Calling all fish disease experts!!!

[bs6749]

Let's try this again. I posted about a sick female GBR about 2 months ago and got no replys.

When whe was first sick, the male that she was paired with seemed to reject her and he did take another mate. She would hide in the corners of the tanks, behind plants, she stayed on the bottom of the tank, got pale in color, pelvic fins lost color, she seemed to be extremely timid, got pretty thin but would still eat, and would shy away from any other fish, and she had what I believe is called "clamped fins". Her tail seemed to move very little in aiding her while swimming and she would almost swim at a 45 degree angle with her head up, dragging her belly on the sand.

I isolated her in a 10 gallon QT tank for about 4-5 weeks. I treated with Maracyn and Maracyn-Two for gram- and gram+ bacterial infections. She seemed to be recovering a LITTLE during those weeks. I decided to put her back in the main tank because she seemed to be quite a bit more spunky than when she was initially sick.

Right now, she is still alive and has gained some weight back, still eats food, seems a little stroger, she is a little more social in that she will sometimes defend her territory and "display" all of her fins to make herself appear larger, she will swim to the surface for food where she wouldn't in the past, still seems stressed and is pale, her tail seems to move a little more.

I am thinking that she may possibly have an internal parasite? What do you think? No other fish in the main tank have become sick though and showed these symptoms. If it is a parasite what should I do to treat her? Does this sound like a parasite? PLEASE HELP! I can't stand to see her like this.

 

[Zagz]

I would try using a medicated food for her. I have recently tried geltek foods, you soak the food in the meds and then feed it to the fish. It has been quite successful. I'd give it a try, it certainly can't hurt her any. Have you seen her poo at all? Is it white and stringy?

 

[bs6749]

That's the thing... I haven't seen her waste. I should have known to look but I haven't/didn't take a good look at it. White would indicate parasites or constipation correct? It is not constipation though if she is eating and getting thin. So I would need a parasite med and then soak it in food or does the food come with the meds? I was under the assumption that the medications are absorbed through the body by means of the water. Are the Jungle foods any good for this? Can you recommend any other type of meds that may work? Where can I get this stuff? Thanks in advance.

 

[Zagz]

You can get either pre medicated food which my fish never seem to eat or the gel you can soak the food in which my fish eat. Jungle is good if the fish will eat it, I recently purchased Geltek. I found my foods at my lfs, I know Big Al's carries Jungle brand but haven't seen Geltek foods there. I have heard that Petco sells Gel tek.

Yes if the poo is white and stringy it indicates internal parasites. But so does the skinniness and still eating symptoms. What happens when fish have internal parasites is that the parasite consumes all the value of the food, leaving the fish hungry and wasting away.

For internal parasites, medications they ingest are more effective IME than external water medications.

 

[bs6749]

Thanks for the help. I will look for Geltek and if I can't find that I will try Jungle. Don't know if it will work though. I have my fingers crossed.

 

[Zagz]

Let me know how you make out.