Unwell Angel

[ZoddyZod]

Hello All,

Lost one of my juvi angels this morning, now I've noticed another with similar symptoms. Help & advice appreciated.

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Rapid breathing, white/translucent stringy faeces, hiding

Tank size:320L
pH:7.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate: 40-80ppm
tank temp: 24.6

Volume and Frequency of water changes:20-25% weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: none

Tank inhabitants: 6 angles, 29 neons, 8 harlequins, 1 BN, 5 bronze cory, 1 dwarf gourami, 2 bolivan rams

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): 5 juvi angels - one died this morning after showing similar symptoms for 24-36hrs (that I noticed). 1 of the juvi's appears to be chasinging/bullying the others. It's not constant but he will chase when eye contact is made - maybe the stress is exasperating an underlying issue?

the 5 angels were quarantined for roughly 9 days before adding and had been in the LFS for at least 2 weeks prior. I did not see the symptoms prior to the last 2-3 days.

Exposure to chemicals: none

Digital photo (include if possible): - hiding in tank, can't get a good shot.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Polite morning bump.

I'm out of my depth with fish illnesses, I've only ever had one case of ich, so any advice is greatly received!

 

[KittyKat]

What are you feeding them? No signs of anything sticking out of their bums or gills?

 

[Tolak]

Internal protizoans, common with angels & discus, as well as other cichlids.

Put the angel in a quar tank, I usually use a 10 gallon. Increase the temp over a day or so to 90-94F. Treat daily with 40 mg/gallon metronidazole, with 50% water changes daily. If the fish isn't eating, don't feed for the first 3 days. After 3 days, get some frozen brine shrimp. Take a portion about the size of a few match heads, and sprinkle on some metro. You have to eyeball this one, make the shrimp look kind of like a tiny powdered donut. Once it thaws, mix it in & feed. Sometimes they still don't eat for a few days, but once they start to mouth the food & spit it out, the meds seem to get in their system real good. Continue medicating the water & food for 7-10 days.

Metronidazole is sold as flagyl, het-a-mit, and a few other names I can't recall offhand, used to treat hexamita & hole in the head. They usually suggest 20mg/gallon, this often isn't enough. Metro deteriorates in 8 hours, so you could do twice daily water changes. I've done this on the weekends when I have time.

I've also added epsom salt while using metro, this helps with any constipation issues, cleans out the digestive tract. I start with 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of water, increasing by 1 teaspoon daily for 2 more days to bring it up to 3 teaspoons per gallon. You will have to adjust how much you use when doing water changes. You may want to give this a try.

 

[ZoddyZod]

brilliant, thanks Tolak. I'll need to find a UK equivalent of the med though.....off to a LFS in an hour so hopefully can source something.

 

[Tolak]

It may be a vet deal in the UK. Many fish meds available over the counter in the US are only available through a vet over there.

 

[ZoddyZod]

hmmmm, seems metronidazole is a perscription only drug here in the UK. Looks like I can source via eBay but going by how quickly the last angel died, I don't have long enough to wait.

I'm reading sources saying that Octozin is an OTC equivalent. Have you heard of this? Hopefully this will be available locally.

 

[ZoddyZod]

just visited a LFS, nothing there suggested it would treat pritazoan parasites. Look s like I'll need to use eBay and hope the fish can struggle on for a couple of days.

 

[KittyKat]

Metronidazole is sold as flagyl, het-a-mit, and a few other names I can't recall offhand, used to treat hexamita & hole in the head. They usually suggest 20mg/gallon, this often isn't enough. Metro deteriorates in 8 hours, so you could do twice daily water changes. I've done this on the weekends when I have time.

Will any treatment which works for Hexamita/HITH do or is it that Metronidazole kills other Protozoans too?

If it's the first, then it may be worth trying Sera's Flagellol, which will kill Spironucleus and Hexamita species. I haven't used the medication myself and the active ingredient is not listed on Sera's website.

 

[ZoddyZod]

The quarantine tank is set up and the infected angel transferred. By the time any metro could be delivered i would be on holiday so will just have to hope for the best.

No signs shown on the remaining 4 so far.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Just went to check on him/her and put a couple of flakes in. Floated right by and showed no interest so not looking good.

I presume once infected fish can not recover without the intervention of medication?

 

[ZoddyZod]

Found dead this morning.

 

[KittyKat]

I presume once infected fish can not recover without the intervention of medication?

Internal parasites, so I assume not, as there is no reason for them to die off. Did you try any medication at all?

 

[ZoddyZod]

Internal parasites, so I assume not, as there is no reason for them to die off. Did you try any medication at all?

could not get hold of anything that seemed to deal with Hexamita unless it was coming from abroad, as such it would not have been here by Sunday when I go on holiday for a week, so the angel would've had to struggle on regardless.

 

[KittyKat]

Internal parasites, so I assume not, as there is no reason for them to die off. Did you try any medication at all?

could not get hold of anything that seemed to deal with Hexamita unless it was coming from abroad, as such it would not have been here by Sunday when I go on holiday for a week, so the angel would've had to struggle on regardless.

Does your LFS not stock Sera's Flagellol or eSHa's Hexamita? That is very unusual, it may be worth keeping these medications at home *just in case*. Another option would have been to see if anyone at your local club had some left over from a previous treatment.