Pineapple swordtail

[melanie]

I HAVE A VERY SICK PINEAPPLE SWORDTAIL HE HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY TREATED FOR FINROT BUT ALL WAS GOING WELL HE NOW HAS LOST ALL HIS COLOUR HAS GONE WHITE STOPPED EATING AND HAS LOST ALOT OF WEIGHT. HIS FRONT FINS ARE SPLAYED AND CANNOT SWIM VERY WELL AND SLIDES IN THE WATER. HIS GILLS ARE RED RAW BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE TREATMENTS HAVENT WORKED AND HE IS DETERIOATING VERY QUICK
PLEASE ANY SUGGESTIONS? OR IDEAS AS I COULD SAVE MY LITTLE MATE!!!!

 

[adeyc]

Hi Melanie.
I need to know a couple of things. How long have you kept fish? How often do you change the water and how much at a time? Do you add anything to the water?(de-chlorinator etc). What are the ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,ph levels,and temp of the water. If you don't know the water chemistry levels take a sample to your lfs if you haven't got the test kits and ask them to test for you. As soon as we can find out these answers we can start to help.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Yep sounds like theres another problem needing sorted.

There is something else though, could you tell us your other tank inhabitants are incase there maybe is a problem with a bully fish.

Oh and Hello and welcome to our forum

 

[adeyc]

Message from MelanieTHE TANK IS 3FT AND THEY HAVE A WATER CHANGE ONCE A FORTNIGHT AT ALL TIMES DECLORHINATOR AND SAFE WATER IS USED. I HAVE HAD THE FISH FIVE MONTHS AND HE USED TO BE O.K BEARING IN MIND THERE IS FOUR SWORDTAILS AND 3 MALE 1 FEMALE THE OTHER TWO HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN BULLYING HIM AND NOW I THINK THEY ARE STARTING ON THE FEMALE. WE HAD THE WATER TESTED ONCE BEFORE BUT THAT WAS ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AND EVERYTHING WAS O.K BUT THIS IS NOW A NEW TANK WHICH HAS BEEN UP AND RUNNING FOR SIX WEEKS AS BEFORE WE HAD A TWO FOOT TANK BUT THE ILLNESS STARTED THERE. ALTHOUGH I SHOULD REALLY HAVE ANOTHER WATER TEST DONE BUT THE THING IS ALL THE OTHER FISH ARE ABSOLOUTLEY FINE

It sounds as though the fish are being stressed out, tends to happen when you have more males than females so that's probably the cause of the finrot. It would be advisable for you to get a test kit and monitor the water levels more often. nitrites and ammonia can build up very quickly in a tank so it's imortant you don't overfeed and clean the poo etc out of the tank regularly. Genraly in all ilnesses the main problem is poor water conditions.
Your fish may have Chilodonella, the usual symptoms are,Dulling of the colors due to excessive slime, fraying of the fins, weakness, gill damage. This disease causes a blue white cloudiness on the skin and attacks the gills. Later the skin may be broken down and the gills destroyed. The fish may behave like they have irritations, by glancing off aquarium decor, they may have clamped fins and difficulty breathing.
Treatment:Acriflavine (trypaflavine) may be used at 1% solution (5 ml per liter). As acriflavine can sterilize fish, the water should be gradually changed after a cure has been effected. It also helps to raise the temperature to about 80º F.
Are any of the other fish affected by any similar or other sympoms?

P.S. can you post any replies in the forum. that way anyone who's had a similar experience may be able to help, and it will help anyone who has this problem in the future. I'm sure some of the others will have some input to give.
Also try not using capital letters all the time. it's the nets equivelent of shouting.

 

[adeyc]

I HAVE JUST NOTICED HE HAS TWO SMALL DENTS ON EITHER SIDE OF HIS HEAD LIKE SOMETHING IS SUCKING HIS INSIDES OUT AND A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE WHICH LOOKS LIKE SCAR TISSUE LITTLE RED BITS AND TWO LITTLE PATCHES OF GREY ON HIS BODY

.

K it sounds more serious now. I'm off to check a couple of things.

 

[Rose]

Just to save you time and money and the other fish your sword needs to get put down. He has many things wrong with him. There's no way to get them all with out killing him with the many kinds of meds.

Just somethings that he has are....columnarus (a true fungus), wasting away (internal parasites, very hard to get rid of), red spots (ulsers or septicemia), Childonella (slime coat disease), not sure you want me to keep going... Do him a favor and put him out of his missery. Rose

 

[adeyc]

Rose has given the best advice. He has got far to much wrong with him and it's best you do the right thing and stop his suffering. My computers got that new proccessor syndrom and likes to act dead every now and again so i did'nt get back to you sooner. Keep a close eye on the rest of the tanks inhabitants and the first something seems odd get back to us.