Sick Rtbs

[WILDER]

Good thinking, keep us all updated on his progress, always wanted a red tailed black shark.

 

[black jack1]

BTW, do you think the silvery patch under his body is moreso damaged scales rather than parasites? It's exactly where he rubs himself. Hes not rubbing as much but is quiet jittery and starts darting around spontaneously because hes irritated. I'm beggining to hope it is gill worms now!

 

[WILDER]

Flukes come in skin flukes, which invade the body, gill flukes, eye flukes, the med should get rid of them.
They are nasty things as the suckers put nasty bacteria into the fish blood stream causing bacterial infections as well.
Grey patches are parasites and can also be bacterial infections, but it is definately a parasite buy what you have just said, rubbing, darting and looking irratated by something.
I will find you more info.

Darting info.
Darting
Water quality problems, skin parasites, drug side effects, stray voltage in the tank


Look at flukes.
http/www.swedesdock.com/pondpara.sht

http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml

Look under skin flukes.
http/www.goldfishinfo.com/ailment1.htm#skin

 

[black jack1]

The more i read, the more confused i get! The symptoms overlap into a number of possibilities that are realistic. I'll let the JBL med take its course (2 days after which i have to do a 75% waterchange) along with Pimafix for bacteria and see how he does. The other thing is that I also have a Banjo Catfish in the same tank and i don't want to be exposing all these meds on him especially as he's ok (dug out my plastic plants last night). I can't issolate him or the shark either! But i do think it is gill/skin flukes and the JBL med says it is for that so lets see how it does.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.

 

[black jack1]

Another update, he seems to be feeling alot better now...swimming around doing his usual thing. He even has his fins open BUT...he now has cloudy eyes! I read around about why the get cloudy and the first thing i found was water quality, I have good water 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrate 5-10 and PH 7.2. I'm beginning to think its from the bacterial infection he has/had so i think i'll keep the Pimafix going. And i might also treat with Myxazin hmm. He's also just eating what appears to be algae off the glass but nothing else!

 

[WILDER]

Cloudy eye is a symtom of a desease rather than a desease it its self it can have many causes from poor water quality, old age, bad diet, whitespot or velvet, plus bacterial.
Have you finished the gill fluke med.

If so it will be ok to add the bacterial med to the tank, as flukes can cause bacterial problems.

 

[black jack1]

yeh, the gill fluke meds done and dusted with. He doesn't rub around anymore like before. I've carried on treating with the antibacterial just to be on the safe side. It's most probably a side effect of the bacterial infection. I did a waterchange too. Should clear up.

 

[WILDER]

Ok, that fine good luck, keep an eye on the flukes as well, as the nasty things can soon come back.

 

[black jack1]

Hopefully the last update! he seems to be doing fine now and has started eating flake and even bloodworm pellets and his fins are out and hes playing in the air bubbles. He ate so much his stomach bulged out and i thought "what the hell is that now"?! Anyway, thanks for you help and advice.

I think i'll add some more tank mates for him to bully soon

Finally, Ive been referring to him as a "he" all this time, but upon reading a few websites about sexing them i'm beginning to think he might be a she!

 

[WILDER]

Bless her glad she made a full recovery.