Praecox rainbow ill

[Naughts]

Tank 180 litre, low tech planted.
Weekly water change (50-70%), substrate and filter clean.
API water conditioner, seachem substrate tabs, Nitrozorb.
Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates 20 before water change.
PH 8.3, KH 10dH, GH 8dH, Temp 74.

Praecox rainbow is constantly moving mouth and has swelling on left eye. I have previously lost several rainbows in quarantine (with salt and flubendazole) with the constant mouth movement symptom but this fish has been in the main tank for 6 months.

Stocking: 9 praecox rainbows, 12 rummy nose tetra, 9 trilineatus
Corydoras

No recent losses nor additions. Battling Cyanobacteria.

 

[Colin_T]

Is the fish still eating normally?
Has it swollen up/ bloated?
What does its poop look like?

If it's still eating well just add salt. 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres of water. Keep salt in the tank for 2-4 weeks.

If you move the fish into a quarantine tank without the Cories and tetras, you can increase the salt to 4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres.

 

[Naughts]

Thank you for the help Colin.
I moved her to a small tank and added salt. She is not visibly swollen. I fed the main tank before I moved her and she showed interest but didn't find the food. I'll try again later. No poop at present, I'll keep an eye out and report back.
Thank you.

 

[Naughts]

Update: eye improved, fish not swollen, bit then spat out food, poop normal/ thin/ dark, dorsal fin clamped.
Mouth/ gills moving constantly. I fear this (whatever it is a symptom of) will kill her as her peers in quarantine died with this.

 

[Colin_T]

Keep the salt level up (maximum dose) and cross your fingers.

You should probably treat the main tank with salt too or at least do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week to reduce any disease organisms in the water.

If you get new rainbowfish, treat them with salt while they are in quarantine. Keep new fish in quarantine for 4 weeks.

 

[Naughts]

Will do, thank you .

I will water change/ clean the main tank every day but don't have enough salt yet to treat it too. I'll order some more.

The fish were quarantined for 4 weeks with salt, 4/11died at that time. This illness has returned after several months. She is a big fish so hopefully she is stronger. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for your advice Colin