Please Help Me Solve Mysterious Death

[freshy]

Hi,
I need help! I lost two of my guppys last week. A a female to what apparently was TB (but I can't be sure) and a male to what I thought was old age. But now after my second female guppy found dead this morning I'm not sure anymore.

She was young. About 1 year old. And showed no previous signs of disease, except last night during feeding time she was a little shy, but she ate anyway so I didn't worry. This morning I found her floating in the tank with a good part of her tail ripped off, and some nasty looking yellowish patches next to her pectoral fins. (look at picts)

I'm kinda of freaking out here because now I suspect there may be something nasty in my tank that's attacking my fishies and i don't know what it is!! The problem is that I've been treating my tank for the white spot on my male platy for the last 4 days. I have followed the instructions on the package diligently. I'm using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Super Ick. I put the first dose on Friday. waited 48 hrs and added the second dose. I'm supposed to wait another 48 hrs and do a 25% waterchange. That'll be tomorrow. Do you thing this treatment got to my guppy girl? I just can't figure it out a,d it's driving me nuts!!

I can't check my ammonia and nitrite levels right now because the water is tainted green/blue with this medicament!! I don't know what to do, if perform a waterchange right now or wait and keep on with the Super Ick treatment as instructed.

By the way my male platy seems much better. The white spots are almost gone and none of the rest of the fish are showing ick symptoms.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I have no clue about what might be causing it, however, i would still try to test your water. When you take the water out of the tank in a test tube, the tinting from the meds will be less noticable, and you will still be able to see most of the higher readings.

 

[WILDER]

That yellow patch is it fluffy as it could be columnaris or velvet.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Wouldn't velvet be spread over the entire fish rather than clustered in one area?

 

[WILDER]

Do they look like yellow spots on the fin as there is a desease called yellow grub.

 

[freshy]

Hi guys,
Thank you for responding. Well, I tried to test the water but it still looks green/yellow in the testing tube and when I added the ammonia tester substance, it immediatley turned colour, but I can't tell if it's from the contact with the ick medication or if it is really an ammonia spike.
I think I'll do the waterchange now, just in case.

 

[tttnjfttt]

try diluting the water in a test tube, and know that if you start with half the tank water, then you need to double whatever the results say.

 

[WILDER]

Also can you describe that yellow patch on the fin.

 

[tttnjfttt]

what test kit are you using? Have you considered taking a sample to the LFS as i know alot of them use the dip stick tests, which may be better for this situation.

 

[freshy]

The yellow patch didn't look fluffy or fuzzy. It rather looked like a stain from the inside of the body. And it was present on both sides of the fish.

Well, I did the waterchange and I'm about to test again. I'll post results as soon as i get them
Thanks a lot

Edit: Oh I forgot! I'm using a "Nutrafin" Ammonia Test Kit

 

[WILDER]

Watch the other fish, as the tail also looks like bacerial finrot.

http/www.nippyfish.net/flexibacter.html

 

[freshy]

Well, I tested but got unclear results. i tested for nitrite and I got 0 ppm. Although I diluted the tank water for the test it still looked yellow, (that Super Ick cure stains a lot!) and it changed to an even darker yellow when I poured the tester drops, but as I said, I can't be sure if its a reaction between medication and tester or if it's really ammonia in there.
Anyway I did a 20% waterchange, but I'm still nervous because IF, in fact, my guppy died of fin rot I don't want my other fish to be affected by it (obviously!) the thing is that I have been medicating that tank for too long I think.

Last week, I started an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals of Furan-2 in the slight hope it might help my first female guppy combat her disease. Unfortunately it didn't and she died. Right then is when I noticed the distinctive "grain of salt" spots on my male platy's tail. So I did a waterchange, let 2 days go by raised the temp and started with the Super Ick cure.

The size and presence of the spots has diminished but they are not totally gone. And my remaining female guppy is acting a little aloof. I don't know if it's from stress, if she misses her tankmates (unlikely), if she is being over-harrased by the male now that the other girls are gone, if she has also fallen victim of a nasty infection or if it's just me being paranoid given recent events in my tank.

Oh man! This stinks!

 

[WILDER]

Hope they make it, as medicating a tank does stress the fish, fingers crossed, good luck.