Yet Another Death - What's Going On?

[sussexgirl]

I posted last week because I was worried about my yellow platy behaving strangely and swimming at a 45% angle. 10 days after posting that he's still swimming round my tank. I'm actually beginning to wonder now whether he's just an old fish because he has sporadic swimming sessions and he's not longer swimming at an angle. I only got him 7 weeks ago but that's not to say that he's a very young fish. The jury is still out with him! I'll be buying a breeders net tomorrow to isolate him and hopefully encourage him to eat more and gain some strength.

Anyway, I also posted that I had lost one of my Long Finned German Blue Rams two weeks ago and have not been able to explain why, other than my PH is 7.6 and they are used to considerably lower PH water. My LFS gave me some contradictory advice about the suitability of my water, and despite climatizing them very slowly the little guy didn't make it and died just 2 weeks after getting him. Much to my horror I checked out my tank yesterday morning and discovered that my remaining ram had changed colour slightly. His fins were more of a brown colour and he was gulping continuously around the lower sections of the tank. Throughout the day his movement got less and less and he died last night.

Pre water change and post water change stats are the same;

Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0
Amonia 0
PH 7.6
Temp 77 degrees

The predicament I have is that I don't know what I'm fighting here. As mentioned in my last post (last week) on the advice from my LFS I had treated the tank with Protozin. Some of you suggested that I may have a bacteria infection in my tank and that protozin wasn't suitable. Can someone give me any advice please? I'm going to the LFS tomorrow and I'm wondering whether it's worth treating them with an anti-bacterial medicine rather than the anti fungal one I've been using. I've no intention of adding any fish as I'm at capacity and obviously with my platy still sick I'm hoping none of the others come down with it.

 

[WILDER]

Brown marks on fins can be columnaris if it looks fluffy, plus velvet can show it self in brown marks too, any laboured breathing and flicking and rubbing on objects.

 

[sussexgirl]

Brown marks on fins can be columnaris if it looks fluffy, plus velvet can show it self in brown marks too, any laboured breathing and flicking and rubbing on objects.

It wasn't so much patches of brown colour, more like the fish had lost it's vibrancy all over and his fins and tail had all turned a dark brown colour. His bright red eye pigment faded to brown too and he just looked like the colour had generally darkened all over him. He wasn't rubbing on objects and flicking, just sitting at the bottom with laboured breathing. I noticed exactly the same thing happened when his mate died. I'm concluded that Rams aren't suited to the natural PH of my water (7.6) and hope that the tank doesn't have a bacteria problem. I am worried that my sick platy may be heading in the same direction but he's been looking odd for about 12 days now and I would have thought he would have died by now if it was a bacterial infection? He has just lost weight and seemed to have a bouyancy problem for a few days. He's not just swimming round very slowly but not eating much.

 

[sussexgirl]

Since writing the above, my platy has died. I've done a 25% water change and changed my filter carbon and sponge (due for renewal) and I'm keeping everything crossed that the others will be ok.

 

[WILDER]

Darkening in colour can be a sign of a bacteria infecion, i think i would go in with a bacterial med for now.

 

[Bex]

Darkening in colour can be a sign of a bacteria infecion, i think i would go in with a bacterial med for now.

Hi Wilder

I have the same sort of problem with my female Ram but she is still alive. She's not sitting on the gravel. just hovering over it. Her fins aren't clamped at all and she isn't heavy breathing? Can't see anything wrong apart from the darkened colour and the fact she isn't moving about the tank much.

Do you think I should try some bacterial med and if so what would you recommend?

Sorry to hijack the post!

 

[WILDER]

What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.

 

[Bex]

Hi Wilder

I haven't seen her poop, but I don't think she's eaten either

 

[WILDER]

Bacterial infecton, and not good if she not eating, sorry.

 

[Bex]

Bacterial infecton, and not good if she not eating, sorry.

Is there anything I can treat the tank with to stop it spreading?

 

[sussexgirl]

Darkening in colour can be a sign of a bacteria infecion, i think i would go in with a bacterial med for now.

Thanks Wilder, so treat the tank with a bacterial med for now as precaution for those who are left? They all look healthy, infact I've given the tank a really good clean and water change today after the death of the platy. I gave them live daphnia which they devoured in seconds. Should I just start the bacteria med now or wait and see how they are in a week or two? If you think the med is the right way to proceed can you recommend anything?

 

[WILDER]

Sorry guys for not keeping up with you, but not been well myself, yes bacterial med like internal bacteria med by interpet, or myxazin, good luck.

 

[sussexgirl]

Sorry guys for not keeping up with you, but not been well myself, yes bacterial med like internal bacteria med by interpet, or myxazin, good luck.

Thanks again Wilder, I'll give it a go.

 

[Bex]

Yeah, thanks again Wilder. Will get some meds this afternoon. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[WILDER]

Good luck guys.