Need some help & advice

[WrongerIndiana]

1. Water parameters.
nitrate 20
nitrite 0
total hardness 300
alkalinity 300
ph level 8.4

I have well water. I have really hard water and I use water that's filtered through my kinetico water softner.


2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
white cyst both sides of top dorsal fin in rear tail region, also both sides between anus & anus fin(looks like a white pimple that's come to a head!), and white area top of mouth; looks like the milk commerical when drinking milk...

3. How often you do water changes and how much. Weekly 10% to 30% water change...

4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water. Aquarium salt 1T per 5 gallons, Coppersafe 1 tsp for every 4 gallons

5. What tank mates are in the tank. variety 7 cichlids, 2 Plecostomus algae eaters

6. Tank size. 55 gallon (I've had them 9 months!)


7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish? No

I have him/her quarantined in a 10 gallon tank...
I put him/her in a salt bath 1/2 cup aquarium salt to a gallon of water for 1 minute.
He did have white stringy poop. (That has changed back to normal since he's been in the coppersafe treatment with the aquarium salt) I first treated him with PimaFix and MelaFix. He had stopped eating 2 weeks ago. Sometimes he would eat Mysis shrimp, other times he would spit it out. Before he developed the white spots. I did a 30% water change and added a charcoal filter to my media for 24 hours then I removed it and added 1 Tbsp for every 5 gallons on water and added Coppersafe.

I was told by the LFS to do a 30% water change in my 55 gallon tank and run a charcoal filter for 24 hours and then remove the filter. Then treat the 6 cichlids left in the tank with coppersafe.

Can I take a new knee high nylon, rinse it real well, then put it over the cartridge that I have removed the carbon & polyfiber filter pad from, so I can at least have the aquarium water run through the filter, then I can rinse the waste away? I have a Aqua - Tech hang on the back double (30-60 gallon power filter inm the 55 gallon tank. A 5 - 15 0n the 10 gallon tank.

At least he's eating now!

The reason I used PimaFix and MelaFix the first time is because over the phone I was told to use these 2 together, my cichlid went into hiding and he wouldn't come out, then when I called back a week later, I was told by the LFS to use Maracyn from Mardel... But when I went in to get some I was told to use coppersafe...

Thank you for any help!

 

[wuvmybetta]

The lumps sound like Lymphocystis,and as far as I know there is no cure. It's viral and spreads quickly. You can physically remove the lumps or just keep the fish quarantined and medicated to keep the secondary infections under control. Do you think that's what they might have?
Coppersafe treats parasites, so it could be some sort of fluke. Here are some that reportedly cause nodules in the skin. It sounds difficult to cure as well.

DISEASES DUE TO TREMATODA METACERCARIA:

Monogenea and Digenea are two subdivisions within the class Trematoda (flukes). Adult Digenea are generally flat and leaf-like: Digenea are only important in the aquarium context at one stage of their development, the metacercarian stage.

What are metacercaria, and how do they reach the fish? A certain familiarity with the life cycle of particular Digenea species is necessary to answer this question. Adult worms are present in the gut of a predator fish or fish-eating birds. Fertilised worm-eggs then pass into the water in droppings. Larvae (miracidia) equipped with cilia emerge from these eggs, and bore into water snails. Cercaria are then formed inside the body of the snail; they are provided with a tail which is used when the organism leaves the snail (first intermediate host) and swims to a fish (second intermediate host). They penetrate the epidermis or are taken up in the food, loose the tail, and encyst; they then develop into metacaria, which are similar in form to the adult. Hence fish can only be infected by cercaria leaving water snails. Metacaria cannot transfer from fish to fish. If a predator eats an infected fish then metacaria are released in the gut. The worm then develops into its adult form, and thus the life cycle is completed.

Tropical fish can act as the second intermediate host and therefore metacaria carriers. Fish can only be infected regularly under natural conditions where the parasite can follow through the whole life cycle, and so metacaria are mostly found amongst fish newly imported from their natural habitat. Such fish may show a variety of symptoms. Sometimes lumps can be seen in the muscles but these do not seem to cause the fish much distress. The situation is more serious when metacaria lodge in the liver or abdominal cavity. Exhaustion, anaemia (associated with pale gills) and ultimately death may result. Diagnosis is not particularly difficult; microscopic examination reveals encapsulated, moving parasites a few millimetres at most.

Little or nothing is known about the treatment of metacaria in tropical fish. The parasite has a limited life span; spontaneous recovery has been observed on various occasions, although it may take a few months.

Found here.

It's important to be certain of what you're treating before you start medicating or mixing meds. Also,are you getting ammonia readings?

Yes,the panty hose will work in your filter. Just make sure they won't get caught in your propeller when putting them in there. Better yet fill the foot with some filter floss (pillow fluff works!) or just use the floss by itself.

 

[WrongerIndiana]

Oh My Gosh I got sick looking at some of that stuff! My cichlid doesn't have anything that looks like those pictures! (Right now anyway!) He/she seems to look a little better. I started the coppersafe Thursday.
I only have quick dip 5 strip tester. I'm out of the ammonia strips. Thanks for the input!