help! the whole tank is sick with different stuff

[cappieBridget]

I have 3 rosy bars flashing, nothing visibly wrong. 2 GBR's flashing and getting thin, 1 skirt tetra with tail rot and going turnign horisontal and shaking and 1 krib that looks like it has a samll white speck of ich. How do you treat everything? I bought tetracycline gel food and the temp is 86. I am out of salt until tomorrow so I will add that to treat also. I am thinking intestinal worms and brain flukes or head flukes or whatever would get into my skirt tetras head to make him go crooked and shake. Like neurological problems. Thanks!

 

[KhanJee]

First of all check your water parameters and provide information about your tank size/setup. It will help to give proper advice.
How much and how many time you feed the fish ?

 

[MSU Fan]

the barbs and GBRs may just be stressed out from the other fish, and flashing for that reason - they may not be sick at all. On the other hand, an internal parasite can also cause that. are they still eating?

I am thinking intestinal worms and brain flukes or head flukes or whatever would get into my skirt tetras head to make him go crooked and shake.

If I am interpreting what you are saying correctly, you would expect those illnesses to cause your skirt tetra to act in that manner, but it currently is not? Skirts are pretty hardy fish and can withstand quite a bit of punishment in the form of illness. those were the only fish that survived on of my bouts with ich. As for an internal parasite, those may not even show any outward signs. are there any spots/bloches/bumps on the fish' bodies that are visible that indicate something internal? or any thing hanging from their anus that is red? those are some of the obvious signs of worms (of course, it depends on which kind ).

I have heard that treating with copper is helpful, but I have had to avoid due to my scaleless fish. perhaps someone can offer some insight into its use here.

otherwise, I would keep the temperature up (at least the ich won't get a foothold), and I would dose regular parasite medicine (not food, as most fish affected by internal parasites won't eat anyway). Keep using the salt, and good luck - we're all pulling for your fish and for you.

 

[cappieBridget]

ok, here goes:

tank 55 gallon
temp-86 now, was down to 82 for the past 4 days, did it on it's own with no heater adjusting
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-20
ph-7.4

fish
5 kribs
3 long finned zebra danios
3 rosy barbs
3 skirt tetras
2 blue gauramis
2 ottos
2 GBR's
1 candystripe pleco
1 bumblebee goby

I watch these fish constantly. 2 of the rosy barbs are flashing, looks like some of the top scales by the dorsal fin are missing or have a hazy film covering them (maybe velvet?) eating fine, not losing weight. normal poo

the male GBR was never a big eater when I got him and then he started flashing. Now he's very skinny, almost no color, won't eat and sits by the top next to the heater fins somewhat clamped, moves rarely. he lays sideways and flashes his face also. The rosys only flash their bellies. the female GBR is still eating but now flashing and has clear, gel looking poo with white spots in it, sometimes stringy

1 krib today has a small white piece, looking like salt, on side of torso, could be from getting picked on by dominant male in the tank

1 skirt tetra turning sideways and shaking once in a while, haven't seen it since this morning. Read it could be from temp change and need for electrolytes (aquarium salt) another skirt tetra with reddened pelvic fin, hard to see because she's black adn the color looks internal, not red on the outside like external bleeding.

thanks guys

 

[Sicklid]

If I am not mistaken this is a pretty new tank right? If it is, I think you may have gotten a little zealous in your stocking before cycling took place. If not, just remember that GBR's are sensitive fish, and are not easy even for pros and also prefer water with not much in the way of salinity/dissolved solids, same for the tetras, so don't get too rambunctious with the salt treatments. Also, GBR's come home from the store with intestinal parasites (wild caught especially) all the time, and thats easily treated with mediacted food, so don't panic... I'd be surprised if they have neurological problems.

 

[cappieBridget]

will regular parasite meds:

a. kill my beneficial bacteria
b. be affective on an internal parasite

the tank is new, only 3 months old. It cycled in a week because I had the filters and filter media in my established tanks for almost 2 months. I have the cycling process recorded in a note book. I had asked if it was over crowded in another post and was told my stocking was fine, is it over stocked? I just want to help my fish get better.

 

[MSU Fan]

No, I don't believe it is overstocked.

As for parasite meds, I have only used Jungle Anti-Parasite Pellets and Levamisole. I didn't find the Jungle food all that helpful since the fish who were infected didn't eat any more. Of course, the rest didn't die...so? I should also note that the rest of my fish did not like eating it either.

Levamisole is reported to *only* attack the parasites, and not affect either the health of the fish or your good bacteria. It supposedly also has the additional benefit of strengthening a fish's immune system.

 

[cappieBridget]

well, I went out to petco and walmart. I didn't buy salt because I'm affraid it will hurt my ottos and pleco. I bought pimafix because it is all natural and will get rid of the red fin and tail fungus. I also bought quick cure because I am pretty sure that the rosy barbs have the greyish film just like the fish on the box, that's how they look. I need to do something about the internal parasites now...

oh, and the food I had wasn't jungle, it was made by gel-tek. I can't get the very sick GBR to eat anything, looks like a matter of time.

 

[MSU Fan]

good luck...stick with it, and you'll make it through.