Sick angelfish please help :(

[Punkrkgrl]

I recently bought 4 young angelfish, 2 of them have died, the last 2 are hanging at the top, not eating, do not appear to be gasping just kinda bobbing at the top (not straight up and down or anything )

My tank is a 55gallon that has been established for a few months. Ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = 20ppm, ph is neutral. (I use a liquid test kit not strips)

I have a bio wheel 350 filter.

There are other fish in the tank who have been there for a couple months which include 3 juvenile angels, 4 cories about 2inches each, 2 dwarf gouramis, 4 zebra danios. All of them are fine and show no symptoms of anything so this seems to be a problem that is effecting only the 4 new angelfish I added last Saturday.

I have dropped the water level down to get more oxygen in the water and that didn't seem to make any difference.

I did a pwc of about 10-15% the other day and added a bit of aquarium salt. Still no improvement.

I test the water twice a week and I do a partial change at least once a week sometimes twice depending on the nitrate level, I use seachem prime and I only vacuum part of the gravel about once a month.

I really don't know what's going in with these fish the first one to die was a tiny black marble veil tail who was swimming about and eating with the rest of the fish the night before. The second one to go had no visible trauma, signs of fungus etc but was hiding a lot then suddenly started swimming in circles then upside down but was still breathing normally etc I moved him to a breeder box because the other fish were nipping him while he was whirling about he was feisty when I netted him into the box but just couldn't swim properly by the time I got up this morning he had passed I have 2 of these fish left a koi angel and a blue blushing. They are simply beautiful fish and I really want to save them. I also do not want my other fish to fall ill. I'm afraid to just start treating for everything without having any clue what's causing these guys to fall ill.

Currently the last 2 Angels from Saturdays purchase are at the back of the tank hanging near the top, not gasping, just hanging, they are not eating. They both were eating yesterday and the small blue blushing was swimming about with the other angels just as normal as could be yesterday.

The meds I have in hand are metronidazole laced food, seachem paraguard, melafix, pimafix, tetra parasite guard tablets. I have never used any of these meds I simply keep all of this on hand just in case (I'm sure that sounds completely crazy) better to be safe than sorry right?

If anyone has any idea what could be going in please help me I'm terribly scared that whatever this is could easily start effecting my other fish and slowly wipe them out and I simply can't figure out what's going on

 

[Punkrkgrl]

Edit: the koi angel does not seem to be able to swim down from the top.

 

[BillD]

Sounds like they may have been infected when you bought them. I have lost more than a few angels over the years, to what is called Angel AIDS (for lack of a better term), where they have no symptoms other than they stop eating, and eventually one day they are dead. They usually will sit in a corner, and not move around normally, but otherwise look fine. Nothing I have tried has ever worked to cure the problem. I also don't know if the problem has been identified, although the suspicion was, when it wiped out huge numbers of angel stocks a number of years ago, that it was viral in nature, which makes it uncurable.

 

[Wiggles24]

I recently bought 4 young angelfish, 2 of them have died, the last 2 are hanging at the top, not eating, do not appear to be gasping just kinda bobbing at the top (not straight up and down or anything )

My tank is a 55gallon that has been established for a few months. Ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = 20ppm, ph is neutral. (I use a liquid test kit not strips)

I have a bio wheel 350 filter.

There are other fish in the tank who have been there for a couple months which include 3 juvenile angels, 4 cories about 2inches each, 2 dwarf gouramis, 4 zebra danios. All of them are fine and show no symptoms of anything so this seems to be a problem that is effecting only the 4 new angelfish I added last Saturday.

I have dropped the water level down to get more oxygen in the water and that didn't seem to make any difference.

I did a pwc of about 10-15% the other day and added a bit of aquarium salt. Still no improvement.

I test the water twice a week and I do a partial change at least once a week sometimes twice depending on the nitrate level, I use seachem prime and I only vacuum part of the gravel about once a month.

I really don't know what's going in with these fish the first one to die was a tiny black marble veil tail who was swimming about and eating with the rest of the fish the night before. The second one to go had no visible trauma, signs of fungus etc but was hiding a lot then suddenly started swimming in circles then upside down but was still breathing normally etc I moved him to a breeder box because the other fish were nipping him while he was whirling about he was feisty when I netted him into the box but just couldn't swim properly by the time I got up this morning he had passed I have 2 of these fish left a koi angel and a blue blushing. They are simply beautiful fish and I really want to save them. I also do not want my other fish to fall ill. I'm afraid to just start treating for everything without having any clue what's causing these guys to fall ill.

Currently the last 2 Angels from Saturdays purchase are at the back of the tank hanging near the top, not gasping, just hanging, they are not eating. They both were eating yesterday and the small blue blushing was swimming about with the other angels just as normal as could be yesterday.

The meds I have in hand are metronidazole laced food, seachem paraguard, melafix, pimafix, tetra parasite guard tablets. I have never used any of these meds I simply keep all of this on hand just in case (I'm sure that sounds completely crazy) better to be safe than sorry right?

If anyone has any idea what could be going in please help me I'm terribly scared that whatever this is could easily start effecting my other fish and slowly wipe them out and I simply can't figure out what's going on

You are not crazy at all it's better to have meds on hand if needed then to have to panic about finding something if needed

 

[armymp327]

How did you acclimate these fish before putting them in the tank?

 

[Punkrkgrl]

How did you acclimate these fish before putting them in the tank?

As soon as I got them home I floated the bag in the tank after about 15 mins I removed some water from the bag and then added some water from the tank. I continued removing bag water and adding tank water every 15 mins for an hour. I then netted the fish from the bag and released them Into the tank.

Oh I also turned the lights off and fed my other fish right before doing all this. I left the lights off the better part of the day.


I added some salt to the tank yesterday (aquarium salt) and within a couple hours the koi angel was swimming down from the top don't know if it helped or was coincidental.

The koi angel was out swimming around this morning albeit slowly and cautiously, the little blue one was hiding in a decoration. They don't seem 100% but they do seem better than they did yesterday. Still no visible issue. I did notice one fish had stringy white poo trailing behind him don't know if this is a problem that could effect the other fish but I do know stringy white poo isn't normal.

 

[aquaplantfish]

I believe your tank is infected, (Bactria infection) it had happen to me also long time ago and I couldn't figure out what happen.

Reason could be:

-Cleaning glass with windex/glass cleaner
-using your local beach rock,wood, sand etc
-purchasing product from eBay that are 3ed party, no disrespect to eBay but some stuff are fake for example heater, that are made to harm.
-FILTER that are cleaned way to often and sometimes none at all

I did a few change and it's been 6 months and fishes look happy

Changes are:

-From HOB to eheim canister
- changed water conditioner
-cleaned everything in the tank with bowling water from stove with prime water conditioner
-vacuum gravel everything
-buy fish from another location that are clean

 

[MurderComplication]

Here's my idea. I have 3 angles in my 55g as well - so hopefully I'll be of some assistance. Do you know what pH you have? Angels like slightly acidic water - 6.8. I would try live blood worms. When I got my 1st angel, she wouldn't get ANYTHING I gave her, now she's the biggest and gobbles everything down since I gave her those blood worms first. Frozen should be fine if you can't find live.

I also agree that it may be bacterial. I would try a 75% water change. When you clean your filter media - wash it in the tank water you JUST took out during your cleaning. Do you have any live plants? I would add as many as you can to the back of the tank, and a few in the front and middle.

On a personal note - I would add in another Gourami or two, since in the future they may pick on each other for dominance.

 

[Punkrkgrl]

Frozen bloodworm, sounds completely disgusting but if the fish may eat it I will get some tomorrow lol

Well the ph is usually right about 7 and while I've read angels prefer acidic water I've also read several things saying never to mess with the ph, that most angelfish are pretty adaptable and that its more important to keep it at a consistent level than at the ideal number. So I've really avoided messing with ph. I assume to adjust the ph one would need some type of chemical? What's the best way to do this and will the other fish be ok with it?

I usually rinse the filter media in dirty tank water once a week when I do a pwc, though sometimes I pwc twice a week.

Won't removing everything and cleaning it kill so much of the bacteria that the tank could start to cycle again?
I usually clean up algae as needed and vac part of the gravel every few weeks to avoid destroying too much bacteria.

I don't actually have any live plants just plastic and decorations. I'd like to get some but I'm not sure if I'd need to change all the substrate as the bottom has gravel right now.

I've turned over all the water in the tank over the past 3 days would I still need to change that much water volume?

Ahh yes the dueling gouramis, Nostradamus and Nietzsche. I really wish the fish store would have said "no no get 3 not 2" because yes they fight luckily it only involves lining up beside each other and vibrating (for lack of a better word lol) they don't actually bite or nip and they only seem to do this when one enters the others personal space if they are in a neutral spot they are fine lol. Needless to say at least one more is on my list of fish to get.

 

[MurderComplication]

Bloodworms are like chocolate for angels >

I got my pH down - well my Mother did that for me while she was looking after my tank while I was gone to University. How she did it was to get the ammonia to spike, which surprisingly didn't kill any fish in my tank, by over feeding. When I got home and did a gravel vac.... the water came out red. I've been trying to get it up since the last time I was there it read 5.8.... ouch! My suggestion would to do smaller water changes? Since when you have a water quality problem - many people say DO NOT USE WATER ALTERING CHEMICALS! THEY DO MORE HARM THEN GOOD! So just doing water changes will help. I beleive the other fish in your tank would be okay with a slightly lower pH/ high pOH. The main thing in your tank with helpful chemicals is your filter and filter media.

GET LIVE PLANTS! I have two gravel tanks as well, and I have them crowded with live plants! The fish love it, it helps with pH//pOH, and algea control. As well, for angels and gourami's they need a lot of hiding places to keep out of the line of sight from the other angels and gourami's. Since they will fight their own kind for dominance.

Hmmm.... maybe keep a 15 - 25% pwc going, and if things don't clear up in a week or so - then 75%.

My fish store said that gourami's should be kept alone or in pairs since they like to mate - never trust a fish store unless they are reputable. Hence why I want a job at a petstore to help people pick out proper fish T_T. I love those names. Maybe a Mousalini, or a Splevachuck on the list of possible gourami names?

 

[Punkrkgrl]

Cool I had no idea I could have live plants in a gravel tank so I have tons of tacky plastic ones lol they have lots of places to hide but obviously not as nice as live plants but now that I know that's possible I'm gonna get some this weekend.

My angels have weird names too they are all named after game of thrones characters. Daenerys, viserys, khal drogo, arya, and cersei.

Mussolini is definitely going on the list of fish names lol

Strangely enough I noticed the 2 sick angels had some white stuff coming out of their mouths and their moths weren't completely closed like the other fish. At the fear that it could be cotton mouth or some fungus I decided to do another water change and add the pimafix and melafix just to be safe and a few hours later they seem to still be doing ok. Neither are hiding at the moment and they did both eat a little.
Hopefully whatever it is will be taken care of with the melafix, pimafix and salt. I hate to bust out actual antibiotics without knowing 100% what it is.

I'm looking into getting a couple small tanks to use as holding for new additions and quarantine so that I might prevent this kind of situation in the future.

 

[aquaplantfish]

Cool I had no idea I could have live plants in a gravel tank so I have tons of tacky plastic ones lol they have lots of places to hide but obviously not as nice as live plants but now that I know that's possible I'm gonna get some this weekend.

My angels have weird names too they are all named after game of thrones characters. Daenerys, viserys, khal drogo, arya, and cersei.

Mussolini is definitely going on the list of fish names lol

Strangely enough I noticed the 2 sick angels had some white stuff coming out of their mouths and their moths weren't completely closed like the other fish. At the fear that it could be cotton mouth or some fungus I decided to do another water change and add the pimafix and melafix just to be safe and a few hours later they seem to still be doing ok. Neither are hiding at the moment and they did both eat a little.
Hopefully whatever it is will be taken care of with the melafix, pimafix and salt. I hate to bust out actual antibiotics without knowing 100% what it is.

I'm looking into getting a couple small tanks to use as holding for new additions and quarantine so that I might prevent this kind of situation in the future.

Ya easy to care plants

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet-sup...ock/live-aquarium-plants&ea_a=Difficulty:Easy