!!!!!emergency!!!!!!!

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Deathl death death.
The toilet bowl is now reeking of fish.
My fish are going belly up everyday day.
I bought two sick mollies. They had slightly raised scales that had a white fungus like patch under them. Than my balloon Molly's head turned white. I gave him salt bath treatments 4 times a day for 4 days. He seemed to get better than he was almost unable to move. I had to put him to sleep. On Tuesday I got fungus medicine, bacteria medicine, methanol green, formatyhde, and more salt. I basically bombed the tank. I gave salt baths to possibly sick fish.
It seemed to be working. 2 more fish died by Sunday. A Cory catfish and a guppy. I noticed a lot of my shrimp were dead too. Most Likly due to the medicine. Then I noticed my GIANT swordtail female had a worm like fuzz coming out of her gill. She was fine otherwise. I put her in ISO, she survived overnight. The next day (today) I left the room and came back and she was DEAD. I checked my tank. They were all fine. I went downstairs to eat dinner. Upon my return I found. Dead male swordtail. An hour goes by and suddenly my female Betta's face is a white fuzz. Please help me.

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.).
Betta, live bearer, Cory.

2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
0 ammonia, 0 nitrate, 15 nitrate. 7.4 PH, 76 F

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

40 gallons, cycled for 6 months.

4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
I am using a 40 gallon filter and a 10 gallon filter

5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
4 guppies, 2 swordtails, 2 female bettas, 2 Cory, 2 ottos, 5 molly fry.

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?
Yesterday, I removed 10 gallons. 25% of tamk water. I have sand not gravel. Last Tuesday I did a 75% water change

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

8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
New fish
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
I recently tried live brine shrimp. I give them lots of freeze dried foods, and flakes,

 

[TomCarter13]

It sounds like you have a parasites or gill flukes or a fungus break out?! If you can find some sort of anti parasite medicine and a deworming food then try that also use a anti fungal medicine to. But before Any of this i'd recommend Doing a 100% water change and give your filter a good clean with the new (dechlorinated) water because doing a water change like that will get rid of the disease in the main aquarium. Then add your fish into a quarantine tank and add your meds in there and also crank the heater up to 84-86 degrees because that will definitely help kill of any nasty bugs and then wait and see but otherwise im not sure :|
Hope this helps! And good luck
Tom

 

[Delapool]

From that description and speed possibly a bacterial infection - something like columnaris which you will need treatments for gram negative bacteria. Particularly if it was around the mouth, top fin and tail.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

(Not my work, this is from Dr Neale Monks)

Identification
Fungus consists of fine white threads known as hyphae that pass through organic material. These hyphae form distinctive patches on fish that resemble cotton wool.

Mouth fungus (sometimes called columnaris) infections in aquarium fish are frequently confused with true fungal infections, but compared with fungal hyphae, the mouth fungus filaments are distinctly off-white to gray in color. Mouth fungus is caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare and needs to be treated with an appropriate antibacterial or antibiotic medication.

Pathology
The fungi involved include species of Achyla and Saprolegia, often referred to collectively as water molds. These are likely present in most aquaria, breaking down organic material, such as feces, leaf litter and uneaten fish food.
Triggering Factors
Fungus spores are opportunistic and given the chance will invade most types of organic material, including living tissue. Fungus do not harm healthy aquarium fish because the mucus layer on the skin of a fish prevents the spores from infecting its living tissues.

However, if the fish’s mucus layer is damaged, fungus can quickly develop, particularly if the fish is living in dirty or otherwise unhealthy conditions. Rough handling is a common cause of fungus, but other common causes include fin nipping and fighting among fish. Any diseases that produce open wounds, such as ich, ulcers and hole-in-the-head disease, can lead to fungus.

Fungus is also associated with environmental stress, presumably because fish exhibit a weaker immune response when they are not properly taken care of. Chilling, poor water quality and inappropriate water chemistry are all common reasons why aquarium fish develop fungus. Keeping brackish water fish in freshwater conditions can also lead to fungal infections.

Prevention
Fungus is easily prevented. Avoiding injuries to your fish is essential, and this means minimizing handling and taking care not to mix specimens that might damage one another. Water quality should be monitored carefully, with particular regard to specific needs of livebearers and brackish species.

Cleanliness is an essential part of aquarium maintenance, and removing organic matter from the tank, particularly uneaten food and dead animals, is critical. Sifting the substrate gently to remove organic matter during weekly water changes is also important. The cleaner the aquarium, the less problematic fungus is likely to be.

My effort,
(Cleaning your filter 100% will only add to your problems, as will netting fish to a qt) Treat the system with livestock in place, formalin or malachite green in the uk. Some water conditioners have enzymes contained in them that promote a healthy slime coat on fish, used alone or alongside a good diet you should see no ill health. A good diet and the correct, clean conditions are all you need after the case has been resolved. The slime coat is the fishes first line of defence against waterborne pathogens.

ONLY USE ONE MEDICATION AT A TIME, THEY CAN FORM TOGETHER IF MIXED INTO VERY TOXIC SUBSTANCES WHICH IF USED IN A SYSTEM CONTAINING LIVESTOCK WILL HAVE ONLY ONE OUTCOME, DEADSTOCK.
Follow each medications instruction to the letter, allow the specified time before a second course or different treatment be used. Alternatively use carbon to remove residual medications from the watercourse.
!!!!!REMOVE CARBON BEFORE USING ANY MEDICATION!!!!!
Carbon will remove any medication you put in the water.

The only way to eradicate any pathogen from a system containing livestock is to treat accordingly, I do not advise just cranking the heat and switching water.
Heat treatment is known to work with some parasites and not with fungus or bacteria, the heat required to kill fungus and bacteria would definitely kill your fish first.

 

[Delapool]

I've seen this a few times to increase heat and have wondered if it is a treatment 'jump' from parasites (to increase the life cycle) to cover everything or something else from somewhere.

 

[Coursair]

To the OP, read meds carefully. Corydoras are considered Scaleless fish. Many meds need to be 1/2 strength. Too much salt can kill them.
Some Corys can't handle high heat for too long.

Combining meds as was mentioned can be bad.

Do not over clean filter you'd end up restarting your cycle.

If it is Columnaris, that is nasty.

It's not going to help you now, but in the future I would set up a quarantine tank and never put new fish directly into your display tank.

I'm sorry you are losing fish.


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[loachy dance]

Ditto the columnaris theory.

 

[NigelK8485]

To the OP, read meds carefully. Corydoras are considered Scaleless fish. Many meds need to be 1/2 strength. Too much salt can kill them.
Some Corys can't handle high heat for too long.

Combining meds as was mentioned can be bad.

Do not over clean filter you'd end up restarting your cycle.

If it is Columnaris, that is nasty.

It's not going to help you now, but in the future I would set up a quarantine tank and never put new fish directly into your display tank.

I'm sorry you are losing fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Ditto the columnaris theory.

This was from May of last year.


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[Coursair]

This was from May of last year.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

Hmmm. Not sure why it showed up on my feed. Using the app on my iPhone.

Ok, old thread...got it.


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[Delapool]

Good point on combining meds though. You either need some research or a product where they are already combined.

 

[philipraposo198]

Columnaris, very sure this is what you have. Good luck, its a nasty bacteria.

 

[ExoticAquarist]

Probably a gill fluke, fungus, or bacterial infection. Or maybe an overdose of meds. A lot of times medicines mixing can make chemicals harmful to fish. Do salt baths, and slowly raise the rank temp. To 84. Should help. Good luck!


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

 

[Delapool]

Probably a gill fluke, fungus, or bacterial infection. Or maybe an overdose of meds. A lot of times medicines mixing can make chemicals harmful to fish. Do salt baths, and slowly raise the rank temp. To 84. Should help. Good luck!


~ExoticAquarist, signing out

Temp raising with a bacterial infection is one thing I've never understood. Every time I've had high temps and a bacterial infection in tank (which is count on one hand so happy to be corrected) it's the kiss of death.