Urgent. Two fish dead worried about the rest

[Troy.m]

Hi everyone I quite new to this forum and am posting from my phone but am hoping someone may be able to help. I purchase an injured fire eel from a Lfs who was keeping him in a gravel tank with no hides, trying to be a Good Samaritan he was okay for the first few nights found his own hide and swam around the tank confidently I awoke one day to him dead and notice my gar who was the same size about 12 inches had while lines around each scale and frayed fins. I bumped up the temp to 82 and did A water change and extensive tank clean the white stuff looked like he was peeling and with the added melafix seemed to be improving, unfortunately he died the next day real bummer... Now I have a 7 inch fire eel and 2 6-7 inch bichir who all look in perfect health are swimming around and ate yesterday one bichir seems a little stressed but he's a weird guy anyways.. Any ideas what it could have been?? I can post pictures if I can figure it out how lol. I have pictures of the gar when he was alive and of my whole tank. All parameters are more that good I do weekly 30% wc and have well water with no chlorine, the tank has been up and running for over a year with no illness

 

[Troy.m]

and the fire eel hides under that centre log but I checked him a few times no white spots his color is still nice and he ate a ton just yesterday, I posted to some other forums but to no reply


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[ImACoolguy]

White stuff on frayed fins sounds like a fungal infection to me.

If it's not on injured fins then sounds like columnaris was brought in by your new arrival (Quarantine could prevent this)


Caleb

 

[Troy.m]

Thank you for the speedy reply, yes I regret not quarantining him and the gar had no white present on the mouth as far as I could tell but the texture of what was on his scales looks similar to what you described. So where do I go from here both dead were removed very quickly is it possible all tank members already have this and are not displaying anything yet?


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[Troy.m]

Ps. No white stuff on fins just under scales


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[brennae]

If it is columnaris I've learned from others in this forum that it thrives in heat. I suspect I had it in a tank so I just unplugged the heater. I was also able to add salt which columnaris doesn't like either but I don't know much about your fish and their salt tolerance. Kanamycin and nitrofurazone combined treat columnaris and for fungal it's the nitrofurazone alone maybe? Furan 2 is the trade name. You will have to watch your fish very closely and I would do more in terms of pwc to get whatever it is to be less on the water column.
I think you already realize you learned an expensive lesson about qt tanks.

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[Troy.m]

Yes I did about the qt I added salt and will at a tiny bit more since I've done 2 Wc since the salt was added, water temp is about as cool as it will get in my hot Florida house lol. I guess I'll pray for my remaining fish. It's been a rough week


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[brennae]

Good luck!

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[Troy.m]

Thank you very much a appreciate the help. Pray for the little dinosaur dudes


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[brennae]

You might pick up the meds just in case things take a turn

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[coralbandit]

I agree with Caleb and Brenna.
If it is not injury related(then fungal) you may have columnaris cooking.
The very fast death screams columnaris to me.
No need to see any 'mouth rot' or 'fin rot' for that matter.
The strain that kills quick(24hrs) will show no symptoms or it will be too late when they show.
Some good links on columnaris;
Fish Columnaris | Fungus & Saprolegnia | Treatment & Prevention
Long read(also about fungal) but worth it if you are up top it.

Quick easy read on the four (yes 4) strains!
http://www.myaquariumclub.com/columnaris-and-what-i-have-learned...-1689.html

Brenna got meds right.
Salt first and lower temp to 70's(if possible).
Then kana and furan together.
If it is columnaris anything less will not go well for your fish or you IMO.
Hope this helps,good luck.

 

[Troy.m]

Even with scaleless fish like the fire eel you suggest those meds? and I will try to drop that temp as much as I can!


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[Troy.m]

Could only find nitrofurazone at the Lfs any idea of any name brands for the other one?


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[brennae]

Kanaplex. Might have to order. Try Ken's fishroom etc it's really a good thing to have on hand especially if you rescue more fish

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[coralbandit]

Many sources on web.
Seachem kanaplex;Seachem. KanaPlex

Buy Fish Fish Kanamycin Forte Powder - Kanamycin - 250mg Fish Antibiotics. Free Shipping!

Fish Medications, Products Page 1

^the NFP ^ are top notch meds.

Now I can't accurately speak on these meds and scaleless fish but have use many meds know to be sensitive with my clown loaches(over the last 10+ years).

If you choose to medicate then start at 1/2 dose first day and if things are good go full on day two IMO.
This is how I have always tested.

 

[ImACoolguy]

I used kapaplex and Furan-2 on discus and they pulled through. They are good meds.


Caleb

 

[Troy.m]

I used the tetra brand of nitrofurazone it died my whole tank green and my substrate will prob be ruined I hope the eel will be okay with that if things don't improve I will get the other stuff and qt them and use that (I heard it will recycle your tank) is that true with the meds I used just now as well?


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[PassengerTN]

+1 on recommended meds. Had a nasty outbreak in my African cichlid tank. Lost over 15 fish before I got it under control using the meds. I used Seachem Kanaplex and Hikari BiFuran+ combined with cool temps.

Jesse

 

[Troy.m]

Out of two years of fish keepin I've never had too use meds so this is all new territory


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[brennae]

The green comes out with water changes and carbon. Not sure what it will do to substrate. Not sure in cycle question either

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