Please help???

[Lovemybabyfish]

Hi all I am new to this forum so please forgive me if I am not well versed. I am having lots of problems with my fish. I lost one lyre tail molly 3 weeks ago(had white powder on head as well as an open sore, treated with melafix), 1 guppy 2 weeks ago(had dropsy, was floating on its side, started treatment with maracyn 2 and died a day latter). I now have about 40 babies some platies, some guppies, and some lyre tail mollies. About 10 of them have a white powder coating on their mouths and head( just like their mother did before she died), lips look swollen and they are scratching on rocks and twitching. Some of the others look like they have a grey coating on them but their mouths seem fine. Since they are babies it is so hard to get a real good look to see if their are Tufts of white or just film but it seems to be film. Anyway I also have one guppy with one tattered fin. But just one. Every store tells me something different. Two days ago I began another cycle of maracyn and maracyn 2 together based on what the company told me over the phone. My gut tells me I should treat for ich as well although it is not grains of salt but a powder coating. I am not sure it is velvet since I heard that fish pass within a few days of displaying symptoms. These babies have looked this way almost since birth.

1 20 gallon tank:

30-40 babies (mollies, platys, and guppies) All about 11/2 - 2 months old
1 cory
1 guppy
2 adult platys
no3 40 no2 0 am 0 ph7.8 temp 82 (kh and gh 300 and 180)

1 10 gallon tank (just set up yesterday with rocks, water, and ornaments from 20)
1 dalmation lyre tail molly
1 guppy

no3 20 no2 0 am 0 ph 7.8 temp 82 (kh and gh 300 and 180)

*I added this tank so that I can reduce the population as I am sure that the 20 gal was overstocked due to the new babies growing.

Sorry for all the info. But hopefully someone know what I should do. Should I treat with maracyn, maracyn 2 and copper or could I use the Malachite Green instead of the coppersafe(which I was told i could use all three at the same time).

 

[black angel]

I'm not sure whats happening to be honest but it sounds like columnaris, though i'm not sure with the time scale as this disease usually kills pretty quickly. your 20 gallon is very overcrowded and the high temperature will keep columnaris in your tank. reduce the temp to 74 and keep the water really clean with lots of regular water changes and gravel vacs.
hope someone helps you more soon

if you only have livebearers in your tank then maybe salting with aquarium salt and using antibacterial meds may help but once the disease hits the mouth then its always fatal.

 

[rachel21]

it sounds like you have ICH in your tank (if 10266you go to http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10266 for more information) and it can be treated.

it could be cos you do seem overstocked or it could be the water quality. but i'm no expert. someone else will be able to help you more.

 

[WILDER]

It sounds like you have mouth fungus columnaris especially with the white on the head, and with the grey slime and flicking and rubbing sounds like they also have a parasite infection.

 

[Lovemybabyfish]

Thank you all so much!!!

I hate not knowing exactly what to do!!! I too believe it is mouth fungus but I have been treating for 5 days and so far I see not a whole lot of improvement. I just want to get these babies well so I can find them a home. Also any other ideas of what to do with them? Sell them over the internet or is that inhumane? Nobody wants livebearers? I just want to know that they may have a happy home and not worry that somebody will feed them to their pets !!!

Thanks and I am always open to more input.

Also one other question. Will finrot show visible signs of improvement after treatment? I have a male guppy whose tail fin is looking discolored with blotches....

Thanks,
Rhonda

 

[WILDER]

The fins sounds like bacteria finrot which guppys are prone to so i would use anti internal bacteria med, good luck.

 

[Lovemybabyfish]

Hi again,

What is an antiinternal bact. med? Like melafix? Thanks for the help.

 

[WILDER]

Melafix is more of an antiseptic treatment for wounds and cuts, what's your location, uk interpet anti internal bacteria med, united sates maracyn 2.

 

[Lovemybabyfish]

Hi again,

Actually I used Macaryn and Macaryn 2 for 10 days!!! I finally stopped after spending 45.00 us dollars on meds and felt that was enough. They didn't look much better. But I am starting to see improvement now after they have been off them for a few days. Is this normal. Can it take a few days after treatment for them to show signs of improvement? Thank you so much for your help. I feel so stupid sometimes. My intentions are good but I am not sure I can grasp all the diseases and meds yet.

 

[OrkyBetta]

If it is columnaris, or 'mouth fungus' it isn't really a fungus at all, but a bacterial infection. Also, if it was columnaris, usually the fish do not live as long as you have been treating them. I would say they either have ich or velvet. Rid Ich plus is safe for almost all fish, even 'scaleless' ones. Also, if it is ich, you will need to raise the temperature in your tank, and cover it so no light gets in. Salt will also help speed up the life cycle of ICH. God luck!