Sick Laetacara

[Flute]

I posted this in the emergency section a week ago, and haven't had a single reply, so I'm posting this here in the hope someone might be able to help me save my male.

Copy and pasted from the original post:

"I think this starts a couple of weeks back when I changed the external filter. I put all the old media into the new filter so that it didn't go into a cycle. Just to be on the safe side I did another water change a couple of days later before I went back to uni.

My BF came back with me to uni for a week, and my dad was left to feed the fish. Despite me always telling him not to over feed, he did, and my BF came home to find the fish all bloated. I lost one of my female bettas to the bloating. Bryn (my BF) did a water change and then didn't feed them for a few days until they all settled down, and then tried them with some veg.

By now Bryn had noticed that the Laetacara had gone pale. He was still moving around, and took some bloodworm. This was 2 days ago. Since then the male has become very lethargic and is today sitting on the sand, still apparently pale.

I'm worried that he might have a bacterial infection, but I'm not sure and don't want to medicate with the wrong thing.

Tank size: 200ish Litres
Been set up for 6 months now.
New external filter (with old media) set up around the beginning of February.
Weekly water changes of 20-40% + gravel vac.
Tank mates: 8 female betta, 1 pearl gourami, 7 espei rasbora, and the two Laetacara. No one else showing the same symptoms.
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0.50ppm (water changes were done immediately and nitrites brought back under control)."

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It's been a week now, and although he's still eating, his condition hasn't gotten any better. I've just come home from uni and I'm shocked at how ill he looks- he's so pale he looks albino, where as before he was really dark and active. Now he just sits at the top of the tank, not even gasping. There is extra aeration in the tank, but it doesn't seem to have helped.

Could this be an internal bacterial problem? I'm really worried about treating though when I have no clue what the cause is.
Last water change was done on Friday, and I'm going to do one tonight just to see if it helps. I'll also get my water stats up as soon as I can.

I'm really worried that he's going to die

 

[hamfist]

Doesn't sound great to be honest.

As the fish is still eating though, that is a good sign. If you lived in the States, I would recommend some antibiotic medicated food, but unfortunately we can't get such stuff over here in the UK.
If all he is eating is bloodworm, then I would strongly recommend that you try to get him to eat some flake or pellets that at least have some veg content. If he was overfed by your relative, and got constipated/bloated then the last thing you want is to feed a load more bloodworm, which in itself tends to be constipating.

I fear that ultimately you may lose this fish. But there's always a chance. You could try treating him, but it would be a lucky dip with UK mediactions as to what to use. You may even do more harm than good. I'd suggest simply making sure that the whole tank is stressed as little as possible. Feeding is kept fairly minimal, and that water quality is kept as perfect as you can make it. Try feeding him normal flake or pelleted food, ideally with some veg content. With some luck and a following wind he may make it.

 

[Flute]

Thanks for the reply Hamfist. He has since taken some flake and cichlid pellets as well as worms. I'll dig around and see if I can find some peas and try him with those. The good news at least is that he isn't bloated.
I was thinking the same thing about meds in the UK to be honest They never seem to be quite what is needed when things are like this. I just find it frustrating that it doesn't seem like I can do anything to help him.
It's really strange- I got too close to the tank and he spooked, and as he did, his colours flared back but faded immediately once he settled down. I just don't know what to make of it.

Thank you for being honest with me- I thought that the chances of saving him were low, but I wanted to try and do all I can anyway; I just didn't know what to do at all.

 

[Flute]

Sorry for the double post, but I have a few more bits of information.

I've just fed the tank now, and although the male did eat, it's like he's blind. He only ate when the brine shrimp bumped his face, otherwise he missed it completely. His eyes aren't cloudy though. He seems so weak now that he relies on the current of the filter to push him around.

Another bit of information: the female apparently has become quite aggressive, and the OH has seen her chasing off all of the other tank inhabitants. This is totally new behaviour, as she has always been shy and very timid, but her colours have really flourished and she's much more confident. Apparently my OH has seen her chase the male a couple of times, but it's not constant. Could she be hounding him to death?

On top of that some of my female betta have become skinny. *sigh* Could internal parasites cause all of this?

I've only been gone 3 weeks, the tank is looked after well by my OH when I'm away, so this isn't from neglect. I'm really starting to despair with this tank, as soon as I get one thing sorted, something else comes up Very close to giving up.

:EDIT:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
So it's not water quality issues then.

I've got the male laetacara and the sick female betta in a divided floating hospital net, so that the others can't get to them. Hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday I'll have a small hospital tank, I just don't know if they'll last until then.

 

[hamfist]

It's a tough situation.

I can certainly relate to your description of him being "blind". Only recently I lost a sev and a blue acara in similar circumstances. They both went downhill, and appeared to being swimming rather aimlessly, almost being blind and swimming into things. Both looked great up until the moment they died. In the end I put it down to some bacterial or viral infection that I didn't have a hope in h*ll of treating. So I lost those two fish, but none of the others showed any signs, and all has been fine for many weeks since then.
Sometimes all fishkeepers will be hit by a rogue infection that will simply take out some of your fish, and leave the others completely untouched. It's the way of nature, and the survival of the fittest unfortunately.

As for your betta, I am probably the worst person to ask as I have a terrible record for keeping betta's alive. Cichlids I do well with generally, but Bettas die almost merely at the sight of me.

If you are concerned about potential intestinal parasites in a tank, however, I would suggest possible treatment with flubendazole (which has virtually no bad side-effects if used at the right dose)(search for "discus wormer"), and possibly a course of something like Sterazin, which I have found a good general anti-parasitic and anti-worm treatment.

 

[Flute]

I'm sorry that you lost the sev and acara I know that there is nothing you can do sometimes, but I always feel so guilty

Thanks for the advice on the worming medication. I'm going to buy some tomorrow- I'm not 100% that they all have internal parasites, but a few of them are now exhibiting sunken stomachs (although my dad reckons they're starving- they're fed a good amount every day, so I can't see how). So better to get it sorted now, just in case it is causing this

Thank you again Hamfist :3