someone please name this disease?

[Calcifer10000]

Hi,

I got a lovely male guppy from the LFS 5 days ago, along with a female from a different tank. The male was fine for two days (sadly I don't have the luxury of a quarintine tank) but soon started floating to the top of the tank and just bobbing there. Yesterday evening I took it out because it was beginning to float head down and looking like it was about to do a head-over-tail 360 degree flip in the water. I put it in a betta bowl for closer observation: it had a red streak on its flank, some kind of white blotchy lump on its other flank, and its tail/anal fins had red streaks. Also, its upper lip seemed to have been torn off or eaten away somehow, it kept breathing hard and bits of mouth were hanging off, it was terrible, and I knew it wasn't like that when I had gotten it.

It was dead this morning.

I can't save this one, but I still have a 10 gallon tank, 3rd week of cycling, with 3 zebra danios (my initial cycling fish) and now 2 female guppies. They're all doing fine as far as I can see, active and eating well. The female guppies occasionally rub their bellies against the gravel; I don't know if that's normal behavior or not. One is defintely pregnant.

Please, can someone name a probable cause/disease/parasite that killed my male guppy so I can make sure the rest of my tank hasn't gotten it?

Thanks!!

 

[Allivymar]

Impossible to name it persay. Sounds like there may be a few things going on tho.

Red streaks are indicative of Septicemia. Tis a systemic bacterial infection, usually treated by broad spectrum antibiotics like Kanacyn or Tetracycline, medicated foods and you HAVE to keep your water parameters perfect (no ammonia/nitrites, really low nitrates). Generally its a sign of something else, like parasites or poor water quality.

The white patch may have been Columnaris. Signs of the Flexibacter include offwhite patches on the body.

I also wonder if it IS parasites since u say the girls are scratchin. Then again, you say the tank is still cycling; that too could be the prob. Whats your parameter readings?

Understand these are all wild guesses...


And I would HIGHLY recommend a QT tank. Walmart has 10g tanks for $10.

 

[Calcifer10000]

Understand these are all wild guesses...

Thanks for the guesses, Allivymar, even if they are wild. Possible problems were what I wanted to know about.

Turns out what I thought was a white lump on the dead male guppy was actually an ulcer after I took a better look at him. The Petco I got it from said it was bacterial so I'm treating the tank, since one of the females is very listless, though that could be because she just gave birth two days ago.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Allivymar]

Just a FYI (from fish-diseases.com):

Columnaris (a.k.a. Mouth Fungus)
Flexibacter columnaris

An infected fish will have off-white to gray cotton-like patches on the head, fins, gills, body and particularly the mouth. In time, these areas will develop into open sores. Gill swelling may occur, gill filaments may stick together and excessive mucus may develop in the gill area. Rapid breathing can be seen. Fins may deteriorate to the point of leaving the fin rays bare. Muscles may be inflamed and capillaries may rupture. Fish, particularly livebearers, may exhibit "shimmying". Infection may be acute (killing an infected fish within hours), or chronic (lingering for several days before eventually killing the fish). As with most diseases, not all symptoms need be present.

Treatment:

Ensure that your water conditions (e.g., Ammonia, Nitrite, pH, Nitrate levels, and water temp.) are within their proper ranges. If not, perform a water change and/or treat the water accordingly. Recommended medications include: Furanace, Fungus Eliminator, Fungus Cure, Furacyn, Furan-2, Triple Sulfa, E.M. Tablets, Tetracycline, or Potassium Permanganate. Medicated foods are also recommended. Columnaris can be highly infectious and may quickly kill all aquarium inhabitants; therefore, early treatment is essential. All fish, including those not yet showing visible symptoms, as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.

I'm pretty sure, especially after hearing about the ulcer, this is what your poor guy suffered from. Which meds are you using?

Keep us updated on the rest!

 

[TankGirl]

I suggest you take the fish back and get your $ back or replace the fish, since it was only five days. Most stores have a policy about taking back fish that die shortly after purchase. It must have had something when you got it. They need to know what their fish are suffering from, as well.

 

[Calcifer10000]

All fish, including those not yet showing visible symptoms, as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.

That's what I'm doing now. I'm on the 4th day of treatment with something called MelaFix, from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals; it says it's an antibacterial. Sadly another one of my guppies died, the female that gave birth a few days ago. Now I've got one female guppy that's acting funny, and three zebra danios that look all right, plus baby guppies who are so far okay. I'm going to continue treatment until the recommended 7 days.

I suggest you take the fish back

I took the male back to the store, TG, and got my money back for him. I just hope that my whole tank doesn't die off now.

 

[TankGirl]

Melafix is a great med but it may not be "strong" enough, though it has no impact on the bioload and is tolerated by just about all fish. This is a tricky situation so I wish you the best of luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Calcifer10000]

Fish okay now

Well, looks like Melafix worked out; lost 2 guppies to whatever the disease was, but still have one female, 3 zebra danios and now 2 neon tetras.

All the inhabitants of my tank are doing all right, including 12 new guppy babies, fry of the second guppy who died; they're getting bigger every day and some are starting to look like their mother. 8)

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

 

[Calcifer10000]

Fish okay now

Well, looks like Melafix worked out; lost 2 guppies to whatever the disease was, but still have one female, 3 zebra danios and now 2 neon tetras.

All the inhabitants of my tank are doing all right, including 12 new guppy babies, fry of the second guppy who died; they're getting bigger every day and some are starting to look like their mother. 8)

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

 

[Allivymar]

Thumbs up Calcifer Nice to hear things are going well!