Ahhhhh! Tank full of ill fish

[Christina]

Dear all

I am having big trouble with my tropical fish tank, though thankfully I have had no deaths yet. I’m hoping someone may be able to advise me on what might be wrong and what steps I should take.

About two weeks ago one of my platies was acting off colour, staying at the bottom and not moving around very much. I put in Melafix for a few days, before noticing that the other platies and the swordtail seemed to be off colour. After studying them I sort-of concluded that they had mouth-rot as their mouths aren’t as pointy as usual and are perhaps a bit darker on the sunset platies, so I thought their mouths were eroding. I then put in Interpet’s ‘Anti fungus and finrot’. This didn’t do the trick, so after five days I yesterday did a 30% water change and started a five-day course of Myxazin, continuing to put in the Melafix daily.

Today the platy that was originally the worst is looking much better and is darting around the surface. That platy appears to have flakes coming off its head, unlike the Sunset platies which just seem to have lost a bit on their mouths. The other platies also seem better, and yesterday one of them had babies yet again.

But what is worrying me most is that my beloved feather-fin catfish is now behaving very strangely. Normally he hides during the day, but instead has been hanging around in some strange positions, especially near the filter. Obviously because he was by the filter I was concerned about the water quality but doing a small (about 10-15%) water change on the day when he was actually sitting on it didn’t make a difference. The only thing that looks different about him is that his ‘feelers’ seem to be thicker than usual, but it is quite possible that I’m just imagining that. My main concern for him is his weird behaviour.

I haven’t seen my loach in a couple of days so I can only hope that he’s ok (he does normally hide a lot which is why I’m not TOO worried).

The little fish (2 head-and-tail light tetra and 5 cardinal tetra) appear to have been fine throughout.

The only thing that I can think of that has been done differently is putting in some Tetra FreshDelica Whole Bloodworms, though I can't see what that would have done (it’s meant to be the SAFE alternative to live food…hmm).

The guy at my fish shop said a week ago that it could be an internal bacterial infection and that the mouth rot was a secondary infection but it that it was difficult to tell, but if that was the case then the stuff I was putting in wouldn’t help. How on earth am I to know? (His answer was to bring one in as it was just about to die so he could have a look at it, but I’d rather it didn’t get to that stage!)

Here is some other information about my tank:

· It has been set up for over 3 years and is approx. 100 litres. I normally do an approximately 20% water change once a week.
· Ammonia = 0, Nitrate = 0 (has been every time I’ve checked it during these problems)
· Temperature = approx. 25oC
· The filter is a Fluval 3plus and I use Fluval filtration in it. It is an internal filter.

It seems so difficult to diagnose fish problems, but yet it is so important!

I hope that some one might be able to offer some advice to save my lovely fishies.

Thanks very much,

Christina

 

[Christina]

Oh and the feather-fin catfish seems to be moving his gills faster than normal, but I could be imagining that as well.

 

[Devilishturtles]

· Ammonia = 0, Nitrate = 0 (has been every time I’ve checked it during these problems)

Are you sure you mean nitrAte, and not nitrIte? It is not common to have a nitrate reading of zero. With the symptoms you are describing, the first thing that popped into my head was ammonia issues, but you say your ammonia is 0. So, out of curiosity, how old is your test kit? Is it liquid, or a strip? Can you take it to a local store to get it tested professionally?

Treating with antibiotics and some medications can alter your water chemistry, making even a fully cycled and established tank have an ammonia spike. This is why it is important you have a reliable test kit.

How long has it been since you have cleaned the fluval? Changed filter media? Rapid breathing and a loss of color can also be a oxygen deprivation issue, meaning that your filter is not working correctly.

 

[Kilgore]

Another thing to consider is that some catfish are very sensitive to medication, and it sounds like you have used at least two kinds. Not sure about Melafix, but does the other brand carry a warning about using it with catfish or "scaleless fishes?"

Also, a bacterial or fungal infection is often secondary to an injury or parasitic infestation. So you could try treating for that using something like QuickCure, or, if it's really bad, Clout, in addition to the Melafix. Definitely increase your aeration when using those medications and do not increase the temp above 80*F. If your temp is below 76, you might want to raise it to 76 or 78 over a 24-hour period. Some catfishes are particularly sensitive to these types of medications, so consider either moving him to another tank, or moving the sick fish to a hospital tank.

Before you do this, you may want to try removing the previous medication with activated carbon... maybe for 24 hours?

As an easier alternative you could try a medicated flake food - they have them for both bacterial and parasitic illnesses; I have no idea how well they work, although I imagine the latter would work quite well against internal parasites (but since your fish are having skin issues, that is not likely to be the issue).

Good luck and let us know how your fish fare.

 

[Christina]

Thanks for your replies.

Definately meant nitrite!

I use Interpet tablets for testing. Would take it to aquarium shop but they use the same means! Had it about a year, maybe more. Says on box is ok for more than 2 years. Though I have very little trust in all the water testing kits I have ever used as they never show more than 0 or a little over 0 for ammonia, even when cycling!

It's incredibly annoying; I do have a small tank that a couple of years ago did serve as a hospital tank (fine for platies, too small for catfish) that I could have put the fish that was first ill in, but now its constantly full of baby platies!

Myxanim meant to be suitable for all tropicals, but I might check at aquarium shop tomorrow that they haven't had problems with it with catfish.

Haven't changed my filter media in a while. VERY GOOD POINT! Usually change one half of it once a month.

Will get back to you all soon on what's going on and read your answers more thoroughly, I'm just going to change one half of the filter media (though it's going to be horrible as its going to be full of minute platies, and I can't save them by putting them in baby tank as I don't want to infect it!).

Thanks,

Christina

 

[Christina]

Is there anything else that can cause oxygen deprivation? Does oxygen get put in the water just by the filter bubbling, or what? Cos it seems to be bubbling fine (I've been cleaning the equipment regularly, but I'd just not changed the filter material in a while, I'd just been cleaning it in tank water), but I'm not sure what else its meant to do.

Skabba (the catfish) took back his place by the filter as soon as I put in back in. Hmm.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Is there anything else that can cause oxygen deprivation? Does oxygen get put in the water just by the filter bubbling, or what? Cos it seems to be bubbling fine (I've been cleaning the equipment regularly, but I'd just not changed the filter material in a while, I'd just been cleaning it in tank water), but I'm not sure what else its meant to do.

Pretty much. But waterflow is sometimes reduced by alot with a clogged filter. This more than likely isn't your problem, but it could be a factor. Oxygen deprivation can also occur when the temperature of the water raises too high, beause warm water holds less oxygen than cold water.

Is there no other brand of test kit that you can get? I don't know the brands in the UK, else I'd try and advise an alternative for you. With your tank being set up for over 3 years, it is likely that you have no ammonia anyways, but it never hurts to check.

Another possible cause could be temperature flucuations. Check the temperature at multiple times throughout the day. Is it the same? Different? I assume you are running a heater on your tank.

Keep us updated.

 

[Christina]

Even though the medication was meant to be alright for catfish, I stopped using it the day before yesterday because I was worried about the effect it was having on my catfish.

But he was dead this morning. It's very sad. He had years left in him; apparantly his type can live for 20 years. It's the worst fish to pass away; he makes the tank.

I may be completely wrong, but I'm sort of blaming the medication. It just seems strange that the other fish get ill then he's the first one that dies out of them.
That or an internal bacterial infection, I suppose. Unless there was something with the water, but I think I ruled that out.

Now I don't know what to do with the tank RE: treating them. I'm worried about my loach. I've only caught glimses of him over the last week or so, so I don't know how he is, but worry that if the catfish was affected by the medication or by something, he might be too. Then I wouldnt have any of my members of the old school.

 

[Zagz]

Sorry for your loss. If you are concerned about the medication and your loach, do a water change and add some fresh carbon to your filter as soon as you can. That will remove the remaining medication from the water.

 

[Christina]

I already put in a carbon filter the night before the catfish died.

All my fish are really lethargic and hiding. As I've said, I've only a glimpse of the loach in the last week and that was yesterday when I was hoovering the tank and accidentally knocked his cave and he went streaking across the tank to another hiding place.

It's so worrying. And I'm really not sure what to do. I could put in a medicine that I have that is meant to cure internal bacteria infections, but I'm not sure if it is even that. The stress! Whoever said fish tanks are relaxing?!

 

[Devilishturtles]

Try doing some water changes. Once a day atleast. Are the fish still eating? If so, try a medicated food for them to eat.

Otherwise, are they looking ok externally? No ragged fins? Thin or Bulging?