Need Some Help And Advice

[scotty]

i recently had a rosy tetra die from which i thought was dropsy,had an otto die aswell but that showed no symptoms,now i have another tetra showing the same signs,bloated,lethargic,white stringy poo scales sticking out,could it be an internal parasite?,which would be the best meds to buy? i have amano shrimp in my tank would i have to remove them? i could possibly put them in with my apisto fry but they are quite small yet,would the amano eat them? water stats are fine

amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10

its a juwel rio 125 and i am in the uk,so would like to go out and buy the recommended medication from nearest LFS.

cheers

scotty

 

[mattlee]

bloating and scales raised are a sure sign of dropsy im affraid. not 100% sure if its contageous or not but i dont think it is unless other fish peck at the dead body of a fish or eat the poo from an infected fish. if it is contageous then removing the sheimp will take the issue to the other tank as they can carry disease even if not effected.

 

[scotty]

can you recommend any good meds?

 

[mattlee]

i think if the scales are already raised then its too late. but there doesnt seem to be any meds good enough to cure dropsy that i know of.... try feeding deshelled peas for a few days to just be sure its not bloat and do a few extra water changes to keep conditions exceptional for the fish. i might be tempted to treat for internal bacteria with interpet number 9 medicine if it were me but it may do no good. can you isolate the fish in a seperate tank?

 

[scotty]

no seperate tank,will try that interpet 9,is there any meds available for internal parasites?

cheers

scotty

 

[mattlee]

off the top of my head all i can think of is wormerplus, it deals with most internal issues and can be used at the same time as interpet number 9 so might be worth a go

 

[scotty]

used the interpet 9,in my tank the rosy tetra that was showing the symptoms is still alive,althought the symptoms are no better,lost another 3 ottos,which should no signs of being ill,just hope whatever it is passes quickly,water stats are fine,plus doing plenty of waterchanges,i have no hospital tank,would it be wise to dispatch the rosy tetra so they symptoms don't spread,or leave him and hope he is getting better? as i have just done a large waterchange,should with the interpet 9,just to be on the safe side,no waterchanges were done while the tank was being medicated

cheers

scotty

 

[WILDER]

What do you feed your fish?

Signs of internal parasites are as follows -

Long stringy white poo, clear mucas poo, red poo.
Enlarged anus.
Red inflamed anus.
Fish will look skinny or bloated.
Sunken in belly.
Bent spine sometimes.
Fish will sometimes swim on it's side.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Sometimes the fish will flick and rub.
Sometimes the fish will spit food out and stop eating.

Once scales stick out its the last stage of dropsy, organ failure.
Also if the fish in the tank peck at a dead fish that died of dropsy the desease can pass onto other fish.

It's always best to isolate a sick fish with dropsy.

Get you some info on dropsy.

Dropsy

[color="666699"]Symptoms:

This disease is very common among African Cichlids, and is commonly called "Malawi Bloat," even though it affects fish from Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Dropsy is also very common within the Carp family and among Anabantids. It is characterized by swelling of the body and especially abdomen, which causes the scales to stand out with a pine cone appearance. Eyes may protrude or cave in. Reddening at the vent and/or base of fins may be observable as well as body ulcers and long pale feces. In advanced cases, skin discoloration and scale loss may also occur. Sick fish will not show any desire for food. They will often hang near the bottom, resting on the gravel, or at the top, gasping for air. In the latter stages of this disease, the fish may lose its equilibrium and hence ability to swim properly.

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[color="666699"]Cause:

Three main causes for Dropsy have been identified. The over use of salt (NaCl), prolonged exposure to poor water conditions, and improper diet, which lead to a parasitic infection. Other causes include poisoning, internal injuries and cancerous tumors. The swelling is not the disease itself, but rather a symptom, which is caused by a build-up of fluids in the body cavity due to internal organ failure.

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[color="666699"]Treatment:

Treatment of this disease is difficult, as by the time it is recognized, permanent damage to the internal organs of the fish will have occurred. Immediate treatment must be performed if there is to be any chance for survival. Metronidazole (Flagyl) and or Clout are the best medications for treatment of Dropsy. Notwithstanding, not much is known for certain about the etiology of this disease and some experienced aquarists use antibiotics to fight Dropsy. For oxytetracycline, baths of 20-100 mg/litre for five days is suggested. For tetracycline hydrochloride, treat with baths of 40-100 mg/litre for five days. And for minocycline hydrochloride a dilution of 250mg/10 gallons of water is recommended. On day 2 change all the water and add the medicine again at the same dose for another 2 days. Increase aeration during treatment. Do not use minocycline a third time in a row. Caution: tetracyclines are photo sensitive so turn the tank lights off during treatment and cover the whole tank with a blanket. If the fish is still eating, you can soak the food in a concentrated solution of the antibiotic before feeding.
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[scotty]

i feed them,aquarian advanced nutrition flakes,new life spectrum small fish formula and occasionally live food,but haven't fed live food since the symptoms showed up.

cheers

scott

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
Always best to research the fish diet needs.
Variety of frozen foods or live, green veg in there diet.

To many dried foods can lead to constipation and other health problems. Don't over feed.
A fish needs a good balanced diet as well as excellent water quality.

 

[scotty]

forgot to say i feed them frozen food,what type of green veg would you recommend?

 

[WILDER]

Peas, broc, cabbage, sproats, lettuce, cucumba, spinach. Anything green really.

 

[scotty]

would i need to cook the lettuce first?

 

[WILDER]

Just blanch the veg in boiling water for a few minutes.
Chop into small pieces so the veg fits in there mouths.

 

[scotty]

rosy tetra is now just spitting food out,still has the pine cone affect and seems to be swimming ok,i have no hospital tank to put him in,and i don't want it to spread anymore in my tank,anyone any suggestions what i should do with the tetra?

cheers

scott