Problems in the quarantine tank

[46GFreshwater]

Hello! I have a 10G quarantine tank that I currently have 5 platies in (Sunburst Wag and Sunburst Micky Mouse). I purchased them from LFS Jan 22. The fish from this store typically have Ich, and I think all their freshwater tanks share the same water/filtration so I expect them to be sick.

T: 31C
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:5
This is a cycled quarantine tank.

Platies began showing Ich spots day 1 or 2 after purchase and I raised the temperature to 31C which has worked in the past to clear Ich for me. I had one platy die after noticing it wasn't eating the night before and was resting on the bottom.

So I treated the tank with copper safe Jan 25 per package directions, but then after a 5 days fish were looking worse, Did 50% water change and started treating with Marineland Ick Remedy instead on Jan 30 per directions on package. It contains Victoria green.

Some of the fish are starting to look better but most of them tend to rest on the bottom when left alone. Some of them have fewer spots, but 2 of them look like they have a mouth fungus now. One of them has larger flat white patches on its side on scales (see photo). Their gills seem kind of red but I'm not sure if it's just their coloration. They are all still eating.

Should I worry about the secondary infections? Does anyone know what is causing the larger white scales (that fish is acting the most sick). I don't want to add any more medicine unless necessary. I hope these little fish can get better!

 

[Delapool]

Could the large white patches be lost scales? If the patches are on top of scales and with the mouth fungus - I would treat with tetra fungus guard for secondary bacterial infection. Reduce temperature to normal.

I see in the second photo they still have white spot? Is that the case? I'm not sure on mixing some ich and bacterial meds.

Fungus Guard Tablets Aquarium Fish Fungus Treatment Fin Rot Treatment | Tetra Aquarium

And at the moment using this product?

Marineland® 8 Ounce Ick Remedy Fish Treatment | fish Skin Parasites | PetSmart

 

[46GFreshwater]

Hi thanks for the response Delapool.

Yes that is the Marineland Ick Remedy that I am using.

I am worried about mixing medications as well. Maybe I should wait until I am finished treating the ich?

Maybe those are lost scales it is hard for me to tell. I will see if I can get a better look) better picture. They definitely don't look fuzzy and don't appear to stick out.

The ich spots are starting to look a bit better but some of the fish still have a lot. I will drop the temperature today, do you think maybe the fish will have less stress?

 

[Delapool]

Should be less stress (lower temp / more O2 in water & temp they are probably used to).

The ich remedy should cure by itself.

If any signs of bacterial infection I'd take a punt and treat for that and ich together. Ime have to knock bacterial infections out as soon as possible.

 

[46GFreshwater]

The white spots seem to be getting a bit bigger on the one fish and I noticed that he has two clear - white long thin filaments or strings hanging from tail fin. (Too thin to see in this photo)

Some of the other fish have slightly raggedy tail fins now. Is that a sign of bacterial infection?

Is the white cottony "mouth fungus" a bacterial or fungal infection?

 

[coralbandit]

That's ich.
Step up on meds and water changes,you need to vacuuming the gravel when the ichs fall off.

 

[Delapool]

All I can see is the ich as well. The filaments are likely just excess mucus from the fishes slime coat. I've heard of ich spots grouping together to form larger spots as well.

A little bit of raggedness is to be expected on tail fins imo.

Mouth fungus is generally bacterial (or has been in my cases). I'm on the iphone so I can't pick any mouth fungus. In my cases mouth fungus was present with lesions on other fish and looked fairly different to the ich.

So the ich is definitely there for you, I guess the question is on how definite you are on the mouth fungus?

 

[Delapool]

Ps for the marineland ich remedy - does it list the concentration of the ingredients? This is just out of interest to see what level the Nitromersol is.

 

[46GFreshwater]

Marineland Ick Remedy doesn't give the concentration of ingredients on the bottle or website as far as I can see. I treated for 6 consecutive days so far (daily vacuuming gravel and 25% partial water change, then adding 5ml medication for the 10G tank) and the white spots didn't improve so far.

I couldn't get a good picture of the mouth fungus but there was white fuzzy growth on face and lips of 2 of the fish.

PetSmart didn't have the tetra fungus guard tablets so I bought API erythromycin antibiotic treatment, applied one packet last night, and 3 of 5 platies are dead this morning and the remaining two look terrible. One is eating but both are tending to rest on the bottom and are raggedy, fuzzy, and have slime filaments.

I am so sad for these poor fish.

I'll see if I can get tetra fungus guard for next time.

 

[46GFreshwater]

Now just one left. Don't see Ich spots but just looks fuzzy and ragged fins. Sits on bottom, trouble staying upright. Did eat earlier today but I am considering euthanasia with ice water, especially if refuses to eat.

 

[Delapool]

The white fuzzy growth does sound bacterial. I've included a meds link below. I've looked at these for next time I get ich (fingers crossed long time away) and was looking to try the heat method (planted tank with expensive plants) along with furan 2 or triple sulpha. If the erythromycin is not working, that's what I would try next. Both those antibiotics should also (very slowly) help with the ich.

I've been thinking on mixing of meds, mainly worried that the antibiotics might get deactivated. It occurred to me that if the furan 2 is okay with the potassium oxidiser in the tetra fungus guard it may be okay with the dyes like Victoria green.

I couldn't find concentrations either . Not that fussed on the Nitromersol as it contains mercury but hard to find info on it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitromersol

http://www.lookchem.com/Dictionary/Nitromersol/


http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html#erythromycin

 

[Matt68005]

Its generally good not to combine ick meications with malachite or formalin with any antibiotic. Just so you know.
I would just euthanize the bad off platy(s) with tail rot and keep up small water changes and the ick medicine.

 

[Delapool]

Just an aside - still not very fussed on the nitromersol (actually not very keen on it at all) although on reading this seems to be a precautionary measure (just having trouble getting my head around an organomercury compound.

 

[Matt68005]

An oxidizer, something like this dela?http://www.tetra-fish.com/~/media/U.../Remedies/Lifeguard.ashx?w=300&h=300&bc=white

 

[Matt68005]

Tetra® Aquarium Lifeguard Halo Shield All-In-One-Treatment | fish Skin Parasites | PetSmart

1-chloro-2, 2, 5, 5-Tetramethyl-4-Imidazolidinone

 

[Delapool]

I'm not sure, I've got a note those may work.


I did read that with the mercury compound it will remove from the body (in lab tests) - takes about 14 to 28 days. This was for a completely different mercury compound to in the med (was just in same group of organo-mercury compounds and I read it for interest).