Bad News, Please Help

[Courtney]

have a 75 gallon tropical fish tank. ammonia =0, nitrites =0, nitrates = 5ppm. Filtration is a Fluval 404 and a AquaClear 500. The tank has been set up for 1 1/2 years.

Right now I only have a few tropicals:
- 4 corys
- 4 algea eaters
- Around 10 guppies
- 2 long fin tetras
- 7 rasaboras
- 5 cherry barbs
- 2 platys
- 2 swordtails
- 3 barbs - not sure the name
- 5 neon tetras

Recently added- (on July 1st)
- 3 corys
- 4 platys
- 4 swordtails
- 5 rasaboras

Deaths
- 1 cory
- 2 platys
- 2 swordtails
- 1 barb


So I added the new fish and a couple days later I noticed on a swordtail that she had mouth fungus and was shimmying and then passed away a day later. I immediately added some Melafix and Primafix and cleaned the tank. Then as time went on I lost 1 cory, 2 platys, 2 swordtails & 1 barb. Yesterday I added salt (1 TSP per 10 gallons).

Symptoms
Guppies, Platys, Swordtails shimmy, flash, and I did notice on my cory that passed away today that it looked like he was burnt around his belly. No redness, No fungus just a white line. One of my algae eaters looks like he's bleeding. The barb (not sure the name) did not shimmy at all or display any strange behavior.
I’m confused because only 1 swordtail had the white mouth fungus and none of the others that died had the fungus. The algae eater looks like it’s bleeding so I think I may be dealing with fungus AND something else since my algae eater looks like it’s bleeding and the cory looked like he has a white stripe on him.

I don't want to loose any more fish & I’m desperate here. I’ve never had this kind of sickness and fish loss before. I’m thinking it’s bacterial and fungus but don’t want to go dump a bunch of medications in my tank.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

One of my fish had mouth fungus and I found out it is caused by deteriorating water quality. Do you have a test kit? And what is the name of the algae eaters? Do you see any fish picking on the "algae eaters"?

 

[Toirtis]

Sounds like it could be both (and to be honest, that was a lot of fish to add at once, even for a 75...I assume none were quarantined?)....what are your water parameters?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

First line Toirtis, Blaze, 0,0,5-but no pH given. What kind of test kit do you have? The strips are worthless. If those parameters are correct and the pH is ok they are great so I'm stumped as to a cause. Maybe an internal parasite? Or some form of poisoning? My tap water is so bad that I am abandoning it completely. Is there anything else you have added to the tank?

 

[Menagerie]

 

[Toirtis]

First line Toirtis, Blaze, 0,0,5-but no pH given.

Missed that, but yes, no pH, no temperature, etc.

 

[Courtney]

One of my fish had mouth fungus and I found out it is caused by deteriorating water quality. Do you have a test kit? And what is the name of the algae eaters? Do you see any fish picking on the "algae eaters"?

Well Im sure it was brought in by new fish that I bought. They got the mouth fungus the day after I got them. Yes, I posted my test results above. It's the hagen mater test kit. Not the dip sticks, they don't work at all. Nobody is picking on the algae eaters. I have been watching like a hawk.
The ph is 7.5 and the temp is 78 degrees.

Sounds like it could be both (and to be honest, that was a lot of fish to add at once, even for a 75...I assume none were quarantined?)....what are your water parameters?

Well the tank was fully cycled prior so that's why I added new fish. It had a lot of fish in there a couple days before I added the tropicals. No, I can't afford a quarantine tank.

Maybe an internal parasite? Or some form of poisoning? My tap water is so bad that I am abandoning it completely. Is there anything else you have added to the tank?

It could be a parasite. I don't see any white feces but I guess that isn't 100% accurate. Hmm, not sure about the poisoning. Im extremely careful about what I spray or put in the tank. I wash my hands very well beofre I go poking around. What happened to your water? What was in it and what were the symptoms? That coule be something I could look into and call the water company. The only thing new I added was the new fish, which Im sure brought something in on them.
Im really thinking this may be bacterial of some sort.

 

[greenmaji]

I can't afford a quarantine tank.

I dont want to sound crass here but a QT is almost basic equipment and will save countless livestock lives.. you really can not afford to not have one.. personaly I wouldnt buy new fish if I didnt have access to one.. this of course is hindsite to your very real problem.. sorry for your losses..

it does sound like poisoning with all that bleading.. I really hope you find out what the problem is.. I would definatly use some kind of fungus med if I where you and your temperature is not too high maybe a few degees too low but you are battling at least a fungus problem and that would only get worse with higher temperatues so I wouldnt want to change that..

 

[Menagerie]

There are cheap ways to do a QT "tank" just read the article on QT tanks to avoid this in the future.

Eight Chinchillas

Pics??

On to the problem at hand:
When you say it looks like they are bleeding--from where? Hemorrhage under the skin?

 

[Courtney]

Alright I took your advice and went and got a 20 gallon starter kit for a QT tank. I decided on a bigger tank because I do have cichlids and they can get pretty big so the 20 gallon should be okay. You guys are right, I really do need this and save me a ton of problems. Im broke but I will find a way around it.
Well what ever it was on my algea eater healed up, woo hoo and the shimmying has stopped and I think it will be alright. I added the salt and I think that's what is working.

On to the problem at hand:
When you say it looks like they are bleeding--from where? Hemorrhage under the skin?

Okay, I will try to explain it better. You know when you get a paper cut and it looks red with a small slice, it looked like that. It wasn't gushing blood, just looked red and irritated. But VERY small slice. Sorry Im not so clear, I tried to explain it as best as I could.

it does sound like poisoning with all that bleading

It wasn't a lot of bleeding and only on one algae eater. The rest of the fishes main problem was the shimmying and death.

I would definatly use some kind of fungus med if I where you and your temperature is not too high maybe a few degees too low but you are battling at least a fungus problem and that would only get worse with higher temperatues so I wouldnt want to change that..

I took you advice and went out and got some fungus meds that also prevent secondary infection.

Eight Chinchillas

Pics??

You bet I got pics! I will post some in the picture section.