Whats Wrong With My Fish?

[Igniseus]

Hi all, having a bit of a fish problem

Tank size: 16G
pH: Unknown but can get if required
ammonia: 0-0.25
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0-10
kH: Unknown but can get if required
gH:Unknown but can get if required
tank temp: 26C

Fish Symptoms:
1 x Bengal Loach (2 week old): Began with occasional rubbing against things as if it had an itch. Then it started to play dead, and would just lay on the bottom for hours and hours, nothing seemed to make it move. Finally this morning found it moving a bit, slowing move up and around the back wall, doing this for ages. When scared it drops back to the floor and plays dead for ages. He seems to have gone very pale over the last few days. Doesn't seem to be interested in food anymore.

6 x Zebra and Long Finned Golden Danios (2-4 week old): Seemed normal during the stage where the loach was scratching himself, but today i found them all squished and piled on top of each other right in a corner behind a plant, and currently (with the lights off, i.e. night time mode) they are hiding in the top corners of the tank, behind teh filter, and in other random areas and just hoving there.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: Usually daily as its a new tank/fish, between 15-60%.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Seachem Prime, and small amount of Tetra EasyBalance.

Tank inhabitants:
1x Bengal Loach
3x Zebra Danio
3x Long Finned Gold Danios

Recent additions to your tank: Swapped the decoration around a couple of times since introduction of fish, added an external filter yesterday which is running along side the internal until its cycled.

Exposure to chemicals: None?

Tank Age: 7ish Weeks.

Location: England

Digital photo: Only have a camera phone but if you would like a few (poor quality) photo's i will get some.

Thanks everyone!

 

[WILDER]

Is your ammonia 0.
Rubbing against things in the tank can be poor water quality to parasites.
Being pale is a sign of stress to desease.
Check the gills to see there red and inflamed, or pale with excess mucas on them.

 

[kribensis12]

First, any amount of ammonia is toxic. Which could be some of the problem. Also, you might want you temp at 78 degree's( 28 C?). As far as what's actually wrong, maybe some gill fluke's, as you danio's are just laying, opr sitting at the top( had that happen before). I see wilder is curently posting, so she till you what wrong

 

[Igniseus]

Its hard to tell if its exactly 0, but id say no, somewhere up to 0.25.

The Long Finned Golden Danios have very red gills (or something around there), but they have been red since I got them (maybe not as bad though), and figured it was just cause they are whiter and more transparent so their internals could be seen easier than the Zebra's. The Zebra's have a tiny bit of red around there too, but i think that's been there a while too.

This is not my fish, but its kinda how my Gold ones look, and this image is just off a profile page I found on google.
http/photos1.blogger.com/hello/233/10083/640/Danio2.jpg

 

[Igniseus]

Heres a photo of my loach:

 

[WILDER]

If the gills were red and inflamed when bought them you could be looking at gill flukes if the lfs water quality was good.
I would preform some water changes on the tank if you think the ammonia is more than 0.
The trouble with gill flukes it hard to get a med thats good in the uk, flubenol been taken off the market in the uk which was very good at getting rid of gill flukes but had to do 4 doses of the med once a week as some flukes are egg layers.
Flukes also cause bacterial infection as the hooks of the parasite carry a nasty bacteria in them, so when they pierce the skin the bacteria enters the fish blood stream.

Other signs of flukes can be sores on the body of the fish, spitting food out of there mouths.
[URL="http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml"]http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/flukes1.shtml[/URL]

 

[Igniseus]

Possibly, but my gold danios look just like this (as far as i know) danio:

http/photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/he.../640/Danio2.jpg

 

[Igniseus]

I retested my ammonia and its definitely 0 at the moment. Is there anything i can do for my fishes? Would it be safe to put some general anti-parasite and anti-fungal medicine in? I'm sure there's something wrong with them, the loach is refusing to move again to, he's just laid upside down in the most hidden spot, rapidly breathing.

 

[the biffster]

how are you testing not with test strips i hope there about as much
good as a chocolate fireguard

 

[Igniseus]

I'm using liquid tests, API brand.

My Danio's seem fine now i think, but my loach is just getting pushed around the tank by the current, he doesn't seem to be able to swim at all, though he is flapping his fins a bit. He's just getting pushed into obstacles or the glass, he doesn't even align himself and is just sitting wherever he gets pushed into and stuck until he gets free.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Igniseus]

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX4_wqIO9LI

That is exactly what my loach is doing.

 

[Topazlizz]

I don't recognise the brand names of the stuff you're using to treat your water as I'm from another neck of the woods, but could the amount of water being changed at that frequency perhaps still carry harmful chemicals etc that aren't taken care of at that rate by your water treatment? Just a thought... Not sure of recommendations but I've never changed that much water daily or almost daily.

 

[WILDER]

Api is a good brand in test kits, its just the nitrate test kit thats a bit doggy.
I would look into flukes if your ammonia is 0.

 

[Igniseus]

I have ended the loach's life now anyway, he was struggling so much and in such a state, he had totally lost it behind all hope. Its a sad end, but i'd rather him not suffered any longer.

Now i just need to sort the tank/danios out as they are definately not right. They are hiding too much even though my ammonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate <10, and their body looks wierd, hard to describe.

I've picked up some anti-slime and velvet (says cures fluke too), though im not using it until someone can give me a go-ahead. The back states its for flicking and rubbing against objects, which my loach did alot and my danios may do but not much. All fish had rapid gill movement i think (my first fish so hard to compare). Danios hang near surface sometimes (they either hide in the corner at the surface or very bottom, usually at top behind filter). They possibly have red skin. And as for the slime and velvet appearance, im not sure but their skin has definitely changed sine several days ago.

I've also picked up anti internal bacteria. the symptoms here are also showing in my fish, such as loss of colour, listless, and then destruction of central nervous system which is what just happened to my loach i think.

But which should i try first.....anti slime/velvet/fluke or anti internal bacteria?

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Don't no how good the velvet med will be on the flukes as I have never used it.
Flubenol which was available in the uk was good, but the took it off the market.
You had to dose once a week for four weeks with the flub to make sure they had gone as some flukes are egg layers.
Fish can suffer from gill flukes, body flukes which your fish are also showing signs, and eye flukes.
Sounds like flukes by your description, do any fish spit there food out as that a sign also.
Flukes are nasty as in the hooks they carry a nasty bacteria which enters the fish blood stream when they pierce the skin., causing bacterial infection on top.
This is why is always best use a bacterial med after fluke treatment.