Help Needed Asap Please

[liamb]

I seem to be loosing fish every 3 days and noticing them with white fluffy spots allover there fins such as my guppies and black mollies! Does anybody no what this is and what i can do to cure it cos my 2 black mollies had it and died and just lost a guppy today and noticed another guppy with the same small white fluffy spots on her

 

[the_lock_man]

Sounds like a fungal infection to me.

These are very often caused by water quality problems. Have you done a recent water test (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH)? If so, what were the results? How long has the tank been set up? How did you cycle the filter (ie grow the two bacterial colonies)? How often do you change water, and by how much?

 

[liamb]

Been setup about 4 week know and cycled it for about 4 days and took the water to viscum and they said it was fine and do a water change every week about 20% all also added nutrafin cycle for the first 3 days but not tested the water since it got took there

 

[colleen0309]

It takes alot longer than 4 days to cycle a filter, unless you are using media from a mature filter. Those bottled cycle boosters are mostly junk. Your water tested "fine" because all it was is tap water. IMO you should be doing large water changes until you can get a liquid test kit. Hop over to the beginners resource center and read up on cycling your filter. You need to pay attention to the fish IN cycle. It does sound like a fungal infection, probably brought on by poor water conditions.

 

[the_lock_man]

OK, thanks for answering.

I think the fungal infection is down to the stress of the fish being in poisonous water.

Fish produce ammonia as a waste product. This is poisonous to them, but within the filter there is a colony of bacteria which turn ammonia into nitrite. This is also poisonous, but within the filter, there is a 2nd colony of bacteria, which turn the nitrite into nitrate. Which isn't poisonous, or at least not at low concentrations.

Those bacteria colonies only grow when there is ammonia for them to feed on. Before you put the fish in, there were no bacteria at all, and it takes quite a while (ie weeks and months) for them to grow sufficiently to cope with the ammonia produced by the fish. Many people dispute the effectiveness of "Cycle" and similar products - it certainly made no appreciable difference to my cycling process.

This means that you have to remove the ammonia and nitrite for them by means of changing water. 20% per week is not enough.

I strongly suggest you get out to your nearest LFS and buy liquid test kits for ammonia and nitrite - your nearest Pets at Home will probably still be open. You need to know what level those two poisons are at.

You then need to change enough water to reduce the levels of those two poisons to as close to 0 as you can get. You can take out pretty much all the water, just leaving the fish enough to swim upright in, if that's what it takes. Make sure the water you put back in is dechlorinated and roughly the same temperature. Once you've done that change, test the water again. If the levels are still above 0.25ppm, change the water again.

For the next few weeks, you need to test each day, and if the levels are approaching or over 0.25ppm, change the water.

As you go on, you'll notice that the levels will rise slower - that's because the filter is growing those two lots of bacteria. When you test one day, it mayt show levels at 0ppm - when it does, don't bother changing water - leave it until the next day.

As the weeks go on, you'll find the gap between water changes grows, until you'll find that you can go a week without changing water. That is when your filter is cycled, and then you can go to weekly water 20% changes (although I personally do 30%).

I strongly suggest you don't replace any fish until you are cycled, and cut back on feeding to once every 2/3 days, to try to minimise the amount of ammonia being produced by the fish.

Any more questions, and there probably will be some, just ask!

Edit About the fungal infection, you may well find that keeping the fish in good quality water, the fish's own immune system will deal with the infection, without the need for medication. However if it does persist, I've always used the Interpet meds.

 

[nanoMama86]

Ok, so first, you are gonna want to do a large 75% to 90% water change. Make sure to match the temperature of the the tank water with the new water. Use your dechlorinator also. Cut back on feeding to every other day and please go and get your water tested again. Please post EXACT numbers for results; have them rigt it down for you. It sounds fungal to me as well but a big water change should help. Jungle LifeGuard is a broad spectrum cure all that has worked for me very well and is very affordable. Please pick some up while you are having your water tested. I suspect that you are not completely cycled and so have had a fungal bloom that is attacking your fish . Bottled bacteria products are for the most part, garbage. Go do that water change ASAP!

 

[liamb]

Done a 90% water change. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0.40 if thats right my mum just come down so quickly checked it with her test kits but she only had them 2. Will put some pictures up in abit aswell

 

[colleen0309]

Do another water change to get the nitrite down to less than 0.25ppm.

 

[liamb]

this is the guppy not the best pictures as taken on my iphone

 

[the_lock_man]

Done a 90% water change. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0.40 if thats right my mum just come down so quickly checked it with her test kits but she only had them 2. Will put some pictures up in abit aswell

With that size water change, and you still had 0.4ppm nitrite left, that suggests that your nitrite level was around 4ppm before that. And that is seriously high. If you'd have done your usual 20% change, you would still have had over 3ppm. I hope that illustrates why large water changes are needed to keep on top of the problem.

You need to test again today, and see what the levels have risen to (especially if you didn't change water again last night, like Colleen advised). That will give you an idea of how quickly levels rise, and how often and how much water you need to change, to keep those levels below 0.25ppm at all times (not just for after a water change).

 

[nanoMama86]

Yep you are gonna have to be doing 90% water changes at least once a day if not twice a day to save your fish. Make ABSOLUTELY sure you are temp matching your replacement water to avoid stressing them further. Also, something like SeaChem Prime or Api StressZyme will reduce the mortality rate of your fish. Good luck and it is worth the fight I promise!

 

[liamb]

thanks again. sorry for the late replies been very busy iv managed to do another water change and did a test after and the ppm was 0.25. but i have also noticed my panda corys have laid eggs in the tank so would i still beable to do water changes again with eggs been allover the corners? the female guppy still looks in a bad way but the rest of the fish seem ok (fingers crossed)

 

[nanoMama86]

If you do not do the water changes, the eggs will die. At least with the water changes, they have a fighting chance. The female guppy that you posted a pic of seems to have ammonia burns on her gills. She may or may not pull thru. .25ppm is better, but still toxic. Your gonna be upset to hear it, but another largish water change is in order. We have to get that ammonia down to zero, man!

 

[the_lock_man]

I have to agree with Mama. Water quality is your highest priority.

In any event, the eggs will probably be eaten before they hatch, unless you remove them to a specific tank.

 

[liamb]

i still keeping loose guppies but they only seem to be the only im loosing, the 1 in the picture died also an exact female to her seems to have the same problem know also found 2 other dead male guppies yesterday, i plan on doing another water change in abit when my little girl has her afternoon sleep. then will check the nitrite and amonia after the water change