clueless?

[StacyRe]

:?
I need help. I recently had a Bala shark that died of what i believed was ick. Since then my Red finned shark has been acting funny. He doesn't seem to be eating, and he is very pale... Could this be the beginning of ick as well? If so what should i do?

 

[StacyRe]

Please someone help me... I am desperate...

 

[pkremer]

Did the bala shark have the white spots all over him? Why did you believe it was ich?

It might be possible that if your last fish died from ich, that the other shark is as well. If the ich infests the gills, that may not be outwardly visible, but will make it hard for the fish to breathe.

What have you done to treat the ich?

Paul

 

[StacyRe]

Thank you so much for replying.

The shark didn't have any visible white spots, but his fins looked very weird, as if something has been eating at it..

I haven't don't anything to treat the ick yet.. This just happened recently, so i was hoping to get advice on what the best way to treat it is.

My Red Finned shark goes in stages... sometimes he is very pale, and sometimes he looks normal.. I haven't seen him eat for a couple days now... I don't know what to do.

 

[pkremer]

Well, to be perfectly honest, that doesn't sound like ich to me. Have you read this article?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32

It is excellent. Look at the pictures. These pictures show what an infestation of ich will look like. Unfortunately, just like humans, there are many many diseases, parasites, bacterial and fungal infections, internal problems, etc that can affect fish.

Did his fins have black or white edges? This may have been a sign of fin rot. I am not an expert in this area, however. The only disease I have ever seen is ich and a white bacterial growth on some tetras. I wish I could help you more, really I do!

For right now, though, your best bet would be to describe exactly how the problem with the bala shark started, what your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, etc) are, and exactly how the problem escalated to the point where the bala shark died. Colors, the way the fish looked, how his fins looked, etc. That way, another member with experience treating different ailments will be able to help you out!

But again, from what you have said, it doesn't really sound like ich.
Paul

 

[StacyRe]

thank you for your advice... There was another thing i forgot to mention though that didn't seem normal...

When he died, his eyed were bulged out of his head...could that mean anything?

another question... i'm sorry this may be something stupid to ask, but is it possible for him to choke?

 

[An t-iasg]

Has your tank cycled? What are your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH values? Like pkremer said, that's a good place to start. In the articles section, there's an article on freshwater nitrogen cycling. Go to the homepage, and on the left side near the top, click on articles, and then freshwater articles. I just tried to link it, and my computer crapped out on me...grrr...

It sounds like your shark may have had finrot and popeye. Both conditions can be treated by antibiotics. I have always had good luck with Kanacyn. If your tank is cycled, the best thing is to treat in a separate tank, because the antibiotics will kill off some of the good, cycling bacteria. If the red-finned shark, or your other fish look like they are getting what the bala shark had, I would treat them with an antibiotic.

But we should try to figure out what caused the illness in the first place. That's why knowing the ammonia and other parameters will help. Sometimes finrot and popeye happen when water isn't changed as often as it should be. Most people change 20-25% of the water once a week. But sometimes, finrot just seems to happen for no reason. I had a betta once that got finrot all the time, and none of my other fish did.

I don't think a fish can choke. Sometimes, a fish eats very fast, and pieces of food can get stuck in the gills. If the piece is very big it could interfere with gill function, but I think that's rare. I've seen bettas eat tubifex worms so fast that the worms are coming out their gills, and they were fine. The worm broke free quickly. One time, one of my fish ate a piece of food that was a bit too big, and he seemed like he was "chewing" for awhile, but he was ok. So I don't think your fish choked. He probably had a bacterial infection that caused the popeye.

Did the bala shark die in your main tank? If he did, I would do a water change now, and keep an eye on the other fish for any signs of stress. If the other fish look like they are coming down with the same symptoms, I would put them in a separate tank and treat with an antibiotic.

 

[Menagerie]

I agree with An t-iasg.
Try looking through these sites:
http://www.aquatronicsonline.com/hobbyist/hobbyist3.htm
http://www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#ich
http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health.htm

The following Qs are meant to help us so we can further help you:
~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp)?
~ How large is the tank?
~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are there current sizes?
~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
~How long have you had the fish?
~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlor, new substrate, etc.?

I do believe your shark had a bacterial or fungal infection, but there may be something else aggravating the situation.

 

[An t-iasg]

StacyRe, how are the fish today?

Here's the cycling article that I was unable to link last night:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21

If you don't have ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH test kits, take a sample of your tank water to your lfs and they can do the tests for you. But you should try to buy them when you can. I like the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand -- "Doc Wellfish". There are two different ammonia tests available with this brand -- I would suggest getting the one that says 130 tests and has two test bottles in it.

Oh, and sorry....about your bala shark that died

 

[StacyRe]

Thanks for the advice guys... I'm going to try my best to answer your questions....

~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp)?
I just tested my ammonia a day or two ago, it was in the safe zone, my water temperature is about 80 degrees... unfortunately i don't know the nitrites and nitrate levels... I don't have test kits.. :|

~ How large is the tank?
I have a 10 gallon tank.

~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are there current sizes?
As of right now I only have two fish in my tank, my algae eater and my red finned shark.. both of which are about 2 inches.

~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
I vaccuumed the gravel and did a water change about 5 days ago... I usually change my water about once every week and a half, and vaccuum the gravel about once every 3 weeks. I only usually do a 25% water change.

~How long have you had the fish?
My bala shark, the recently died, i had for about 4 months. About a month ago i got the RF shark.

~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlor, new substrate, etc.?
I haven't added anything prior to my bala shark dieing, but after, i did add a small amount of stress eyme.

Can you explain any more symptoms of the popeye?

As much as i wished i was, i'm not an expert at this yet.. I'm trying, but with this i am clueless. I appreciate you guys helping me out.

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks for answering...I know that was a lot of questions!

Ammonia has to be 0. There really isn't a safe zone. If it's not zero, you should do a water change(s) to lower it, every day if necessary.

For normal maintenance, a 25% water change is fine. Try to do a water change once a week, and also vacuum the gravel every time you do a water change. Vacuum one side of the gravel one week, removing the decorations so you can get to all the gravel on that side. The next week, do the other side. (If the ammonia is very high, you can vac the whole tank -- you want to get the waste out that's causing the ammonia spike.) What kind of filtration do you have? If a filter pad needs rinsing, swish it around in the tank water that you removed during the water change. Don't rinse under the faucet. The chlorine will kill the good bacteria.

Did you notice any aggression beween the two sharks? A 10 gallon tank is small for two sharks, and probably even one shark. They may get aggressive as they try to establish a territory, and a 10 gallon tank doesn't give them much room for a territory.

I wouldn't add any more stress-zyme. It doesn't have the correct cycling bacteria, and if you are cycled already, you don't need it. It really won't add anything beneficial to the tank.

Hope this helps some. Any more questions, just ask!

 

[OscarLivingston]

Red fin sharks may turn from black to a white color in times of stress, I definately would find out what your Nitrite levels are though. Sounds like the shark has a little bit of fin rot try adding a antibacterial medicine and adding a couple tablespoons of salt. Most sharks are tough and you should be able to save him, keep it dark in the tank and make shure you have hiding spots for him to help him from becoming to stressed out.

 

[StacyRe]

I was only keeping my sharks in the 10 gallon until they grew a bit... They weren't that big...

There was no aggression between them... They both seemed to know where their territory was, and they seemed to get along quite well.

My Red finned shark seems to be doing a lot better... He is back to his normal color. He seems to be doing better.

I thank you guys for your help.. I'm going to keep a close watch on my water... I have to purchase some water testers besides the ammonia... And we'll see how it goes...

Thanks again.