Please Someone Tell Me What I'm Doing So Wrong

[Colin_T]

your ram (Bolivian butterfly cichlid) is a bit sunken in around the head and looks like it has a couple of whitespots on its dorsal (top) fin. But that could be just the angle and light.
If the fish are twitching several times a minute there is something irritating them.
Costia and its relatives aren't very big and often only show up as a slight discolouration on the body. They can live in warm or cold water tanks. But the pictures don't show any signs of it so its possibly something else.
The ulcer and sores on the gourami are typical signs of TB but if the fish's immune system is run down then that would also allow things like that to develop.

 

[LolaLouie]

I just read about fish TB, I think it is too quick to jump into a diagnosis like that as he has no other symptoms than the body sores, he is eating fine and seems healthy in himself.

The Ram doesn't have white spots, he has pale blue spots of natural colouring on his fins which I think is what you see in the photo, if not then it's just the reflection of the light.

I really don't know what to do as I don't even know what the illness is to treat it. I'm going to try and get a picture of my Cory but he's so fast.

Thanks again for your advice Colin. I will keep an eye out for other symptoms!

 

[LolaLouie]

Ok so here's my Cory, it's pretty hard to make out in the photo but it's also difficult to see in person so I don't think I can get a better picture. It's just the scales from below his eye to his dorsal fin. It's just kinda like they've been rubbed away.

 

[Colin_T]

Nice little cory sterbai

I've looked through a couple of books and the closest I can find is Trichodina.

Considering the number of fishes you have lost I would try something more radical than melafix.
Waterlife Protozin should do the job otherwise get something like Ichonex, (copper sulphate and malachite green) it is pretty potent stuff but a 2 week course of it should kill most diseases in the tank. Use at half strength because of the catfish.

 

[LolaLouie]

In the past month I have used wormer plus, interpet no 9 and melafix on my tank and none have worked. I am going to go to a fish shop on saturday so will have a look at the meds you suggested. Just hope one of them works!

Thanks for the help!

 

[Colin_T]

I thought you had some Protozin?

Wormer plus will only affect worms
Interpet #9 is an antibacterial medication I think so will only affect certain types of bacteria
melafix can work on damaged fins and the like but is unlikely to do anything to skin parasites like costia, chilodonella and trichodina

 

[LolaLouie]

I do have some protozin... but you suggested other meds so I was going to have a look. Also I need to wait 48 hours because i have been treating with melafix.

This med thing is driving me crazy because each time my shrimp die... if i put them in the QT they jump out no matter how long i spend taping up every possible hole and if i leave them in the tank they die from the meds and they're not exactly cheap to replace 10 amanos

Thanks again Colin!

 

[Colin_T]

Try dropping the water level in the quarantine tank. Depending on the filter in it you could have the tank only half full. That should stop them jumping out. Also leave the lights on at night and that seems to help limit their jumping.
The other thing you can do is buy some mosquito netting from a shop that sells material for making clothes. Put some of that over the tank and use some wide band elastic to hold it in place.

A couple of big water changes (using dechlorinated water with a similar temp & PH) should help dilute any Melafix in the tank.
If you have Protozin just use that. It should do the job nicely.

 

[LolaLouie]

Thanks... never thought about putting netting ontop of the tank

Ok well when i get back i'll do a couple of large water changes and do a course of protozin... is protozin the best thing to use because i will be going to my lfs anyway so would like to get the best possible treatment?

Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

To be honest I still don't know what you are meant to be treating for.
Are the fish still flicking and rubbing.

 

[LolaLouie]

I haven't been home all day and wont be home until tomorrow afternoon so I don't know if they're flicking.. I didn't see them flick all morning but then I wasn't really watching the tank. The gouramis fins don't seem to be healing and nor does his small sore but his larger wound is healing. Also my Cory, his peeling skin, I wanted to treat him for that but I don't know what it is.

 

[WILDER]

Peeling skin can be bad water quality, bacterial like columnaris to parasites.
I wouldn't bother with the melafix its only good on cuts and wounds.
Is it possible to load a pic up of the fish with the peeling skin.

 

[LolaLouie]

Fish with the peeling skin is the cory on the 1st page of this thread... not that easy to see but it was the best pic i could get!

 

[WILDER]

Ok took a look but to be honest can't make much out.
If you want to add the parasite med thats down to you.
Good luck.

 

[Colin_T]

it was easy enough to see the slime on the cory. It's a little sterbai cory with a grey film above its eye and across to the dorsal fin and on the side of the body.

If the water quality is good then it has to be a skin parasite and something small because it isn't highly visible. And the fact fish have been dieing for a while now means there is something wrong. The Protozin treats all sorts of things including whitespot and the above mentioned skin parasites. So it should make a huge difference. If it doesn't then I would suggest taking a sick fish to a vet and having it autopsied.