. Treatment should be administered as soon as possible to ensure quick recovery.

The active compounds found in Pimenta racemosa not only provide many different modes of action, but also eliminate the possibility of the development of resistant strains of disease-causing organisms.

it should be fine, and if the other med says it treat most paracites thenthat should be ok, good luck.

 

[fishwatcher]

I'm on it. Thanks for the help! The guppies look pitiful! Just to let you know, I just tested my water again, and they are the same as earlier, except now the pH is 6.4.

 

[fishwatcher]

The guppy with the fin rot, was getting better, but is now getting a white fungusy stuff all over him! He's also laying on his side on the bottom and kicking a little every once in a while to swim. Is he a goner? Should I go ahead and remove him?
I'm treating with both Melafix and Pima fix, stats are nitrate 0, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, ph 6.8, kh 20, temp 76.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Your tank water is not right with 0 nitrates, for a fully cycled tank you should have some nitrate reading as this shows that the bacterial cycle that helps get rid of things like ammonia is working properly.
When you clean out your filter sponge do you do it in water from the tank and do you clean in very thoroughly or leave some of it dirty?

 

[fishwatcher]

typo- nitrates should have read 10, sorry!
I usually rinse it in the water I've taken out, and it's not filthy, but not really clean when I put it back in. When I took out the gravel, I left a stocking of it and the old filter on the sand. The guppy just died, btw. He was lookin better (in the fin department) this morning, but when I got home just now he had a little bit of white stuff on him (around his top fin and coming down behind his side fins). He just couldn't stay swimming. The other one that has gill fluke (I think) seems to be getting better also. His gills aren't as red and he's swimming a little better. Should I go ahead and do a salt bath with that one, just in case? I can't put salt directly in the tank bc of the frogs and cories.

 

[fishwatcher]

Just to let you know, my other guppy died too. I'm doing water changes daily right now, though the tests say my water is great. thanks for all the help!!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Adding live plants to the tank will also help maintain good stats
Hope you have better luck in the near future with your fish too

 

[WILDER]

Can you give us some more info on how big the tank is and which fish and how many, sorry for the loss of the fish, do a few daily water changes.

 

[fishwatcher]

1 Guppy
4 Neon Tetras
2 ADFs
2 Cory cats (albino, leopard)

it's a 10-gal. the stats are all good, so I'm not sure what caused it, unless it was the 2 guppies I recently purchased. They are the only ones that have gotten sick and died so far. The others are looking ok now, except the neons. Their color had started to fade, but now it's looking good again. There is one of the neons though that keeps nipping at the other ones, so they aren't "schooling" the way they were. Not sure what that is about, but I'll keep an eye on it. I'm doing a 30% water change each day right now, and I've put my carbon back in. I've discontinued the meds though since it did nothing to help them to begin with. I actually think maybe the meds were making the neons not-so-well. After I discontinued them is when their color starting coming back.
Next time, though, I'll quarantine first.

 

[WILDER]

Guppys are fragile these days through in breeding, they are no longer are a hardy fish, the slighest thing seems to knock them they are prone to internal parasites, fungus and bacteria problems.

 

[fishwatcher]

You're telling me! I plan on replacing them with something, but it's gonna be a while. I want to make sure my tank isn't infected. I wonder, will the one fm guppy I have be ok alone? Maybe I can get a platy or 2 instead of more guppies. Hmmmm.....

 

[WILDER]

They don't like to be on there own, platys are abit hardier, so maybe some of them would suit your tank, good luck.