please help me out, I dont know what is wrong with my angelfish

[kaiofcanada]

Originally Posted by WendiDell

It could be all four by now. If she had parasites it could lead to a secondary infection and the parasites leave open wounds where they've eaten away at your fishes flesh and an open wound can easily get a fungal infection. That's why I use Seachems Polyguard, it treats all four, the same way. But it can turn things in your tank blue. I've never used it but I hear that Seachems Paraguard works well for all four also. I've never had any luck with Melafix, myself.
At this point I would treat for parasites, bacteria, fungus and open wounds. She's been sick for awhile now.

I agree with above. As I stated before to treat her gently but asap. Melafix is very gentle on your whole tank and plants. That is why I suggested it. You certainly don't have to continue to treat with it if you don't see her getting better within the next 48 hours, but at this point she has been sick for a week. Melafix won't hurt her. But I fear that WendiDell is right about her now having developed secondary infections.


You mentioned a couple days ago that the white looked fuzzy, which was likely a fungus. Yesterday you said it looked more like grains of sand...which screams bacteria, and today you mentioned an open red area behind her fin, suggesting an open sore. Poor baby. I it best to treat her gently, but also to treat her completely.

I know this morning you gave her a salt bath which will help with the open wounds and bacteria. Melafix will address the fungus. And daily water changes will help keep her and all of your other fish in the best possible environment.

Do you have a quarantine tank set up to treat her separate from your tank? This way you don't have to worry about the medications wreaking havoc on your biosystem or plants.

Are your other fish still all looking healthy? If so, you might move her to your QT tank and treat her there. If not, and others are looking sick you will need to treat your whole tank. That is trickier in a planted tank because many medications will either be detrimental to your plants or hard on your BB.

[fishfanatic]

I have some paragurd. But I have already treated with the other 2 things... I am going to give the melafix and the other one a few days...

[fishfanatic]

Originally Posted by kaiofcanada

I agree with above. As I stated before to treat her gently but asap. Melafix is very gentle on your whole tank and plants. That is why I suggested it. You certainly don't have to continue to treat with it if you don't see her getting better within the next 48 hours, but at this point she has been sick for a week. Melafix won't hurt her. But I fear that WendiDell is right about her now having developed secondary infections.

You mentioned a couple days ago that the white looked fuzzy, which was likely a fungus. Yesterday you said it looked more like grains of sand...which screams bacteria, and today you mentioned an open red area behind her fin, suggesting an open sore. Poor baby. I it best to treat her gently, but also to treat her completely.

I know this morning you gave her a salt bath which will help with the open wounds and bacteria. Melafix will address the fungus. And daily water changes will help keep her and all of your other fish in the best possible environment.

Do you have a quarantine tank set up to treat her separate from your tank? This way you don't have to worry about the medications wreaking havoc on your biosystem or plants.

Are your other fish still all looking healthy? If so, you might move her to your QT tank and treat her there. If not, and others are looking sick you will need to treat your whole tank. That is trickier in a planted tank because many medications will either be detrimental to your plants or hard on your BB.

I do not have a QT (but I have a 5 gallon bucket an extra heater and filter) if I needed to I could take some Bio media out of my canister filter and put some in the HOB for the QT. Non of the other fish are showing any signs of sickness. Should I get out the 5 gallon bucket?

I just noticed some red veins going into her fins... the picture really does no good at all but it makes me feel like I am trying my hardest

[kaiofcanada]

I think I can see the red, but I also see that her fins are no longer clamped. That is a great sign. I can also see the fin rot of her tail. That could be fungal or bacterial.

I would set up the QT. It is really your call. This is your tank and you can assess the health of your fish better than we can on a daily basis.

I might leave her in the main tank since she is doing better and see how the salt baths and melafix work for her. If in two days her tail and the spot behind her fin doesn't start looking better I would definitely put her in QT and dose her with stronger meds for the fin rot. I think someone suggested paraguard, and you have some.

BTW buckets are my favourite QT tanks :P

[JC_Biggs]

Do you pour your water the tank then add conditioner? I did that and it played havoc with my water condition. Condition it in a bucket with an air stone for about an hour first. Then add your supplements one at a time and see if the ph changes. But I think salt temp lots of oxygen and melafix will fix you. Also, try some maracyn or maracyn 2 if you think there is secondary infections now

[fishfanatic]

Originally Posted by JC_Biggs

Do you pour your water the tank then add conditioner? I did that and it played havoc with my water condition. Condition it in a bucket with an air stone for about an hour first. Then add your supplements one at a time and see if the ph changes. But I think salt temp lots of oxygen and melafix will fix you

I always put the conditioner in the tank before adding water

[JC_Biggs]

I'm wouldn't do that.. Do it in the bucket. Make sure the clorine, doesn't even have a chance to kill bacteria in your tank. I just know that when I stopped toping off with tap water things got better almost immediately

[fishfanatic]

The fins are no longer clamped! The top fin still has a few blood veins but the melafix said it would help with that.
Here is my attack plan:
Continue to do 50% water changes (treating the water in buckets before adding it to the tank)
Treat with both melafix and pemafix (it seems to he working)

If things start to get worse at all then I will put her in a qt and treat with a more powerful chemical

[JC_Biggs]

Good deal. As mine got better I changed the water less and less. Never changed more then seven gallons at a time anyways since that was the bucket size. Lol

[tulip55555]

Don't forget to remove the charcoal from your filter...

[fishfanatic]

Originally Posted by tulip55555

Don't forget to remove the charcoal from your filter...

I don't ever have charcoal in my filter...

[sherlock1315]

Good Luck!

[fishfanatic]

Originally Posted by sherlock1315

Good Luck!

Thank you! Me and my anglefish are fighters! She will get better! Thanks to the help of everyone on this thread she is doing lots better than she was a week ago

[sherlock1315]

That's good... Did you find out what was wrong?

[fishfanatic]

Originally Posted by sherlock1315

That's good... Did you find out what was wrong?

A bacterial/ fungal infection (I think?) But the treatments for bacterial/ fungal infections seem to be helping the fish out . I need to go to sleep (11:00 here). I will post more updates tomorrow!

[WendiDell]

Originally Posted by fishfanatic

A bacterial/ fungal infection (I think?) But the treatments for bacterial/ fungal infections seem to be helping the fish out . I need to go to sleep (11:00 here). I will post more updates tomorrow!

I'm happy to hear she seems to be doing better. It's rough when you have to treat for more than one thing at a time. I really hope that the Melafix takes care of all that ails her.
Lets us know how she does over the next few days.

[jetajockey]

I wouldn't trust melafix/pimafix to deal with a real bacterial infection. They seem to be helpful for some things, but I really believe their effects are very limited. Do you have any up close pics of the affected area? Is there red streaks in the fins for sure? Nitrite poisoning is a possibility, but if the tank is well cycled then you may have a case of septicemia. That said, I would treat it accordingly.

I've not had to deal with this issue personally, but I have read conflicting information about its treatment, ranging from using a broad spectrum antibiotic in the water, to using medicated food. Both could be done without much issue, and the medicated food one can be done with the fish still in the main tank.

[WendiDell]

Originally Posted by jetajockey

I wouldn't trust melafix/pimafix to deal with a real bacterial infection. They seem to be helpful for some things, but I really believe their effects are very limited. Do you have any up close pics of the affected area? Is there red streaks in the fins for sure? Nitrite poisoning is a possibility, but if the tank is well cycled then you may have a case of septicemia. That said, I would treat it accordingly.

I've not had to deal with this issue personally, but I have read conflicting information about its treatment, ranging from using a broad spectrum antibiotic in the water, to using medicated food. Both could be done without much issue, and the medicated food one can be done with the fish still in the main tank.

That's a valid point about it being septicemia. I hadn't thought about it, but with her being sick for so long, becoming septic isn't unrealistic. All being septic is, it's basically just blood poisoning, which can occur easily with an on going infection like his poor fish has had. The Melafix definitely isn't strong enough for septicemia.
Like I mentioned earlier Seachems Paraguard is made to treat parasites, fungal infections, bacterial infections, viral infections and including fin rot.
It's a safe way to treat all of what has been ailing her.
It should work on septicemia, I can't remember just now for sure if it does, but it'll say so on the label.
It still really depends on how much more she can take. As sick as she's been she may be to weak to tolerate the cure for whatever it is she has, but that's why the Paraguard is good, it works on everything.
I just wish him luck and hope this thread has a happy ending

[jetajockey]

Agreed, I definitely hope the fish pulls through. Cichlids are tough buggers, I've pulled some back from what I thought was certain death, so hopefully this one turns it around soon.

[WendiDell]

Originally Posted by jetajockey

Agreed, I definitely hope the fish pulls through. Cichlids are tough buggers, I've pulled some back from what I thought was certain death, so hopefully this one turns it around soon.

I think that's why they are so popular. They are so varied, beautiful and they are TOUGH. I've had mine get beat up bad by a tank mate, stress out end up with popeye and be just a wreck. A week later, after a little QT & TLC, they're back swimming with the rest.
If you feed them good food and keep up with the PWC's and keep the parameters consistent, almost any cichlid will give you years of incredible enjoyment. I LOVE all of mine and I'm sure he loves his little Angelfish too. He sure is trying to figure out how to save her at least.