What Is Happening To My Fish?

[sussexgirl]

My fish seem to be dying off slowly one by one and I can't pinpoint what the problem is. Since the beginning of November I have lost:

1) a dwarf gourami (wasted away and just found him dead one morning, no other signs of external problems).
2) a neon rainbow fish (again, just wasted away and found him dead, no external signs apart from weight loss).
3) a neon tetra (just dissappeared one day and has never resurfaced).
4) a platy (wasted away, scales rough, fin rot, white patches and a few white spots).

After alot of advice and support on here I treated the tank the week before Christmas (during the time the platy was sick) with Myxazin and 'Wormer Plus' - a recommended treatment for internal parasites, flukes etc.

3 days ago I spotted the mate to my dead platy now has fin rot to his tail, a white grain spot on his fin and his right eye is protruding and appears have have loose skin on it. It doens't look like fungus, rather like he's torn his eye. 2 days ago I started another course of Myxazin and added my monthly dose of wormer plus. He's still hanging in there but is mostly at the top of the tank. He's eating well.

My water stats have been consistently at great levels since late Spring 2006:
Nitrite 0,
Amonia 0
Nitrate 20 (although this was 40 at my last testing 3 days ago). I did give my filter a very good clean in tank water during my last maintenance session.

You can see from my signature what's in my tank and I don't think that I'm overstocked?
I use dechlorinator with every water change and perform maintenance on the tank every 7-10 days.

Any advice would be REALLY appreciated, it's just so frustrating when it's apparent there's a problem but I just don't know what and how to go about treating it.

 

[paul-discus]

My fish seem to be dying off slowly one by one and I can't pinpoint what the problem is. Since the beginning of November I have lost:

1) a dwarf gourami (wasted away and just found him dead one morning, no other signs of external problems).
2) a neon rainbow fish (again, just wasted away and found him dead, no external signs apart from weight loss).
3) a neon tetra (just dissappeared one day and has never resurfaced).
4) a platy (wasted away, scales rough, fin rot, white patches and a few white spots).

After alot of advice and support on here I treated the tank the week before Christmas (during the time the platy was sick) with Myxazin and 'Wormer Plus' - a recommended treatment for internal parasites, flukes etc.

3 days ago I spotted the mate to my dead platy now has fin rot to his tail, a white grain spot on his fin and his right eye is protruding and appears have have loose skin on it. It doens't look like fungus, rather like he's torn his eye. 2 days ago I started another course of Myxazin and added my monthly dose of wormer plus. He's still hanging in there but is mostly at the top of the tank. He's eating well.

My water stats have been consistently at great levels since late Spring 2006:
Nitrite 0,
Amonia 0
Nitrate 20 (although this was 40 at my last testing 3 days ago). I did give my filter a very good clean in tank water during my last maintenance session.

You can see from my signature what's in my tank and I don't think that I'm overstocked?
I use dechlorinator with every water change and perform maintenance on the tank every 7-10 days.

Any advice would be REALLY appreciated, it's just so frustrating when it's apparent there's a problem but I just don't know what and how to go about treating it.

Hi
Wormer plus is fine and you can use 10 times the stated dose with no problems. Mizaxin is broad spectrum and really leaves the water in 12 hours. It sounds to me like you need to dose with something like Interpet fungal and finrot treatment, it's really very good. Remove carbon from your filter for 7 days while using it. You seem to be doing everything else right so hope this will solve your immediate problem.

 

[MHunt]

I had alot of unexplained deaths in my tank after a bout of whitespot brought in by infected fish. Eventually i used a course of Interpet 9 anti internal bacteria, and haven't had an unexplained death since. I would be cautious of putting too many meds in the tank all at once though, this can be as harmful to the fish as not treating them.

 

[sussexgirl]

I had alot of unexplained deaths in my tank after a bout of whitespot brought in by infected fish. Eventually i used a course of Interpet 9 anti internal bacteria, and haven't had an unexplained death since. I would be cautious of putting too many meds in the tank all at once though, this can be as harmful to the fish as not treating them.

I'm not worried about mixing wormer plus with myxazin as experts and the manufacturers say are safe to use together. I know what you are saying though which is why I'm loathe to use the interpet med ontop of what I've just used without a decent break and a good water change between. I've just looked at the platy and it seems like fungus on the eye and fungus to the fin, rather than the white spot that I mistook it for previously. His eye doens't look swollen anymore, just a strand of fungus on it, finrot to the tail and fins (thought minimal) and tiny spots of fungus. He doens't look particularly thin and is eating well, although he doesn't seem to be moving away from the top of the tank.

Any one else have any ideas of what I should do or what is wrong?

 

[WILDER]

Pointing towards fish tb to me, got signs being thin wasting away, dropsy, popeye, finrot, and also white patches.
http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[sussexgirl]

Pointing towards fish tb to me, got signs being thin wasting away, dropsy, popeye, finrot, and also white patches.
http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

Wilder do you remember going back and forth with me about my female orange platy just after Christmas? Well this one is her mate. If it is TB (and that was what I was thinking it may be) how do I go about treating it. Should I euthanise and how is the outlook for the rest of the tank?

 

[WILDER]

Not looking good, yes I would end there misery if there in a bad way.
The best bet is a vet who can perscribe and antibiotic for you.
Put one of the fish in the freezer or all of the infected ones this is after death.
So you can take it to a vet for testing.

 

[sussexgirl]

Not looking good, yes I would end there misery if there in a bad way.
The best bet is a vet who can perscribe and antibiotic for you.
Put one of the fish in the freezer or all of the infected ones this is after death.
So you can take it to a vet for testing.

Thanks. going to look up on the best way to euthanise platy now. Can't bare the thought of doing it but if needs be.....................
In the absence of an anti-biotic is there an over the counter product that would protect the rest of the inhabitants? Maybe run my carbon to clear the meds, do a big water change and then treat the rest of the fish? I'm pretty sure that my local vet doesn't deal with fish.

 

[WILDER]

No there are no shelf meds that treat fish tb.
Will get you some more info.


Piscine tb.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[sussexgirl]

No there are no shelf meds that treat fish tb.
Will get you some more info.


Piscine tb.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

Thanks for that info Wilder, I can't tell how cheesed off I feel right now. I know some people say they're only fish but I'm really attached to mine and hate to think I'm going to go through this slow process of them all dying off one by one. Fingers crossed I can save the others.

 

[WILDER]

I know been where you have with ntd just as bad, wiped a full tank out.
Good luck and fingers crossed.

 

[sussexgirl]

I know been where you have with ntd just as bad, wiped a full tank out.
Good luck and fingers crossed.

been to LFS today and they sold me some fluid to euthanise my platy. He died very quickly and peacefully. The manager at Maidenhead aquatics recommended a course of sterazin followed by a course of Octozin. No feeding my fish at all for the duration of the sterazin. They think that my fish have wasting disease and that the finrot and fungas are secondary. The rest of the fish look ok for now but the fact that I've lost 5 over the last 9 weeks shows there's something sinister living on in the tank after each death. The water stats are fine, the tank's not overstocked and my feeding routine is fine. Hopefully this will be ok and I won't have any more fatalities.

 

[WILDER]

Ok, what does it look like when they go to the toilet.
Yes they can get bacterial infections on top but once they do there in bad shape.
There infested with them.

 

[sussexgirl]

Ok, what does it look like when they go to the toilet.
Yes they can get bacterial infections on top but once they do there in bad shape.
There infested with them.

When the remaining fish go to the toilet it is usually just normal pinky brown colour. I feed them tetra pro colour and their poo tends to be red after this as the food has a red colour to it. I don't see any excrement to cause alarm in the remaining ones. Feeling so guilty though for not feeding them, they keep swimming desperately at the surface every time I go near the tank!

Wasting disease is catagorised the same as the fish TB on the link that you pointed me towards a few days ago. My LFS said that if it continues and more fish die off then I should consider a cull, sterilise my tank and start all over again. On the other hand, he was very quick to reassure me that his suppliers were 'TB free' certified. For the time being it's in the hands of the gods and I'm just the best I can for them with the sterazin and octozin.

 

[wendyngd]

Ok, what does it look like when they go to the toilet.
Yes they can get bacterial infections on top but once they do there in bad shape.
There infested with them.

When the remaining fish go to the toilet it is usually just normal pinky brown colour. I feed them tetra pro colour and their poo tends to be red after this as the food has a red colour to it. I don't see any excrement to cause alarm in the remaining ones. Feeling so guilty though for not feeding them, they keep swimming desperately at the surface every time I go near the tank!

Wasting disease is catagorised the same as the fish TB on the link that you pointed me towards a few days ago. My LFS said that if it continues and more fish die off then I should consider a cull, sterilise my tank and start all over again. On the other hand, he was very quick to reassure me that his suppliers were 'TB free' certified. For the time being it's in the hands of the gods and I'm just the best I can for them with the sterazin and octozin.

Just to let you know my thoughts and prayers are with you..I am very attached to my fish, too. Sounds like you're doing absolutel!!
-Wendy