Help! Fish Dying & No Idea Why

[dant1875]

URGENTLY Requesting Help - since I bought my fish just over a week ago, I've been losing them , Firstly I lost 3 Harlequin Rasbora, which I put down to the stress of the new surrounings, then my Red Honey Gourami developed what looked like dropsy - I segregated him & treated him & the tank with Interpret no.9 (anti internal bacteria), he was dead within 2 days along with 3 more Rasbora. I put the second dose in on saturday, 4 days after the first & this morning one of my Albino Corys has died . My wife took him out of the tank & I've just had a look at him & noticed a bright red spot on his underbelly about halfway down. 2 of my other Cories aren't looking too clever - 1 hasn't got this spot but the other has one in the same place, although it appears more brown in colour. Has anyone got any ideas what this could be (I'm hoping it's not Septacaemia but if it is I'd rather get it treated now).

Tank size: 90 litres / 20 gallons
pH:7.5
ammonia:nil
nitrite:about 0.3 mg/l
nitrate: 20 mg/l
kH: 6
gH: 8
kH & gH both obtained from test strips, other readings are liquid test kit
tank temp:26

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
1 red spot found on Albino Cory halfway down underbelly, no other visible lesions. 2 other Cories hiding under bogwood or just lying on the sand looking sad, Gourami, remaining Rasbora & Cockatoo all acting normally

Volume and Frequency of water changes: At the moment - 15% every 2-3 days

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Interpret No.9, Tetra Plantamin

Tank inhabitants: 1 Dwarf Cockatoo Cichlid (possibly 2 - 1 went missing last week & hasn't reappeared), 4 Harlequin Rasbora, 1 Red Honey Gourami & 4 Albino Cory, a few Malaysian Trumpet Snails

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): All of the above fish, live plants & bogwood were all in there during cycling

Exposure to chemicals: Only the Interpret Anti Bacteria

Filter: Fluval 3+ Internal, with 2 x 12" airstones to aerate the water

Digital photo (include if possible): Can't get a decent 1 as only using my camera on my phone

Any advice will be much appreciated

 

[dant1875]

Bump

 

[dant1875]

Double bump

 

[WILDER]

You need to find the missing fish as that can cause desease a rotting body.
Take ornaments out and also take a look in the filter.
Red spots can turn into holes, did it look like the spot was ulcerating the skin away.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
The nitrite reading does it go 0 to 3.

 

[dant1875]

You need to find the missing fish as that can cause desease a rotting body.
Take ornaments out and also take a look in the filter.
Red spots can turn into holes, did it look like the spot was ulcerating the skin away.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
The nitrite reading does it go 0 to 3.

Thanks for the reply Wilder
Looked everywhere for him - the only other thing I could think of was that he got into the rock & couldn't get out or they ate him - would it be bad for the tank if I took the rock out & washed it down under the tap to get some pressure on it? He's definitely not in the filter - already checked that!The spot did look like a little hole on the dead one - what could have caused that? My nitrite test goes up to 3.3, my result was between 0 & 0.3 so did a 30% water change just to freshen it up. No signs at all of flicking or rubbing - I know Cories are meant to stay at the bottom of the tank but mine have been mental since I got them & love to play in the bubbles!

 

[WILDER]

In sever cases you can double dose on the anti internal bacteria med. As a member contacted interpet and he told him to double dose.
The med might not be up to the job if i'm honest.
http/www.fishyfarmacy.com/articles/aeromonas.html

 

[dant1875]

ouch it didn't look anything like that severe - is there any meds I could use if it is that? (assuming I can't use Koi meds) just out of interest as well - after reading some of the other topics I've just turned the light off & shone a torch in. All the Cories look golden, especially around the gills down the sides, in normal light this looks "bluey" (not a colour, I know). The Gourami looks like there may be some gold on it around the fins. Is this a normal colouring with Albino Cories? The other Cory that wasn't looking happy earlier appears better, though 1 is really looking poorly & won't move, even when the others nudge him.

 

[WILDER]

Some corys can have golden bits on there gills so I would check it out in the cory section.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Any signs of laboured breathing or gasping.
What koi med do you have as the dosage just different thats all.

Good link to velvet.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/heal...thprotist.shtml

There is a parasite that can cause a bluish greyish film on a fish.
Read this to rule it out.

Chilodonella



Symptoms:

The skin and gills become discolored, taking on an opaque, bluish-white to gray coloration. The area between the head and dorsal fin is generally the most severely affected. In advanced cases skin begins to swell, eventually shredding and falling off in strips. Gills are also affected and may be completely destroyed. Clamped fins, listlessness, hanging at the surface and gasping may also be seen. The fish may rub or scrape against objects in the aquarium in an attempt to relieve irritation.



Cause:

The ciliate Chilodonella cyprini. These heart-shaped parasites, at a size of 40 to 60 microns, are not visible to the naked eye. The parasites are able to swim freely, spreading easily from fish to fish. Reproduction occurs by asexual division.



Treatment:

Highly infectious and able to kill in great numbers, Chilodonella may very well be the most dangerous skin parasite there is. Overcrowding increases the risk of infection. Acriflavin Plus, Malachite Green, Paraform, Quick Cure or Formalin are the drugs of choice for Chilodonella. All fish as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.



is it possible to load pics up onto the site of the sick fish.

 

[dant1875]

Some corys can have golden bits on there gills so I would check it out in the cory section.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Any signs of laboured breathing or gasping.
What koi med do you have as the dosage just different thats all.

No flicking or rubbing, but the one that died & now this one appar to be breathing 'shallow'. Don't have any of that med - just the Interpret at the moment

Good link to velvet.
[URL="http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/heal...thprotist.shtml"]http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/heal...thprotist.shtml[/URL]

There is a parasite that can cause a bluish greyish film on a fish.
Read this to rule it out.

Chilodonella



Symptoms:

The skin and gills become discolored, taking on an opaque, bluish-white to gray coloration. The area between the head and dorsal fin is generally the most severely affected. In advanced cases skin begins to swell, eventually shredding and falling off in strips. Gills are also affected and may be completely destroyed. Clamped fins, listlessness, hanging at the surface and gasping may also be seen. The fish may rub or scrape against objects in the aquarium in an attempt to relieve irritation.

His head seems to be quite 'flaky', almost crusty looking no clamped fins though or swelling - the other 3 are doing their usual race round the tank & seem perfectly normal at the moment, as do the Rasbora & the Cockatoo



Cause:

The ciliate Chilodonella cyprini. These heart-shaped parasites, at a size of 40 to 60 microns, are not visible to the naked eye. The parasites are able to swim freely, spreading easily from fish to fish. Reproduction occurs by asexual division.



Treatment:

Highly infectious and able to kill in great numbers, Chilodonella may very well be the most dangerous skin parasite there is. Overcrowding increases the risk of infection. Acriflavin Plus, Malachite Green, Paraform, Quick Cure or Formalin are the drugs of choice for Chilodonella. All fish as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.

Are any of these readily available or are they prescription only?



is it possible to load pics up onto the site of the sick fish.

Just managed to get some (taken with flash on)

Laptop about to die so these are the only pics I can get at the moment - going to switch to mobile so I can still post though.
Thanks for everything so far

 

[WILDER]

That could be normal as I have never kept albino corys. Check in the cory section with the pics. Just copy and paste your thread.
If a parasite was involved would of expected to see flicking and rubbing, and maybe darting around the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Just checked with a member and its normal for them to have golden patches on them, and some red on there tummys.

 

[dant1875]

That could be normal as I have never kept albino corys. Check in the cory section with the pics. Just copy and paste your thread.
If a parasite was involved would of expected to see flicking and rubbing, and maybe darting around the tank.

Posted the question & awaiting replies. They have flicked their tails a bit, though usually when feeding so I assumed it was a way of breaking the pellets up! No sign of what I'd class as darting though - only when they're spooked & definitely no rubbing. Do you think I should double dose the Interpret meds? I don't want to overdo it & destroy my filter as I've only got 1 tank. It's upsetting as all the others look perfectly happy at the moment

 

[WILDER]

It shouldn't knock water stats as I have double dose and it didn't knock my water stats.
I would go in with another full dose and see how things go.
If there plenty of aeration the fish will be fine.
If fish are to weak meds can soon finish the fish off.
Good Luck.

 

[dant1875]

It shouldn't knock water stats as I have double dose and it didn't knock my water stats.
I would go in with another full dose and see how things go.
If there plenty of aeration the fish will be fine.
If fish are to weak meds can soon finish the fish off.
Good Luck.

Will do - just 1 last thing - should I raise the temp up to 30 or will that knock the Cories about too much?
Thanks for all your help - it is much appreciated

 

[WILDER]

No you only turn temp up for parasites.
Bacterial will multiply in high temps.
I think you raise temp with columnaris when using antibiotics.