Never-ending sickness?

[PlatyLady]

Hi all, I'm new here, and thought I'd ask for some help. I bought a male and female platy seven months ago, and an oto shortly after. All was well, and we were quite happy. Four months ago, they had their first babies and one survived. Last month, I found another three babies.

Just days afterward, the father died. I had just come back from vacation and noticed he looked quite tired, and he looked like he was peeling (you know how we peel after a sunburn? that's what he looked like). Then, the mother started acting funny - hiding, not eating very much, and her poop was white. I set her up in quarantine, and the LFS recommended Melafix daily. Eventually she was back to normal and I put her back in her home. THEN, I noticed teeny white things crawling all over the glass inside of the tank (it looked like dust, but moving in all directions). LFS said to treat for parasites. They sold me some Quick Cure and Maracide. So, out the fish go into quarantine tanks, and the main tank was cleaned like crazy! A week later, the fish were all behaving normally and looked fine, so back in they go.

Last week, two of the 3 new babies died. Today, my female (poor, poor Ethel) has what looks like a grain of salt on her tail. I'm assuming now that this is ick. Her behaviour hasn't changed, and she is eating normally. What can I do to get her healthy again? And how do I ensure that the other fish (2 platies and an oto) don't also get sick? Water parameters are fine, and I don't have any live plants.

Sad and frustrated....

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya and welcome to Aquariumadvice Platylady.

Urk! What a time both you AND the fish are having

First and foremost, you need to get us your water parameters; ammonia/nitrite/nitrates/pH/temp levels specifically. Poor water parameters is the number one stressor of fish, and stress means a depressed immune system which opens the door to disease. Any measureable ammonia or nitrite could be a cause. If its not water parameters, we need to figure out what IS stressing the fish, as thats most likely the root of all the illness.

Next lets deal specifically with the white spot. I just wrote an entire article on ich LOL and of course its in the editing stage and not up yet. Best thing I think is to send you to MY fav ich site; it explains what ich is, and what to do about it: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/fish/notes_ich.html There are a number of treatments; you'll need to read thru them to decide which will work best for your tank. I personally have only used the salt and the high temps treatments; both were highly successful and all my fish survived and continue to do well.

Do me a favor and smack the lfs folks for me. Those tiny white things in your tank were nematodes or planaria. Both are harmless, and just a sign of a lot of extra nutrients in the tank. There was no need to put all those chemicals in your tank when frequent gravel vaccumings and a decrease in feedings would have probably cleared them up. Theres a good chance those chemicals killed your nitrifying bacterial colony as well, which could be the precursor to the current issues.

Lastly, do know I happen to think Melafix is great for minor finrot/minor injury (some folks feel its useless). But, it really doesn't do much for anything else in my experience. Keep a very close eye on the mom; usually white poop means internal parasites, and Melafix will not kill them off.

 

[PlatyLady]

Thanks for the welcome, Allivymar.

I just did all my little tests, and found no ammonia. Tests for nitrite and nitrates were either completely colorless or close to it. pH = 7.4. Temp = 82. How does that all sound to you? LFS says that's ok.

It's been two days, and I still have a white dot on the mom. I've been treating with Quick Cure. Is it harmful to also use the Maracide? How long does it take for the white dot to come off, and does she really need to be quarantined again?

Thanks so much!

 

[cindywindy]

Platylady,

First of all, I'm sorry for your losses. I know this must be frustrating for you, but don't give up. We can help.

IMO it is never a good idea to mix medications. Since you have already started the course of Quick Cure, I would see it thru to completion and then do a large water change, taking care to vacuum the substrate thoroughly. At the end of the medication regimen if you are not sure you have eradicated the parasite, then feel free to continue it for a few more days. It is very important to eliminate the entire disease, as it only takes one remaining ich parasite to start the cycle all over again.

Given the history of illnesses that you have contended with since the setup of this tank, dare I suggest that you might want to reevaluate your tank maintenance routine so that you can be sure that you are doing everything you can to stave off diseases. I only say this, because 99% of all fish diseases can be traced back to water quality. Are you doing weekly or bi-weekly 30-40% water changes, vacuuming the substrate each and every time ? Are you feeding your fish a healthy, varied diet to keep their immune systems strong ? Are there stressors in their environment ? Changing or rinsing filter media on a regular basis ?

The answers to these questions might lead you to the cause of the tough time you and your fish are experiencing.

 

[PlatyLady]

Hi cindywindy,
I agree, it must be time to maintain the tank better. In the past, I'd been doing my water changes on a monthly basis only, but testing the water weekly. I feed my fish flake and freeze-dried food. I do not have a schedule to change the filter media or vaccuum the substrate - I usually just do this when they begin to look like they need it. What do you suggest? It's a 10 gal tank, and normally looks clean, except for the nematodes/planaria incident - other than that, it's just the poop that I vaccuum up.

Thanks!

 

[cindywindy]

Platy,

I would definitely do water maintenance more often than once a month. I would recommend weekly 30-40% water changes, every 2 weeks at the longest of 40-50%. Be sure to vacuum the substrate each and every time. The reason for this is because waste accumulates in the substrate and becomes a breeding ground for these types of diseases, so you'll want to go down deep into your substrate, move it around a bit, and eliminate any debris you can find as much as possible.

If you have a cartridge or sponges in your filter compartment you will want to remove these and rinse them vigorously in a bucket of dechlorinated water to remove all the detritus and waste products from it, then put it back in. If you change these altogether, you are taking the chance of eliminating your healthy, beneficial bacteria and then you will have to start from scratch with your colonization, putting your fish at risk in the interim.

 

[PlatyLady]

Okay, just vaccuumed the substrate tonight! The white spot on Ethel has disappeared, and I don't see any more on her or my other fish. I will continue to treat for a few more days though, just in case...

I have to say though, that it was difficult to vaccuum extremely thoroughly without changing more than 50% of the water. I hope it doesn't hurt that it was probably more than 50% water change.

 

[cindywindy]

Hi, Platy !

It won't hurt as long as the pH of the tank water and the pH of your tap were relatively close. I routinely do at least 60% water changes every one to two weeks in all my tanks and they not only provide clean water for my fish, but the fish show they love it by becoming more colorful and more active for hours afterwards. Never worry about water changes ... they are never a bad thing !

I'm very happy to hear that the white spot has disappeared, you were very smart to take action before it became a bigger problem for you ! Indeed continue the medication even after you are certain the parasite has been completely eliminated, because it only takes one parasite to reinfest your tank.