Is It Too Late To Start Sterazin Treatment

[N0body Of The Goat]

I went downstairs as normal this morning to feed the 540l in the garage, plus turn on the Magnum8 powerhead for the daytime. Just as I think I'm all done, I find one of the Humphead gasping at the water suface...

I cannot see any infections or wounds on her. From time to time she flops on her side, even in my palm (making me think she is going to die soon), but then she "sorts herself out" and tries swimming again for a while. I have turned off the powerhead as she cannot cope with its current.

To help her breathing in the short term, I have added 20 tablespoons of table salt, with the tank currently holding ~100 gallons of water (not quite filled to capacity). I hope this is right, 1 tablespoon per gallon, as I've never done this before!

I can only presume at the moment that she has some sort of gill infection... But I'm wondering if it is too late to try and save her with Sterazin?

What does not help is that I recently added some Myxazin to the 540l, to help some fish recover from Lionhead Cichlid parents induced injuries, hence more fish than planned have moved down to the garage...

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

She is now in my 3 gallon fish bucket with a dose of Sterazin (0.25ml of concentrate) and the Juwel compact/280 filter...

A big risk, considering the recent Myxazin, but she is getting worse doing nothing since adding table salt to the 540l.

 

[WILDER]

Is the powerhead the only filter in the tank.
Why do you turn the filter off. You should never turn the filter off as it causes the bacteria colonies to die off.

What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
How many fish and which type.

First thing to do is increase aeration and check your water stats.

Causes of laboured breathing and gasping are -
Bad water quality
Lack of aeration
Toxins
Over dose of meds
Parasites
Bacterial
Ph shock
The fish is dying


Any signs of darting, flicking and rubbing, barrel rolls, excess mucas.
What do the gills look like. Do they look red inflamed, swollen, look like there bleeding, look pale, excess mucas on the gills, frayed edges to gills, white edging to gills, mottled gills.

Does the fish look bloated?
Can the fish maintain balance in the water.
Any red streaking, bleeding beneath the skin, or red sores on the fish.
Does the fish tilt to oneside.
Is the fish still eating.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I said the powerhead was turned off overnight, the Eheim 2078 is active 24/7.

Ammonia 0; nitrite 0, nitrate 40; pH 8.2

Fish:
2x Opsarius pulchellus (~10cm SL)
4x Barilius canarensis (~7cm SL)
3x Barilius dogarsinghi (~6.5cm SL)
6x Puntius denisonii (~6.5cm SL)
4x Ctenopoma acutirostre (~3cm SL)
1x Synodontis brichardi (~12cm SL)
3x Aplocheilus lineatus (~5cm SL)
6x Parmabassis pulcinella (~7cm SL)
3x Garra flavatra (~7cm SL)
2x Steatocranus casuarius (~5.5cm SL)
11x Alestopetersius caudalis (~4.5cm SL)

Edit: I'm well aware the above is a lot of fish in there and this was never the plan. Extra fish had to be moved out as an emergency solution after my Lionhead Cichlid pair decided to be nasty to the point of murder on all other Rio240 tankmates except the African Butterfly Fish (even turned on Hypoptopma last night, who have now gone in the Korall60).
As soon as possible, I want to move the parents and fry to another tank, probably a Clearseal 30"x15"x12", but the fry have only been visible for about a week and their "cave" is literally under the integrated Juwel Bio8 filter chamber.
I can then move the smaller and less energetic fish back upstairs (denisonii; caudalis; acutirostre; lineatus; flavatra) to the Rio240.

Water quality is fine
Eheim 2078 and Magnum8 easily aerate ~500l of water, its a rippling river on the surface!
Any meds have always been correctly dose using info on product, today is the first time I've ever mixed meds (Myxazin last night and then Sterazin only in hospital bucket since ~1330)
pH has been 8.2 for the 11 days the Humpheads have been in 500l tank

Fish sometimes loses balnce, resting laterally on tank bottom or my hand or leaves near water surface. In hospital bucket, she sometimes rests upside down on facing sky aginst the side of 280 filter
Gills look same as ever, hard to say if they look different
No signs of redness on body, only thing of note is a small section of missing caudial fin, that has been regrowing over the last couple of weeks (presumeably caused by a nip)
Not tried food yet

 

[WILDER]

It could be swim bladder or bacterial.

Fish can heavy breath with a bacterial infection.
It's not sounding good i'm afraid.

Remove the meds with a water change and add some black carbon. You need to get the sterazin out of the tank.

Never use meds till you know what you are treating for.
Also mixing meds can do more harm than good.

Get you some info on bacteria infections.

How old is the fish?

The third type of infection produced by Aeromonas is by no means the least. This form is often the most virulent (potent) and can be rapidly fatal. This insidious form does not produce any noticeable external ulcers. The most notable feature is a behavioral change in which the infected fish generally become listless and lethargic. Some fish may lose color or appear darker. The fish do not feed, frequently seem off balance and may sink to the bottom laying on their sides. The course of the disease is rapid, and by the time the behavioral changes are noticed, the entire population of a tank may succumb, sometimes in a day or so. This is an internal infection, with the bacteria being found in the kidneys and blood of these fish. The bacteria produce potent toxins that account for the severity of the disease.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

She is now is fresh dechlorinated water with no Sterazin or table salt present...

She is close to adult female size, which is believed to be ~6cm SL. I've had the whole group for three months and I believe the group were in the LFS since last autumn, so I'd estimate she is about two years old.

 

[WILDER]

Ok. Bless Her.

All you can do is try a bacterial med. Don't forget to increase aeration.
Once bacterial infections progress there hard to cure.
It's not sounding good i'm afraid.
Good Luck.

If you have anti internal bacteria med by interpet I would try this med over myxazin by waterlife.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

She died around 1630...

 

[WILDER]

So sorry for your loss.
R.I.P.