Platies not well, treatments not appearing to help

[Kwakatoo]

Hi all, I have a 60lt tank with. A couple of platies and guppies and a few fry. I change water 1-2 a week and keep levels as follows
0 - nitrite
0 - ammonia
30- 60 nitrate

I since returning from Christmas holidays I've been dealing with a few illnesses and a death. More recently I've notice a couple more fish succumbing to similar symptoms:
- shimmies
- flashing
- general lethargy
- lack of food interest
- occasional drifts of whitish empty poo shoots

One such fish has been "hanging on" with these symptoms for so long, she looks like she has "wasting disease". So thin, back warped and can barely swim, holding herself up in the plants close to the water top.

I initially treated with anti bacterial, then anti fungal, and more recently, anti parasite. I'm wondering if I need to retreat for parasite? Or if I should go back to anti bacterial, as there was a small amount of cloudy eye on two of the 3 platies affected. So far the guppies seem ok.

Any ideas?

 

[Kwakatoo]

Please note the pictures are of the worst affected who is now in a seperate smaller tank, same conditions

 

[disucsfish]

Please note the pictures are of the worst affected who is now in a seperate smaller tank, same conditions

what medicine have you been using

 

[Kwakatoo]

Melafix, then Myxazin then Protozin - they don't reveal ingredients on the bottle..

Also, I have been water changing well between medications and giving a few days or more respite before anything new.

Today I thought I'd just up temp from 25 to 26/27 degrees and add a little salt. I.e. A tablespoon per 20ltrs - just a little.

 

[coralbandit]

Look into Heximita.
Good luck.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Melafix, then Myxazin then Protozin - they don't reveal ingredients on the bottle..

Also, I have been water changing well between medications and giving a few days or more respite before anything new.

Today I thought I'd just up temp from 25 to 26/27 degrees and add a little salt. I.e. A tablespoon per 20ltrs - just a little.

Melafix, active ingredient melaleuca (tea tree oil)
Myxazin, malachite green and acriflavin (an antiseptic?)
Protozin, most likely white spot treatment, quite likely to be methylene blue.

 

[Kwakatoo]

Thanks guys. Yesterday I added some salt. Just a little to start with and an increase in temp. I checked my fish "stuff" cupboard and found some KH+ which I might slowly add to the main tank, (our water is soft for the live bearers at 2-3dH for KH and 4-5dH for GH)

Looking at the Heximita - although it's not obvious hole in head, it's likely a combination of worms and bacteria, I'll source some new worm treatment for the "test" tank to see how the worst of them reacts.

Thanks for the thoughts thus far. Will let you know how it goes. And feel free to add any other ideas.

And yes, while I was away at Christmas the tank got pretty messy with a nitrate level of around 70, double my usual level. This was when the issues kicked off I believe.

 

[DutchMuch]

salt isn't really good but ok

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Good luck mate! Keep us posted.

 

[Kwakatoo]

Well.. I'm wondering if the water hardness is the issue, although the tanks have held this water for some time, 7-8 months. The salt has helped the mood.. Lol. So have a KH+ to add slowly.. But that's an aside I think.

I've restarted melafix in three tanks, and praziquantel as a Hail Mary in the 4th tank which holds the fish pictured above. It's an intestinal wormer.. So we'll see.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Worms or gut issues could hold true. From you description of the faecal "tubes".
That's usually a clear indicator of gut or intestinal problems.

Weird how the world is so unbalanced! I need soft water for my fish and I'm blessed with liquid chalk, you need hard water.......
Let's swap houses.

 

[Kwakatoo]

Lol!! I went to the beach today and picked out some limestone/ calcium carbonate type rocks for my tanks - all 4 need hardening.

Can't update you on the fish yet - although the worming treatment has knocked momma platy around. Water change today to clear some of the mess will help her

 

[Kwakatoo]

I euthanised the platy in the pictures above, she was dying because she could barely swim for food

A male platy is in another isolation tank and has developed some some spots.. Thus I assume ich. The problems began with fish flashing, but until now hadn't seen any white spots. So that's interesting. So I'm treating for ich there..

The main tank is looking good. The salt dose seems to have helped. I also have started melafix just to aid any possible issues.

That's the update for now

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Yeah flashing can be ich.
Look into the heat treatment method.
Ich is quite a complex parasite, it has three life stages.
One cycle is on the fish (the white spots) these produce 1000s of spores, which multiply until they burst free and form a free swimming stage.
Each of the new cells settle on the substrate, which go through a similar process of multiplying then bursting free, now you have infinitely more free swimming cells which must find a fish host to survive, if they do the process starts again.......

Heat treatment stops reproduction of the cysts.
(Hopefully I've remembered that correct!)
Ich trophont, Search that.
Meds only combat the free swimming stages. They do nothing for the cysts either on the fish or on the substrate.

 

[Kwakatoo]

Well... It turned out to be fungus. One day it looked like spots (admittedly larger than dust or small spots), the next a furry forehead. I realised he was in bad shape, took a punt with change of med.. But may have caused him further grief so he died.

Remaining fish doing well.. Touch wood.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Shame.
Good luck with your remaining stock!