Sick Otocinclus

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dalethewhale

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Tank size:30 Litres
pH:6.5
ammonia:0
nitrite:0mg/L
nitrate:0mg/L
kH:4
gH:4
tank temp:23 degrees C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
Oto fine yesterday but today swimming in a corkscrew motion and laying motionless on its side for long periods of time. Also looking rather thin and has a red patch on it's stomach.

Volume and Frequency of water changes:
30% weekly, also 20% today when i found the sick oto.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:
Just dechlorinator

Tank inhabitants:
6 zebra danio and 4 Otocinclus

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
None

Exposure to chemicals:
None
 
Sounds like a Swimbladder disorder, does not sound good though. Treat the fish with an anti internal bacterial medication. How long has the tank been set up for and did you test the water quality before or after the water change?
 
Hmmm..it's hard to tell, but I'd guess an internal bacterial infection (they're quite prone to this according to my friend who's a bit of an oto expert) Try a course of Myxazin.

Or it could be the dreaded 'Whirling disease' which is caused by a parasite (myxobolus cerebralis) and for which there's no cure that I know of. Keep your fingers crossed on that one :(
 
Hmmm..it's hard to tell, but I'd guess an internal bacterial infection (they're quite prone to this according to my friend who's a bit of an oto expert) Try a course of Myxazin.

Or it could be the dreaded 'Whirling disease' which is caused by a parasite (myxobolus cerebralis) and for which there's no cure that I know of. Keep your fingers crossed on that one :(

Last night I moved him into a tank on his own with some crushed peas and some Melafix (it's the only anti-bacterial treatment i have) but sadly, this morning the little guy was dead :( Is Myxazin good? i might get some in just in case for another time, thanks.
 
Myxazin is very good. I had a mysterious 'thing' going on with a couple of my green neons (still don't know what it was; it involved the fish getting discoloured patches, like burns and 'pimples') and the Myxazin cleared it up.

Sorry the oto didn't make it :(
 
Myxazin is very good. I had a mysterious 'thing' going on with a couple of my green neons (still don't know what it was; it involved the fish getting discoloured patches, like burns and 'pimples') and the Myxazin cleared it up.

Sorry the oto didn't make it :(

thank you, it seems some of my zebra danio are suffering from fin rot, it seems mainly to be affecting their tails... im currently doing a course of melafix but I think i'll pick some Myxazin as soon as i can... will it help with fin rot? The other possibility is that it's tail has been nipped and has become infected (it's gone white around the edges),will it also help if this is the case?
 
Fin rot and fungal infections caused by injuries are really the smae thing.

The fungal spores are in the tank all the time; it's when fish get stressed by poor water quality (or for some other reason) or they're injured, that the fish's slime coat becomes weakened and allows these secondary infections to take hold.

Myxazin should clear up the fungus/fin rot, but you need to find the root cause too. Make sure none of the fish are being bullied and that your water is in tip top condition; are you sure you're testing corectly? As it's very, very rare for any tank (especially one as small as yours) to have zero nitrates.

I consider a 30l tank far too small for zebra danios; they are a very active fish and really deserve a 3 foot+ tnk IMO. It could be low level stress combined with poor water quality that's causing them to sucumb to tinfections.
 
Fin rot and fungal infections caused by injuries are really the smae thing.

The fungal spores are in the tank all the time; it's when fish get stressed by poor water quality (or for some other reason) or they're injured, that the fish's slime coat becomes weakened and allows these secondary infections to take hold.

Myxazin should clear up the fungus/fin rot, but you need to find the root cause too. Make sure none of the fish are being bullied and that your water is in tip top condition; are you sure you're testing corectly? As it's very, very rare for any tank (especially one as small as yours) to have zero nitrates.

I consider a 30l tank far too small for zebra danios; they are a very active fish and really deserve a 3 foot+ tnk IMO. It could be low level stress combined with poor water quality that's causing them to sucumb to tinfections.

Ammonia test is a liquid test and is definitely zero, however the nitrates and nitrite is just a multi-test stick so is not as accurate,but ammonia is zero and they're both low and my remaining otocinclus are happy as Larry so i think water quality is fine. I do agree that my tank is a bit small and it seems there is a bit of bullying and this is what is causing the stress and leading to fin rot. Upgrading tank size is not really possible... ive just spent all my money on this tank! (I'm 17 and don't have a job! :p)
I think my only option is to get rid of the zebra danio and get fish more suitable to the tank size :/ I was thinking just a few guppies or a Betta. Anything else you would suggest?
Thank you for the help BTW :)
 
A betta or a few male guppies would be fine; or have look round your LFS for anything that grows to about an inch; tiny tanks need tiny fish.
A few that you should be able to get where ever you are ember tetra, chili rasbora, celestial pearl danio, dwarf emerald rasbora. Six of any one of those would be better than the zebras :)
 
Also, my zebra danio consist of 2 long finned zebra's and 3 short-finned leopard's, and it seems the leopards are bullying the zebra's.

My tank at the moment is...
30L with a tetra-tec in400 internal filter and 25w heater set at 23 degrees C

5 zebra danio
2 Otocinclus
2 guppies (2 males i took off my friend as he had too many males and they were bothering the females)

2 amazon sword
1 marimo ball
2 anumbias nana

The danio don't bother the guppies or oto's at all, only each other.
 
Neons (or my favourite the green neon) would be okay, but the cardinals, no, they're that little bit bigger.
 
Possibility of getting a larger tank on thursday, the school where my mum works has a 2-3 foot tank (not sure yet), which they have one goldfish in with no filter, so on thursday my mum will offer them my 30l tank and a spare filter for their larger tank! If i can i might be able to keep my zebra danio :) if not, i'll be taking a trip to my LFS at the weekend!
 
Does that mean the poor school goldfish gets put in your 30l? You can't do that to the poor thing dude.
 

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