a couple of guppys a bit off?

[pratishk]

Hi guys,

I have recently bought 5 guppies and two of them - their tails look a bit sad, and one of them keeps having stringy poo hanging out - see the pictures.

I am worried that it may be an illness - and as I have eleven guppies - want to make sure they all don't get anything.

They both seem to swim alright, although the smaller one is not as active:

first small fish:

second guppy:

 

[pratishk]

Did not follow the insturctions! Here are the Q&As:

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).

Two male guppies. Fins and tails are thin - they started like that - but assumed they would grow.
I have eleven guppies and one Electric Blue Ram in there. The two guppies have been in there for a week now.


2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)?

Please give exact values.
Temp: 25.5
pH: 7.8
Nitrate: 20ppm
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
this morning - before water change.


3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?

Fluval Edge 46L, set up for 7 weeks, first fish Danios added 4 weeks ago. Took the Danios out today and replaced with more male guppies.

4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.

Fluval edge standard filtration


5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?

eleven guppies and one electric blue ram

6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?

This morning, about 30% change. Change water once a week.

7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?

One week - climatised bag with temperature, then added aquarium water into bag then released fish into aquarium.

8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?

Today I added moss balls, and a new plant.

9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?

Usung Fluval flakes and veggie flakes.

 

[Matt68005]

Are they bloated?
Are they still eating?
Can you observe any body fungus or fin rot active?
Can you observe any red tiny worms from the anus?
Did the tails rot and then they had stringy poo or vise versa?

 

[pratishk]

Are they bloated?
Are they still eating?
Can you observe any body fungus or fin rot active?
Can you observe any red tiny worms from the anus?
Did the tails rot and then they had stringy poo or vise versa?

They are still eating. Don't seem bloated. No red poo.

Only noticed stringy poo on one of them, after the fin/tail rot.

Under the aquarium light they seem to have a bit of shine, but not sure if it is to do with the lighting.

 

[Matt68005]

Well, you live in the UK.... only thing i could really reccomend is plenty of water changes and maybe some salt.
You could try a small bottle of melafix and or primafix to help their tails regrow, be stingy with it because it is expensive stuff but useful if you have no other avaliable antiseptic chemicals.
Im not sure the meds they sell in the uk. I believe you can get the "fix's" as well as some kind of interpret no 9 antibiotic as well as prazipro. ALong with salt and clean water and warmth, it should be all the meds you need provided you choose fish wisely and do not buy sick ones or throw them together indescriminately.
Intersting stuff, finding diffrent meds or cures for fish ailments for you brits is always a good brain exercise for me!

 

[Caliban07]

+1 on the salt. Id use medication as a last resort. I've had success with waterlife products before now and mainly use those. It's just that there are that many to choose from its hard to get the right one.

Buy some aquarium salt and add two teaspoons per gallon of water to your next water change. See how you get on. After a few days you will need to go back to water changes without the salt. You can also try soaking food in aquarium salt then letting it dry to treat for internal parasites as white stringy poop seems to be indicative of these.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[pratishk]

Just read these, but already ordered in interpret no 5 and no 9. General Tonic and Anti internal bacteria (sorry pressed send!)





Shall I just use them or get some salt first?

 

[pratishk]

Apologies sent it twice

 

[Matt68005]

Shall I just use them or get some salt first?

Why not use them together with salt.

 

[pratishk]

So came home today, did a water test:
temp: 24C
pH: 7.4
Nitrate 40ppm - is that high??
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0

the small one is really really thin now and hardly moving - part of me wanted to euthanase him - to get him out of his misery... but will try to save him first!

so added the interpret no 9, Anti Internal bacteria.

Also gave them all bloodworm to eat as a treat - and hoping it means they take in some of the medicated water!

little one has totally disappeared under some drift wood/plants - cannot see him at all - hopefully he ate some of the bloodworm...

 

[FWFishTanks]

I would da a water change, and I would kepp doing them anyways to combat whatever is harming your fish

 

[pratishk]

couldn't save him...

so, came home all the fish seemed fine - except the little one...

couldn't find him anywhere... thought he was still hiding in the driftwood... kept an eye out for him...

sat down on my sofa and looked in from the back of the tank - and there he was dead, lying on the floor near one of the plants...

gutted. could not save him - I was so hoping the medicine would have worked...

so - just did a 50% water change - cleaned up all the uneaten blood worm, flakes, etc in the tank - added very warm water - so the temp is around 30C right now - hope that can help treat the fish and added some normal Fluval biological enhancer, waste remover and water conditioner as I usually do when I do a water change.

I won't do the second dose of the internal bacteria dose - as I was not meant to do a water change at all. What I may do is add the Interpret 5, general tonic after the next two water changes as a precaution?

I just don't want to stress them out anymore - and hoping the water change and the high water temperature will help kill some of the illness...

As for the second "ill" guppy - it is active so will keep an eye on him.

part of me now regrets buying those two - as they did not seem great when I first got them - sort of felt sorry for them - and I thought my tank would help them grow and get some nice fins/tails... next time I know - to always pick the healthiest I can find/get!

 

[Matt68005]

Without alot of meds (ones that actually work) your gonna have to be picky on which guppies you buy. Never by any guppy that does not look fat and healthy and swimming around alot. Then keep your tanks bare bottom and your water quality high, this along with salt and the right amount of BB not to little not too much, will prevent 90% of diseases. If any get sick with something, don't be afraid to cull. Guppies are just something you have to be prepared to euthanize if all does not seem right. Especially in a country were most meds are not legal.

 

[Matt68005]

You can buy clove oil at a health food store or fitness store, put a few drops in some water, stir and drop the guppy in. It sedates them after a few minutes. Then you drop them in some ice water for a few minutes. Its the best way to euthanize a sickly fish.