Should I Euthanize my remaining fish??????

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amyb_70

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Please help or give me suggestions, I started a thread not long ago but now its worse.. The aquarium i am having issues with is a 20 gal long. Water has been tested and is good 0 ammonia, the nitrates and nitrites are 0 and .20, PH is normal, GH normal. I cant give exact numbers. Last week my heater and filter both died in the same night, since then my tank has been awful morbid, although the perimeters are staying the same, i have lost almost all of my fish. I know they dont have ich, i had a cory cat who was swimming in the middle of the tank frantically the other day, as he zipped by me i saw a white fuzzy (looked like mold but white) spot under his fin. As i said i have lost many fish 2 cory cats, 3 balloon mollies, 2 black mollies, about 6 guppies so far... I know this seems like a lot for the size but they were all very young fish, i now have some guppy/endler fry, 3 oto, and very young guppies and endlers in the tank (the fry seem to be doing the best). I have not seen any white patches on any other fish, what is happening is they have all lost color, they look to be a grayish clear color, some w/ a hint of what they should be, also all are flashing with the exception of the few fry that i have. my question is should i euthanize them or try and save them by putting them in a bucket w/ an airstone? I have been treating with melafix for 5 days so far and have seen no change for the better. What I am thinking I should do is move them to the bucket w/ 75% of their water, and 25 % of fresh tap water. Then breaking down and cleaning the entire tank that is currently running. It seems the out come will end with all deaths, the otos are looking really bad and i dont know what to do.... I went to the LFS where theres a girl who knows a little but she just said use the melafix and do 20 % WC after the 10 days.. What do you think i should do? I dont have any pictures as you probably wouldnt be able to even see the fish.
 
Melafix and pimafix are moreow spectrum stuff and only works when you catch something super early or as a precautionary thing if a fish tears a fin.

Did you replace the filter and heater?

Pictures would help too. White fuzz sounds like it could be fin rot. Also dying fish can cause ammonia so there could be a spike (after you checked it more died)


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Also if you do clean everything you will most likely need to cycle the tank again. It will remove most of the bb


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yes i did get a new filter and heater the next day, but it was probably 24 hours they went without either. I dont see how 1 day would or could cause such a problem. I have been getting the water tested every other day and the perimeters are the same, i guess thats a good sign. Although i have had allot die there were only 2 who were in there for a period of time. I walk by this fish tank at least 100 x a day, not that there is a problem everytime i walk by i am looking for floaters. Sounds like your saying im in a catch 22 position here, the problem has probably been there for a while, but if i clean everything i have to cycle again, if i dont who knows,. Am i correct in understanding that you dont feel the melafix will be much help as i didnt catch the problem early on?
 
I don't think so unfortunately. I would look up both fin rot and columnaris and see if the pics/descriptions match either of those.

Is it possible to get pics of the ones with the fuzz?


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Photos of my sick fish

Took couple pictures this is the best i can get.... Folks help out here, i want to help these little guys.
 

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I don't think so unfortunately. I would look up both fin rot and columnaris and see if the pics/descriptions match either of those.

Is it possible to get pics of the ones with the fuzz?


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there was only 1 with the white fuzz and he died 2 days ago... i did add pictures for you and i'll look up the things you suggested.. thank you.
 
Hmmm yeah the more I read about both I think columnaris is more likely than tb. I would hold off in euthanising for now - maybe just keep up on the waster changes and I would continue melafix as it might keep whatever it is "at bay" until you can figure out more.


Hopefully someone else will chime in with idea/thoughts


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http://www.torrens.org.uk/NatHist/Aqua/disease/tb.html


That talks about tb. The list of fish most likely to get it don't include guppies. And it talks about wafting away and black spots.


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well took your advise and looked up columnaris, the photos look just like the one that i saw it on... so now i am going to read up on it and see if there is anything i can do to save some of fish.
 
I know your in quite the situation, but I'd like you to help me out here. Have you added any new fish since your first deaths ? When your filter quit, did you use the old media from the old filter or all new stuff ? Did you add any new fish since then ? In your first post you listed ammo at 0 and nitrates and nitrites at 0 and 20. Is it possibly that you mixed these two up, as it should be the opposite. Also, now that you've got a new heater, what's the temp ? Also, what's the most fish that you've had at one time all at once, and how many are there now ?


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Columnaris would definitely need antibiotics. Gram negative I believe- but I would double check.


It's often because of bad water parameters and/or being over stocked from what I have read. Or it might have came in with a new fish


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Angela, what is it with you and fish TB? That is very rare, but everytime i read one of your post your telling people its fish TB?
This is a flexibacter columnaris infections and she probebly would be better off tearing everything down and cleaning it and starting over.
In the future have PROPER medicine on hand to treat this, i love guppies and i can help you amy. You need a few meds on hand with guppies. I would rather tell them to you in a PM than post something here for others to argue about, but ill give you the quick version. basically you need something called "Rid Ich Plus" which will control fungus and parasites, if you cant find that look for something called "Fungus cure" which will have listed on the ingredients Nitrofurazone, an antibiotic/antimicrobial (fungus/mold) Then your gonna go look at a fish store for an antibiotic called Kanamycin, or "kanaplex". Now i know people are gonna say 'hes just telling you to buy a bunch of chemicals" but by looking at your fish, their being eatin alive by bacteria and its very stubborn and hard to get rid of, so their as good as dead, get the 3 meds for the next fish you get, so if it comes back, as it probably will with new pet store fish, you will be prepared.
Kanaplex- Antibiotic
Rid Ich plus- parasites/fungal
Fungus Cure/Nitrofurazone- Antimicrobal/mold/fungus

Without certain meds you just cannot raise fish. people that advise others about water quality so much they just end up confusing them and im getting a little tired of it. The only thing you need to worry about water wise is ammonia and temperature, the other things like GH KH nitrates, they will be fine and adapt to your water, theres really no point of doing anything other than PWC too keep ammonia low and bioload not to high, not too low.
 
Me? I've never suggest fish TB. She had mentioned it and I was telling her I didn't think it was fish tb. I in fact told her that I thought it was columnaris


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Also... Please let me know where I have posted suggesting TB. I think you are mixing me up with someone else


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Ok back to OP, what do you suggest or feel is the better option for me in this situation? I'm getting ready to move the fish in a bucket and break the tank down.


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Well, your endlers are supposed to look gray where they have no color. Just wanted to point that out. But I agree with the meds and you could raise the temperature to like 82-85 degrees Fahrenheit


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I have raised the temp is at 82F, you know the area where the male endless have the metallic color, we'll that has faded substantially. Where the tail fin was clear and green stripe at the top and bottom it is now all clear, the metallic has become very full and light, no longer shiny and vibrant. I agree with the female yup can't tell. Another example I had a sunshine yellow guppy who's body is extremely light and the tail fin is now pastel not bright sun shine like. I'm really at a loss and not sure of the best way to handle this. As I approach the end of the medication cycle and still see no improvement. Just a bunch of blah stagnant fish, with the exception right before they die they swim super fast and crazy. My Cory's we're swimming in the middle super fast soon before they died, that's odd behavior. Right?


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It is, and I would recommend some aquarium salt. I use that to treat my guppies when they get sick


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