Hello, i'm new to the forums and I have a serious issue with my 36 gallon planted aquarium...
How I think my tank got infected with the parasite:
Yesterday I introduced two angelfish into my tank I had purchased at an independently owned pet store (I should have known better as there was already a dead angelfish in their tank). I acclimated the fish with extreme care but I knew something was wrong with one of them when I put them in the tank. It did not eat and stayed at the corner of the tank right below the surface the whole time while the other was very active and eating. I noticed it was pooping a very thin and white feces and I was not surprised to find that it had died this morning. It was not until my dwarf gourami started pooping the same white feces today that I started researching what the causes were and found out my fish have contracted some sort of parasite (which i'm pretty positive is wasting disease). Also, a lot of them have been scratching their gills on the driftwood and plants (knowing this could be relative to an ammonia/nitrite spike, I checked my parameters today and all my levels are normal). I do believe that this angelfish was already infected when I bought it and it has spread it to my other fish.
My treatment plan:
I went out and purchased API's General Cure parasitic treatment powder and a bonded filter pad (does anybody have any experience with this product?). Because I have an all in one filter cartridge, there is no way for me to separate the carbon from it. My idea was to take out my cartridge and have it placed in a bowl of tank water to preserve the beneficial bacteria until treatment is complete (would that actually work?). I will then cut out a fitted piece of carbon-less filter pad to take it's place for the time being. I have already done a 20% water change today and raised the temperature in the water to approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The issue(s):
The only thing stopping me from starting the treatment is the fear that it may kill some of my tank inhabitants. The product label only states that it is safe for live plants but doesn't say that it is harmful to invertebrates, shrimp or catfish? I have a Nerite snail, three South American bumble bee catfish and a bamboo shrimp that i'm not sure will be able to handle this treatment...? The informant at the Petsmart I went to said that if it was safe for live plants that it would most likely be safe for all the aquatic life in my tank but knowing the experience levels of most of these employees, i'm not completely sure if I trust her judgement or rather educated guess...
This will be my first time treating this form of parasite in an aquarium. I have had experience with treating ich which was succesful. Any advice or information would be highly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
How I think my tank got infected with the parasite:
Yesterday I introduced two angelfish into my tank I had purchased at an independently owned pet store (I should have known better as there was already a dead angelfish in their tank). I acclimated the fish with extreme care but I knew something was wrong with one of them when I put them in the tank. It did not eat and stayed at the corner of the tank right below the surface the whole time while the other was very active and eating. I noticed it was pooping a very thin and white feces and I was not surprised to find that it had died this morning. It was not until my dwarf gourami started pooping the same white feces today that I started researching what the causes were and found out my fish have contracted some sort of parasite (which i'm pretty positive is wasting disease). Also, a lot of them have been scratching their gills on the driftwood and plants (knowing this could be relative to an ammonia/nitrite spike, I checked my parameters today and all my levels are normal). I do believe that this angelfish was already infected when I bought it and it has spread it to my other fish.
My treatment plan:
I went out and purchased API's General Cure parasitic treatment powder and a bonded filter pad (does anybody have any experience with this product?). Because I have an all in one filter cartridge, there is no way for me to separate the carbon from it. My idea was to take out my cartridge and have it placed in a bowl of tank water to preserve the beneficial bacteria until treatment is complete (would that actually work?). I will then cut out a fitted piece of carbon-less filter pad to take it's place for the time being. I have already done a 20% water change today and raised the temperature in the water to approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The issue(s):
The only thing stopping me from starting the treatment is the fear that it may kill some of my tank inhabitants. The product label only states that it is safe for live plants but doesn't say that it is harmful to invertebrates, shrimp or catfish? I have a Nerite snail, three South American bumble bee catfish and a bamboo shrimp that i'm not sure will be able to handle this treatment...? The informant at the Petsmart I went to said that if it was safe for live plants that it would most likely be safe for all the aquatic life in my tank but knowing the experience levels of most of these employees, i'm not completely sure if I trust her judgement or rather educated guess...
This will be my first time treating this form of parasite in an aquarium. I have had experience with treating ich which was succesful. Any advice or information would be highly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
