My fish are dieing! - suspected velvet

[librarygirl]

Okay so I should stop the pimafix and do pwc and get the meds for velvet? I am on my 4th day with no dead fishes. Although my Rosie barbs fin still looks a little frail on the end

Hm, it's a tough call actually. Do you see any gold dustings on any of the fish still? Are they flashing (rubbing against stuff in the tank)? Gasping?

 

[librarygirl]

Have you noticed the shark chasing or nipping the platy or other fish? They can become territorial as they grow and they could be picking on the other fish, hence the platys torn fins. Just a thought.

 

[Knereim]

I never thought about that he normally stays to.himself or hangs out with the last sword tail I see no signs visually other than my rainbow shark kinda kicking it next yo the rock on the end of the tank. Is that normal?

 

[librarygirl]

Not sure honestly, i've never had sharks. Is this something he's done before or is it new? Is he kicking/rubbing his tail against a rock? The pic of the pleco that you posted a few days ago that had all of the gold dust on it -- do any other fish in the tank look like that? Sometimes it can be hard to see with the lights on; you can turn off the tank lights and make the room as dark as possible then shine a flashlight in the tank and see if you can see any dustings on the fish.

Just so I can review, what fish do you have left now and what symptoms, if any, are they showing? Have you tested water lately? If so can you list your params (ammonia, nitrite, etc). Also list any fish that died and their symptoms and any treatments you've tried so far. Seeing it all written out in one post will help me review it more clearly.

 

[Knereim]

I have left in my 65 one rainbow shark one marble Molly one large danio and my two Rosie barbs. The only symptoms they are showing in little spots where it looks like scales are missing and my shark kinda has made a little indent in the sand in between a rock and the glass. He sometimes will whip his tail at the sand but that's it. The other fish seem fine other than the little spots that look like scales are missing. 4 days ago my fish started dieing like crazy the first to go was my baby marble Molly he just all of a sudden with no signs went limp and would go belly up and sink than he got a white film on him about an hour before death. Than my sword tails again with no signs the next day did the same thing they would be moving their mouth but wouldnt move until you got close or tapped it than the white film and death same happened to my most loved pleco but looked sloop bad he had fins and eyes rotten and before death began bleeding out and covered in white film

 

[Knereim]

I notice this evening that the tip of the top fin on my rainbow shark is white. Also off topic but seeing as you know what's in my tank could I.put a Berta in there?

 

[Knereim]

Sorry about all the replys but after looking with a flashlight you can see my rainbow sharks fin isn't white it is like rotting and he's slowly getting the white film but there is no gold spots just missing looking scales and "rotting" fins

 

[Knereim]

My sword tail, my shark looks the same just not as bad

 

[librarygirl]

Wow, I'm not sure, it looks bad. Velvet can present itself as greyish patches too, not just gold dust, so it could still be velvet and/or a fungus. If the Pleco had velvet (and it certainly looked that way) then it's probably still in the tank. So what have you tried so far, just Pimafix? Were you able to test your water? If so can you post the results? High levels of toxins can affect fish too.

What you could do is follow the instructions I gave a few posts ago for treating velvet and add Maracyn or Maracyn 2 to the treatment as well. I really have no idea otherwise. I'd also keep the water as clean as possible, when was the last water change and how much?

 

[Knereim]

My last water change was two days ago my water tested good just kinda high Ph (8.0). I'm now using melafix and salt in my tank I planned on doing a water change tomorrow.

 

[Knereim]

Lost a sword tail last night he lived a lot longer than I expected I'm just hoping my sword tail pulls through

 

[Knereim]

My rainbow shark is looking sooo much better thanks for all the help

 

[Knereim]

So how long do I wait before I can re stock??? My near empty tank makes me sad

 

[librarygirl]

Glad your shark is doing better. Sorry about the other fish. I hope Melafix and salt cures whatever is wrong. I'd wait a good while before you add anything else just to make sure the treatment worked and symptoms don't reappear (3-4 weeks at least); no sense adding a new fish just to make it sick.

 

[somethingsfishy]

If you have a qt, you could start that process now and in four weeks when everything is stable add in the newly qted fish.