2x Fancy guppies.

[Mad Professor]

Well I'm finally calling it. It could be TB it could be something else, I don't know. Its in my 44 gallon, its a virus or a diease attacking my guppies.
After buying and feeding the bloodworms that seem to have fatten rest of my guppies.

Water Params:
Ammo: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 5-10
Ph: 7.8
Temp: 78-80
recently tested *thursday night*

But heres several pictures their are 2 that have completely different symptoms. Started 2-3 weeks back, about the same time.
Both are eating.

Guppie one: Clamp tail fin, deterioating surface skin/scales from gavid spot down.

Guppie two: skeletal structure deterioating, clammy skin/surface, but the back is inline and does not curve left or right. Still has a roundness around the belly.
*Sorry couldn't get a better pic, this guppy is more shy and likes the dark spots.*

Any ideas, it probley wouldn't matter to QT them because the whole tank could be infected.

 

[Zagz]

I would guess on a bacterial infection. Have you treated with anything at all yet? When was the last pwc and how much? I always start with extra pwc's before treating with meds. Meds can affect the bacterial cycle. What other fish are in the tank?

 

[Mad Professor]

Last PWC was about a week ago. I do 50% on all tanks.
No I have not used anything to treat it, because I don't know what it is that I'm treating for. Also I have no idea what I need to combat this infection.
It was a slow process but I couldn't be sure what it was.

I have:
8: Females fancy guppies *includes the 2 in the pics*
2: Males
2: cory cats *I want more soon but have to get this under control*

Thats about it.

I have 2x 10 gallons.
1 cory has died in the barb/skirts about 1 1/2 weeks ago. No further deaths All fish do look healthy.
The other 10 gallon is a recently established tank, all fish have survived transfer.

 

[Zagz]

So the affected fish are in your 44 gallon? Any whiteness or cottony effect to the skin? Guppies can be of poor quality and succum to illness quite easily. If it were me, I would try something mild like Melafix and pimafix for starters. They do not affect the bacterial cycle at all. It it isn't cottony I am still suspecting bacterial in nature. Btw I would still QT the affected fish for treatment.

Oh and I would do another 50% pwc, it can't hurt and might even help.

 

[Zagz]

Did a bit more research and I would QT the fish and treat with Maracyn II. Check out this link. Scroll down to bacterial infections and see if you agree this sounds like what your fish have.

 

[Mad Professor]

Yeah thats sounds like it, but I have been maintaining good water quality for the past few months.

anyways
Can I treat the whole tank? Because a few weeks ago both my cories had some sort of bulge on their under belly, not consistent to their body. Not sure what it is? Its not as bad now but it was big enough to catch my eye before.

I feel alot better if I just treat the whole tank.

I'll get maracyn II tomorrow; any tips before I treat them?
Like filter media, I have the micron bio cartridge in my magnum at the moment.

 

[Mad Professor]

Got some Maracyn Two tablets. I plan on doing a PWC tonight and then starting treatment. Do I need to take filter media out so it doesn't filter the meds?

 

[joannde]

If you have carbon in your filter take out the carbon - you can leave the floss.
Watch your parameters CLOSELY - Maracyn 2 killed my biofilter when I used it. Be prepared to do a daily water change. After the treatment is over add the carbon back for a day, then reseed your filter with some gravel and / or filter material from another tank.

Good luck to you - I know you've been battling whatever-this-is for quite some time. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

 

[Mad Professor]

No but I do have the Micron Bio filter in there, that came with my magnum H.O.T. Should I yank that out?

At this very moment, I've opened my package of bio-chem stars and put 2 in a media bag and put it in my Tiger Barb/Blackskirt 10 gallon tank. So at the end of the treatment, I should have some sort of bacterial colony, to recycle the tank.

I don't think I have much of a bio-load, so I can probely go every other day at 25% water change.

What do you think?

 

[joannde]

I don't think you need to remove the micron bio filter.

I can't say whether 25% water changes will be enough - just test and if the ammonia or nitrites get to 0.50ppm doing a water change.

Forgot to mention - your tank is going to get VERY cloudy - its going to look like white soup. Don't worry about that, its the meds.

 

[Mad Professor]

We're over the target area.... Lining up the bomb sight.....
Bomb bay doors open.....

BOMBS AWAY!!!!

Yeah I just opened the package and put 10 tablets in my glass cup, *dry of course* and dump them in all at once.

It said on the packaging,
For the first day to put 2 tablets for every 10 gallons.
*Since I had a 44 gallon, I put 10 in.*
Then 2nd to 5th day 1 tablet per 10 gallons. *so I need 5 for every day?*
But now I'm not sure if I'm going to have enough to make it to day 3, so I might have to buy more.

 

[joannde]

Fingers crossed for you !
(yes, you'll probably need more)
Watch your ammonia and nitrites.

The good news is that I had some sort of mystery illness that was wiping my fish out and after the treatment my death rate feel dramatically and I've only lost two fish since then.