mycobacterium Questions

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Flossie

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
1,906
Location
Tx
Ok guys i'm just going to assume i'm dealing with fish TB. I have NO IDEA what to do or where to go. I know everyone says euthanize everything and start over but it's hard for me to kill fish that don't seem to sick. My worst fear is that I only have one Water changer and I've shared it between all my tanks (in the past )... I have 6 aquariums with fish. I stopped sharing once I noticed sickness and bleached the hose. Last time I bleached and used alcohol.

I can't stand not knowing what i"m dealing with but I CANNOT afford a 75 dollar necropsy. I'm concerned for my health, my dogs and my other fish. Anyone have any kind of advice to help me know for certain and what step I need to take next? I'm really freakin out here. What if all my tanks are infected and its just not showed up yet? How do i deal with this?

}back story here{
I have come to the conclusion my danios are they carriers for this disease because...

I had purchased 6 zebra danios for my community tank... ( i noticed the danios sick first ) now i have an angel not eating.

2 zebra danios for dithers for a rummynose tank
( one of these started showing the same symptoms ) I removed them before either died in the tank.

I am down to 3 zebra danios out of 8 ( sadly i don't care about them so much i just need this to be over. ):banghead:

I moved some shrimp from my community tank to my betta tank so I could treat the tank with meds ( could the shrimp have carried it to my betta?)

I have treated with parasite clear, salt and also 100% metro. The angel did seem to improve a little not hanging near the surface near as much and started to show a little more intrest in food but none have an aggressive appetite like they should. The owner of a LFS that has been around here for over 50yrs told me that danios are spawned and raised in ponds and are full of parasites. AM I dealing with a VERY Difficult parasite? I don't know... :banghead:
I now have 2 angels and 2 rams. One angel is not eating and sometimes jerks and twitches , one is spitting food but acting more normal scavanging and swimming around, coming to the top for food. The rams seem pretty normal im not quiet sure how they are eating... they stay on the bottom alot. The rams still sift through sand and chase each other. They have white stringy poo which seemed to get better with treatment of metro but it seems to come and go. I'm trying to treat the food but they don't act like they like it...

I would love to cure them but i'm mostly concerned about the spread and me and my dogs. I have very sensitive hands which are OFTEN cracked and I also fear my dogs may get licking happy around my fish supplies lol
I know this is a long shot cause i've posted other threads before but Im' still kind of a newbie and I had to euthanize fish that are maybe being treated for the wrong thing and just need a different treatment... or I hate to keep them and all my other fish catch it. HAS ANYONE experienced MYCOBACTERIUM???I need HELP pleaaaaaaaaase!!
 
Tuberculos - Mycobacteriosis
Syn: fish tuberculosis, piscine tuberculosis, acid-fast disease, granuloma disease.
Symptoms: Emaciation, hollow belly, possibly sores.
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium piscium. Fish infected with tuberculosis may become lethargic, hollow bellied, pale, show skin ulcers and frayed fins, have fin and scale loss, and loss of appetite. Yellowish or darker nodules may appear on the eyes or body and may deform the fish.
The main causes for this disease appears to be over crowding in unkempt conditions; ie. poor water quality. All fish species could be susceptible though some are more susceptible than others. Those most susceptible are the labyrinth air breathers like the Gouramis, Bettas, and Paradise Fish. Others include Neon Tetras, Discus, and the Ram Cichlid.

  • There is no absolute treatment. However the most effective treatment known for this disease is to treat with Kanamycin and Vitamin B-6 for 30 days. Kanamycin can be purchased at your local fish store. Liquid baby vitamins work well as s Vitamin B-6 source. They are available at your local pharmacy. Add one drop per every 5 gallons of aquarium water during treatment.
  • If the treatment is ineffective, the best thing to do is destroy the infected fish.
  • If either unkempt conditions or over crowding are the suspected cause, correct the condition.
It is possible for humans to contract this disease so we recommend using caution when dealing with it. Humans are very rarely are at risk from aquariums though. It is more common to contract this disease from public swimming areas or as a food contaminant.


Fish Disease and Treatment
 
Oh Flossie!!! I wish i knew what to do & what exactly your dealing with!!! Either try the kanamycin (kanaplex brand name) which will not be cheap or get the necropsy done so you know once and for all what is going on! I dont see any other options..... :( :( :(
 
Oh Flossie!!! I wish i knew what to do & what exactly your dealing with!!! Either try the kanamycin (kanaplex brand name) which will not be cheap or get the necropsy done so you know once and for all what is going on! I dont see any other options..... :( :( :(


Thank you JIK! I guess I just keep hoping someone will be like "oh that's so and so... no problem..." LOL GRRR :banghead:
 
Ok Flossie! I want you to make some phone calls & do some more research! Both Texas State & Texas A & M have marine bio/aquatics departments that may be able to help-call & explain whats going on. Heres a few #'s to start with : Walter Rast 512-245-3554, Timothy Bonner 512-245-3549 (they r both directors of aquatics/biology at Tx AM) OR try here: Dr Andrew Kane (aquatic pathobiology center/U of MD) 301-314-6808. Dont have a number for Tx St, but im sure you can find one!
 
jlk said:
Ok Flossie! I want you to make some phone calls & do some more research! Both Texas State & Texas A & M have marine bio/aquatics departments that may be able to help-call & explain whats going on. Heres a few #'s to start with : Walter Rast 512-245-3554, Timothy Bonner 512-245-3549 (they r both directors of aquatics/biology at Tx AM) OR try here: Dr Andrew Kane (aquatic pathobiology center/U of MD) 301-314-6808. Dont have a number for Tx St, but im sure you can find one!

Those are kinda to far for me but I did call TCU and I sent an Email to the UNT biology department.... :(
 

Here's the danios. U can see how thin they are but one is bloated?? None are eating


Here's the angels the koi looking one is the one that is so sick :((
 
Maybe you should use rubber gloves when messing with your aquariums. Sorry you are going through all this.
 
Hholly said:
Maybe you should use rubber gloves when messing with your aquariums. Sorry you are going through all this.

Yeah I'm being extra careful just incase. Wearing rubber gloves and using bleach followed by alcohol on anything I use or come in contact with it. Thank u :(
 
So I've decided I love my tanks and the hobby to much to give up. I'm going to try and talk to a vet Sunday when I'm taking my dogs for shots. I have a good feelin it's not myco ( i will still be careful and cautious) and I'm going to keep trying! U guys tell me I'm not crazy lol!! I'm going to tell myself it is not
( while being cautious ) and try and relax and know that I'm doing my best to save these little guys. Wish me luck!!
 
Back
Top Bottom