Internal infection and bent spines

[Apocalypse_Gold]

I'll start with my more recent problem. I have a bunch of young guppies (2-4 months). One of the females' flesh is turning white. It started as a few small spots that grew as she did. The white areas are opaque while the rest is kind of clear. I don't know if this could have any connection to my other nightmare, the bent spines. I've had this problem with both guppy and platy fry. Some of the fry mature just fine but the ones with the bent backs never get very large before they die. I've been told that this could be TB but if it is then I've had it for two and a half years and I have had many fish lead long healthy lives. I've treated other infections with various antibiotics but nothing has helped this. :?

 

[Maillis]

The bent spines thing is actually normal....well not normal but nothing to worry about anyways. Many people experience this with fish fry. I'm pretty sure it's just a birth defect that is made more common due to (selective) inbreeding.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

I don't know if it would be from inbreeding because the parent fish were different varieties bought at different stores. What would be an expected percentage if this was the cause? I'm running 30-50% of each brood (and 100% of the latest brood of only one blue platy)

 

[Menagerie]

As for the bent spines, that comes from the selective breeding generations of fish ago. Most aquarium fish that appear healthy probably have a few recessive bad genes and they will be expressed on occasion.

The white spots grow with the fish? Do they ever get larger, or change color ?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

The white spot are growing faster than the fish and one of the spots along its back appears to bulge slightly. The spots have always been white. They are more concentrated in the cadual region, or at least they are easier to see there. The affected fish is slightly listless but still eats well.

 

[Menagerie]

Only one fish is affected?
Try looking through these sites:
http://www.aquatronicsonline.com/hobbyist/hobbyist3.htm
http://www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#ich
http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health.htm

Right now, I have no idea :?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

It was only one fish, but one of her tankmates has a few of the spots now too. The first looks almost leprous now. 8O

 

[Menagerie]

Ew, not a good sign--some sort of contagious disease or parasites. Did any of the links I gave you shed light on the problem?
BTW, what are your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?

 

[OscarLivingston]

The bent spines could be TB but that is unlikely being that it is not highly contageous, so it could be from inbreeding. Even if the guppys are bought at different stores due to exsessive breeding many guppys bought at stores are not even able to breed. I have never had this problem however. For the parasites try something with Formalite in it or Malachite green you can get a combination of both in a product called Quick cure.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

I didn't find anthing that really matched my malady. BTW, my ph is 7.6, ammonia is at 0, nitrite is 0. I don't have a nitrate test kit. I should get one.

 

[Menagerie]

Is the fish still healthy? Will you be starting to medicate soon (I just read your BS and meds thread)?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

Well she was swimming around just fine and eating normally yesterday morning, and was dead when I got home from work. A few of the other fish are starting to look the same so I was going to buy some meds this afternoon.

 

[Menagerie]

I am so sorry to hear that. Please keep this thread updated and we will try to help as much as we can.

 

[oscarbreeder]

I really hate to hear someone has lost a fish..

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

I was feeding my fish last night and realized that the dead fish wasn't the one I thought it was. She is still alive. I have no idea what killed the other fish. My ghost shrimp had picked over it quite a bit. I started treating with formalite III last night.

 

[Menagerie]

Hopefully, it was nothing tank related and it was just that fish's time.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

Okay, this time it was the fish that was sick that died, but another one that was not showing any symptoms was dead as well. I may have medicated too late. The remaining fish appear healthy.