air bubbles on fish - help

[shirlee]

So I did a 20 percent water change to a 30 tank that has been set up for three months, everything seemed fine... till yesterday I awoke to find air bubbles stuck to my rainbow fish I just got like two weeks ago... two of the three are still eating but one of them is just hanging out in the corner looking distressed and not eating..
I have two gouramis that have not been happy since I added the the rainbows, the male hasn't cared but really but the female hasn't been acting right. Hiding only eating once in a while.. and the sucker fish keeps swimming up in my filter and hanging out there... all very bazaar behavior... water is testing perfect even had it checked by the pet store... I've had a cloudiness issue for about a week or so.... not sure what's happening... any suggestion?

 

[Potluck]

Pics?? I would honestly have to say air bubbles is not it as my fish will play in and swim through my air stone and well no bubbles on the fish. Water flow will also disturb the bubbles causing them not be in fish, if I'm wrong this is the most bizarre thing I have heard of

 

[Delapool]

Pics to me sound good as well. Straight after a water change if there was a lot of dissolved gas then gas bubble disease but only ever heard of one case with goldfish. Also wondering if something else.

Cloudiness could be a bacterial bloom if cloudy white and very fine - could that fit?

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/8/fish

 

[shirlee]

Well the by bubbles are transparent, does not look like ich, I've seen that before. I read about gas bubble disease and does seem like the symptoms are same... I'm thinking because it's winter, I had alot of gas in my water, I read that could cause those to stick to the fishes slime coat... pet store expert said give it a few days and make sure they keep eating, well this morning I dropped a few pellets in and didn't seem like any of the fish cared about food...
I'm at work now but I will take some pictures when I get home... yes Def think the cloudiness is a bacterial bloom now... tank is still fairly newish...wondering how often and how much of a water change I should do? Also, I had a lot of algae growing on plants, removed them last night to clean and did about 10 % removal of water while vacuuming gravel and to lower water level so the sucker fish can't swim up into the filter, everytime he does that I have to remove the carbon and bio filter to get him out which in turn spills out more cloudiness....

 

[shirlee]

These are Australian rainbow fish, not goldfish

 

[shirlee]

Well one has died out of three

Came home to one casualty and looks like the other will pass on soon... the third doesn't have it as bad, just wish I knew what happened

 

[shirlee]

I posted pics, also wondering why it didn't effect the Gouramis

 

[Delapool]

Hi, bit of a brain dump here as now at work.


Are there gas bubbles in the eyes or internal to fins or just sitting on fish. If on fish then not true gas bubble disease as I know it. You could look up seahorses and zoos - I think that's where I found it in searches last time. If gas bubble disease then there are meds but not available to general public.


Next option is bacterial. If the bubbles didn't show all at once but developed and any redness / streaking then an option. Didn't sound it but an option.


Parasites - if not for the transparent bubbles I'd favour something like ich. Again if it appeared all at once and there was no flashing, would discount it.


Something else in the water - some toxicity issue. A quick way is to see if ph of tap and tank is the same.

 

[shirlee]

Hi, bit of a brain dump here as now at work.


Are there gas bubbles in the eyes or internal to fins or just sitting on fish. If on fish then not true gas bubble disease as I know it. You could look up seahorses and zoos - I think that's where I found it in searches last time. If gas bubble disease then there are meds but not available to general public.


Next option is bacterial. If the bubbles didn't show all at once but developed and any redness / streaking then an option. Didn't sound it but an option.


Parasites - if not for the transparent bubbles I'd favour something like ich. Again if it appeared all at once and there was no flashing, would discount it.


Something else in the water - some toxicity issue. A quick way is to see if ph of tap and tank is the same.

They seem to be all over the body in tiny bubbles the fins do look like they have something they started as transparent but yest er day looked more whitish... so maybe is ich.... I've flushed two of them, going to take last one into pet store and see if they can diagnois.. I'm going to test pH in tap water as well... but according to my test strip my water is perfect... except cloudy, so feel like their is some sort of bacterial bloom... gouramis didn't eat this morning but they don't have any bumps on them... thanks for your assistance!

 

[Delapool]

Bacterial blooms I've managed to get from either big substrate cleans or big filter cleans. Both releasing a lot of fine muck into the water. If related to a filter clean then I've found the nitrifying bacteria population can take a hit and worth watching ammonia readings. Else mainly they go away within a week.


I'd be grateful for hearing what the pet stores think. Was there any flashing? Had you added anything new to tank apart from water change in the week prior?


On the test strips I've found ph is ok'ish but others can under-read so could be worth getting the store to do a liquid test as well.


I've had cloudy tap water from filling a pool first and then must of been sourcing some different (higher-pressure?) water following on for the tank water change. Fish were ok so hoping yours can recover.

 

[Potluck]

Wow I've never even heard of gas bubble disease, I apologize sorry about your rainbows I lost 6 abs half if my other fish a year and a half ago from columnaris, your final pic looks like the Australian has a red sore behind or by his gill plate I don't know if it's just the picture but my Australian had the danger thing which people in here diagnosed as columnaris

 

[Delapool]

As far as I know it is very rare (I've never heard of it here).

 

[coralbandit]

I have heard of micro bubble disease before...I have winter here in NY and change a lot of water...
Is the water you are adding cold or has it warmed to room temp?
I would try "prepping" your water long enough to balance ,maybe add an airstone or heater?
This from "the best disease book going" on micro bubbles;
Chapter 9.6 Gas Bubble Disease
Just as in divers who ascend too rapidly , gas bubbles form in the fins and skin of fish when there is a sudden reduction in gas (air) pressure.The bubbles are quite visible to the naked eye and the skin crackles if you run your finger over it.In extreme cases, gas bubbles in the blood kill the fish(gas embolus). Gas pressure can be lowered by changing large portions of the water , sudden lowering of the temperature , and by exposing thickly planted landscapes to the sunshine.Gas bubbles also can form when fish are moved without first slowly exchanging travel water with aquarium water.Gas bubble disease cannot occur in a well-aerated aquarium.

I think you have something else going on though.All that is just good measure and how i do it[water changes /prep]. But I think you have some sort of real issue like a disease besides the bubbles?...
So, now besides the gourami who didn't eat which is a signal, look closely at other fish for any symptom or sign.
Many parasites hide in th gills of fish and are not easily seen if at all by the naked eye...Got a magnifying glass?