What is wrong with my angelfish?

[Kelly5978]

Update on angels

All of them are still alive....somehow! I started slowly lowering the ph with RO/ tap water (with prime). Sparkle now looks like she has a white saddle on her back and a white line on her side (where the scales are not shiny above it.That and other symptoms have me pretty convinced its columnarus. I finally found a great site that said that the maracyns do NOT cure this, and as you said, messed up the bio system! Triple sulpha is supposed to work for mild cases. But furan2 (as mebbid suggested)and kanamycin are the only that will treat bad cases (and fish still might not make it! I ordered the 2 meds online (be here in 2 days) and am using triple sulpha until then with parasite guard that covers everything a little bit. Sparkle is swimming around a lot more (no hanging at the top) in spite of her appearance looking worse. All their poop is red/ brown again, so I'm praying the others (and hopefully sparkle too) pull through! I also bought a wonder shell and moss ball to help with hardness and putting electrolytes back into the water. Ammon/nitrites still 0. 0..keep letting me know any thoughts or suggestions?'
As for the 10 gallon, my gouramis scales on the sides by gills stand up a little, and every time I look, she's pooping white (like 8 times a dAy), and the tank looks awful! I got a algae eater, and am using the parasite guard and triple sulpha. Today his poop looks browner, and he seems seems a little better. One of the other fishes tail splitting like crazy, but hopefully they're improving too! Y

 

[Kelly5978]

First, i am finally viewing this thread from a computer, and now see why people felt ignored! im sorry. i wasnt seeing half of the comments. mebbid, i never got your detailed comment about the ph change probably being the cause, and the symptoms THAT DOOO match. Sparkle is still trying to fight this. So, maybe I was wrong about columnaris. I put a picture on my profile album "what's wrong with my angels" of him today. I thought columnaris because it looks like a white saddle on his back (and other matching symptoms). But, from this angle, it looks like his slime coat is "peeling off" from the top down, or he has too much slime everywhere but his head. Poor guy has his top fin clamped most of the time. He's swimming around better, but looks worse. Go figure! I'm trying to attach a pic to this comment. Does it show? And, Is this also a symptom of ph problems? I'm going to check out the links you nice folks sent, that I never got.

 

[Mebbid]

Haven't heard from you in a while and wondering if there is any good news regarding your fish.

 

[Kelly5978]

FOR ANYONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW MY SITUATION, I DO NOT NOT NOT ADVOCATE USING MEDS IN AN AQUARIUM UNLESS NECESSARY! my fidh probably wod have healed with heat/salt, but in my panic to help them, i started trying to diagnose and medicate....which just created more problems! i feel VERY lucky my fish are still swimming! ok...ghat said, Thanks for caring mebbid! All of my fishie friends are still alive! Your advise....furan2/parasite guard is what finally helped them! (Did triple sulpha before that....which was helping, but I had to go on vacation, so switched to the furan2, which knocked whatever it was right out of sparkle! First his top fin unclamped (I had forgotten how pretty he was!!!!), then he started checking out the tank (I added plants that go to the top as someone here suggested, then the red line, which outlined his/her body under the dorsal fin disappeared, and finally, yello stripe on the top of his head (he's golden marble) started getting its pigment back. He still looks a little white on the very top, but it doesn't look like his scales are falling off anymore. I bought 2 moss balls, and started using 20% RO 80% tap with prime, and got the ph to 7.9 again (moss balls are dupposed to put electrolytes back). I had a few scares last night (of course...as I am leaving for vacation today, and now I'll worry the whole time... ) but 1. Sparkle either developed a secondary fungal/bacterial issue, or he got injured. Through all if this medicine buying, and trying to fix him, they got bigger on me! Now, they're sti only quarter size....but they're getting little personalities and territories! So I really think the 2 nicks in his tail are bites, and the milky white surrounding it is tail trying to regrow, but I'm putting mela/Pima in go naturally assist for the 6 days I'm gone. I'm going to upgrade to 55 gallon, or get a 39 gallon for 2, and leave 2 in the angelfish heaven 20 gallon tank I've created (pretty proud of how it looks, will post pic in a min on profile). The other scare was I think a ph crash. I know I need to stop messing with RO water, but I'm afraid of peat, can't find driftwood, and just really feel like 8.4 is too high for them. Anyways, I put 50/50 in there ;wasn't thinking...they've been in and out of medicine for 2 weeks! So, they all started clamping. I top 1 gallon out and replaced with tap and prime only, and waited (crying of course). They seem great today! The tank is a tad cloudy (I put stability on the new sponge filter and carbon insert, because I'm scared of a mini-cycle while I'm gone...so I hope that's it. They just ate like piggies, and I'm praying they're alive when I return! Cross your fingers or say fishie prayers for them. Lol. As for the 10 gallon, it got covered in algae (while I waited for a week on new lights, and it's taken me a week (and the purchase of an algae eater) to get it any better. I've still done daily water changes (cleaning off the fake plants in boiling water), because there's always a little there. The 2 babies in the tank are eating all the algae, and pooping white! I hope it the algae...and not parasites or worms. In fact, they don't come after they just started coming after the flakes a few days ago, cause they've been so full of algae! It's that thin white string algae, and I hate it. I bought algae stuff, but was afraid it would hurt the algae eater to have none in there. The first few days with a light, I would change 50> of water, and it would be covered again in the morning. Now there are just a few strings on plants the next day. I'll probably have a lot of maintenance when I return, but I just need them alive! I don't mind hard work . The 10 gal still has very low nitrites (no matter how many times I change the water), but I used stability for 3 days, it's had it's carbon back in for 3 days, I put an ammo chip bag in the filter and used amquel plus and novaqua ;heard it protects longer than prime) in hopes that no one dies before I get back. I can definitely say that no matter happens, I've done my best by these fish! Will update upon return !!!

 

[Mebbid]

I seriously suggest against the use of heat to take care of any bacterial infection. Bacteria tends to grow faster the closer it gets to about 90 degrees but the salt is a very good addition (I mentioned it a few times but I think it was one of the things you missed) But I am VERY glad that your fish are doing better.

Curious though, what kind of algae eater did you get for your 10g?

 

[Kelly5978]

Sorry. Was just saying people shouldn't use meds right off the bat, not knowing what they're doing! I missed ALOT of what you suggested unfortunately! I just didn't want someone like me, to google a problem, see my med post, and try to fix things as I did. I definitely took the long harder road! Uh, I don't know what kind of algae eater, but I got one for both tanks....(oh pls don't tell me I screwed up again)... I will attach utube in a min. They're back and white, look cool when raise fin.

 

[Kelly5978]

This is the 20 gallon
Kelly's 20 gallon after sparkle recovery! - YouTube
It looks like they clamp top fin a little, but it's actually where the filter creates a slight current. They seem to like going through it! It's cute.... They all sleep in their own spots. They're getting too big though. Upgrade in 1 week

 

[Kelly5978]

My videos look great, but utube chops em. You can barely see the algae eater, but here goes...
Algae eater...and algae - YouTube
Anyhow, it's like off white spotted. Has two side fins on each side, and a pretty top one. He's usually very active....sleeping??? I know they get big....but really am getting big tank upon return. Already picked it out. And also, the clump of white on the pink bush is new. The algae has never clumped before???? I'm leaving in like 10 min. If I should worry, give me a heads up.

 

[Mebbid]

That's a pleco, hes just a wee little guy Im not sure what type he is but a bristlenose pleco is one of the smaller ones that are recommended to have in a 30g tank minimum, a 20g tank can be done but it's pushing it. However, if he is a common pleco they can get 1 - 2 ft long and need a much much larger tank. If you want an algae eater for a 10g tank i would suggest going with either Nerite snails or Oto cats. As for the white growth, I am not sure what it is but I would just siphon it out of the tank.

That is a pic of one of my BN plecos. He is about 3" long and still growing atm.

 

[Wiggles24]

That looks like a common to me.

 

[Kelly5978]

Yeah...they were only a buck at the Lfs. I really just got em cause of the white algae in 10 gal....which is a lot better since he got in, and the Lfs talked me into one for the 20...saying they'll keep the tank from getting like that. Can I put both of them in a 55? With 2-4 angels? Or, keep the smallest in a 20 with 2 angels, and the biggest in the 55 with the other 2? Also, is it cruel to keep 1 angel BABY NOW in a 10 gallon? I'm asking if an angel (even by itself) will need at least 20 gallon once he gets bigger? I guess my plan is to move the 4 angels and 1 pleco to the 55, and the baby angel...if he makes it... To the 20. Maybe even get a few Cory cats for the 55. Or, is that too much with the pleco? Sorry...you know me...too many questions. Lol. Just want them happy, healthy and in the correct home! If I have any more serious issues, I will get my butt to a computer, so I don't miss sound advice that would save me time effort, and frankly fish. Cute little guy mebbid! Mine are less than an inch right now. How fast do they grow?