Swordtails: The continuing saga.

[Alshain]

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Ph: 7.2
Nitrates: 5ppm
Temp: 80 deg F

My tank is an Eclipse 12 with all the equipment that comes with the kit. The tank as been in operation for a few months. I did a water change less than a week ago with Gravel vac. There are 3 swordtails about 1.5" each. I've been feeding them Omega One Veggie Flakes and 3 days a week Jungle Parasite Food because they were having white stringy feces.

My male is clamping his fins and swimming in a kind of "waddling" fashion about mid tank. He isnt as active as he usually is.

He MIGHT also be showing signs of Fin Rot on his tail but its hard for me to tell.

EDIT: Upon further inspection while checking the tank filter I noticed the bio-wheel was not spinning. Nearest I can figure is that the water hasn't been getting proper ariation since the last time I did a gravel vac, I must have knocked the wheel loose so it wasnt spinning. As you can tell from my readings, it doesn't appear to have affected the bacteria... yet but now the fish are sick (maybe just uncomfortable in the poor water) I reinstated the bio-wheel. I will do constant check to make sure the bacteria wasn't affected, but the tank may end up cycling again. And I will watch the fish closely to make sure they look better and don't get a secondary infection. Any other suggestions to ensure their health would be appreciated.

 

[Menagerie]

Nearest I can figure is that the water hasn't been getting proper ariation since the last time I did a gravel vac, I must have knocked the wheel loose so it wasnt spinning. As you can tell from my readings, it doesn't appear to have affected the bacteria... yet but now the fish are sick (maybe just uncomfortable in the poor water) I reinstated the bio-wheel.

That should not have mattered--bio wheels get clogged, fall off, and break and the bacteria in the filter will continue doing a great job of removing ammonia and nitrite. Unless the water level is up to the filter output, the water was being aerated.

I'm really not sure what is going on with the fish--perhaps the parasites are wearing it down. I like Melafix to help prevent secondary infection and have used it in combination successfully with other meds.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Sorry to hear about your fish in poor health, Alshain.

I don't know what could be wrong with him. Last I saw he looked very healthy.

So quick question. Did you try using salt last time when 'we' were thinking it was a parasite? It's been my experience that mollies, platies, swordtails, etc. will do the "salt shimmy" when they need salt. This means that you either got them from salt raised conditions (not likely, since this is the first sign of seeing this) or you added salt during treatment last time and now there is none.

Again, just a guess on what I've observed with these fish. Hope everything turns out well.

 

[Alshain]

Ok, just to keep us on the same page I'm going to recap the events.

1. Bought the fish, first fish I ever owned, made the mistake of not fishless cycling but oh well, too late now.
2. The male got an Ich infection. Treated successfully with Malachite Green (Ick Away by Wardley Labs).
3. During the last of the Ich treatment, a dark "cloudy" appearance began to grow on all three fish. Since they all had it I figured quarantine would be fruitless. Was unknown at the time what was the cause but I watched them further. (I showed a picture of the Female and we couldn't see much).
4. Tank appears to be fully cycled at this point according to chemical liquid tests.
5. Fish began to have white stringy feces which I diagnosed as an internal parasites and began feeding them Jungle Labs Anti-Parasite 3 days a week.
6. Male begins to clamp fins and hide in the back of the tank, except to swim up for food which he picks at and spits out, oddly enough he also becomes active when he sees my camera so either he is a showoff or just terrified of it. He scratches on the substrate, he appears to be losing weight and his tail appears to be gaining rot. Gills are now turning slightly pink. This has all happened over night.

The weight loss and tail rot are really hard to tell. He is a male so hes already smaller. The tail I'm not sure about because he did lose part of his tail to the Ich but it appeared to be growing back. Now it looks a little more rigid but I'm not certain of this.

At this point I'm suspecting Flukes for lack of a better diagnosis. Its the only think I can possibly see that fits the symptoms. I treated the tank with a clout tab. I'm getting desperate really, I'm afraid if I don't find something soon I'm going to lose them. The male is in the worst condition of the 3, the females appear to have the cloudy color but I don't see any other symptom other than the white stringy feces. I have not used salt, but I did buy some today. Can I add it with the clout? Will this affect my plants (I would rather kill the plants and save the fish if I have to).

By the way, the internal parasites seem to have been affected. The feces is more solid (less stringy) now but still white. Today starts the second week of treatment.

It Gets Worse:

Friday of this week I am moving to a new apartment. As much as I hate to stress them more, there is no other option.

EDIT: Got home from work and he looks like he has less color than the females too. A pale yellow color.

 

[Alshain]

Well as it turns out it was Velvet. I just couldn't see it cause he was already marigold. I went to be last night and he was pretty bad, I didn't think he would last the night. I woke up this morning and he was still alive but the females had already begun to pick on him. He had almost no fins at all and the sword have been ripped off his tail. I gave him an ice bath. Hopefully I can save the females, they aren't showing advanced signs yet.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Velvet is quite uncommon in freshwater tanks, but not unheard of. What are you using to treat? Hope they pull through well.

 

[Alshain]

I added Mardel's copper sulfate to the tank to treat. I also added half the dose of salt that would normally be added for my size tank (hoping to keep the plants alive).

 

[Zagz]

Sorry for your loss with the one fish. Hopefully the others will pull through.