Deformities on Serpae Tetras...

[Lonewolfblue]

I was just wondering what could be wrong with some of my serpae's. One isn't looking so hot, and has white coloring just in front of his tail, like dried skin. Also, another serpae looks like he has 2 chins, looks weird. Other serpae's are looking to have some similar things happening to them as well. If I can get a pic of the serpae with the double chin, will post it. Also, the one with the dry skin look also has part of his tail missing. And some of the serpae's eyes are starting to look bigger, but I know it's not popeye. Will try to get some pics, but they are camera shy.

 

[zacusmaximus]

Mine don't have any growths or discoloration, but I do have a serpae that has a "bent head". Its bizarre, to say the least. It doesn't effect the fish in the slightest. Its not a BIG deformity, but it is quite noticeable when you look at it head-on. I think I'll start a circus tank some day!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The first 2 pics are the same fish. He's the one at the surface, and fins all in bad shape. It's kind of funny because the GBR's are at the surface again. I still can't figure this one out. Then the 3rd pic you can see the white by his tail. It's actually looking fuzzy now. I think I might have to dose the tank for fungus. As for water parameters, all's perfect, and did my 60% PWC today. I just don't understand how things are slowly starting to degrade. Any ideas, and is this fungus? And what would be my best plan of attack? Also, just something I thought, could fungus possibly cause some of the fish to surface like that?

 

[plecoperson]

Hey, have you seen my recent thread(s) about my sick tetras? Not dissimilar with the white patchy stuff and the "double chin" look from bloating. Mine don't go to the surface, though, until they are near dead....

 

[Jchillin]

That looks very much like one of mine, sans the white edging. Head has a sloping curve until you get to the mouth and looks more like a boxer (the dog) in the face. Your serpaes ventral fins look a little short, as if they were pinched off.

 

[plecoperson]

They're pristellas--but betcha they have the same thing. Now my lil' BN plec has it too. He looks well and truly doomed; very bloated. I want to put the tank OUT ON THE CURB.

But it's too heavy, so I will try blasting with some anti-parasite med (fish will not eat the medicated food. Move as many snails out as I can. Pray.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have NLS Thera+A Anti-parasitic food, and the fish seem to really like it. It's a non-medicated anti-parasitic food. I've also been thinking of medicating the tank, but not really sure if I want to. If I decide to get all new plants, thinking of removing the old plants, then remove 90+% of the water and replacing. Also, thinking of running my diatom filter a few times, as they say parasites and such will be removed that way. Might try it several days in a row, just in case something might be floating around in the water.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Now I really need help. It's not only affecting several serpae's, but 1 male GBR now has the same. I have pics now, and was wondering what the best treatment would be. I'm just going to have to medicate the whole tank, but not sure what I should use. One of the pics is the serpae with the deformity. It's bad now. Also, 2 other serpae's eyes are starting to bulge out some. And the male GBR, one eye is somewhat clouding over, and starting to bulge as well, but the other eye is perfect. Any ideas? What is my best coarse of action right now? Maracyn Two?

Edit:
Well, here it goes. I dosed the tank with Maracyn Two. Let's hope for the best. I'm also going to feed lightly every other day as well, to help keep the bioload down. And hoping the plants will help maintain things if the biofilter becomes a problem. Wish me luck, I need to get this knocked out.

What I did today was did a 65% PWC, filled, added Prime, dosed ferts, then added the Maracyn Two tablets. Boy this is an expensive dosing, lol. I had a half box of tabs, and went and got 2 more boxes so I can complete the treatment. It was 15 tablets today, and then 7.5 tablets a day for 5 days after this.

Edit:
Began treatment #2. Cleaned diatom filter, recharged it, and moved it to the 75G. Going to run it 2-3 hours a day through the treatment. If there's anything in the water, it's getting removed.

The eye on the left is normal and clear. The eye on the right bulges out twice as far, and is semi-cloudy.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Day 2:
I dosed Maracyn Two, as well as Maracyn. Things aren't looking any better, the GBR's eye is still huge. I hope it takes effect before the eye bursts, like it did on the bala shark I had. Also running the diatom filter again, gonna let it run a good 3 hours.

 

[plecoperson]

I dosed my tetras with Parasite Clear; white dealies extended themselves and fell off of the sickest. Treatment or parasite or whatever it is killed my lil' bristlenose.

All the tetras still clinging to life-treating again tonight.....

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Just completed my daily tests. Here's my results:
Temp 77.6
ph AP kit says approx 6.6, ph controller says 6.7, so we'll say 6.7.
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 20+ppm
gh and kh both 60
phosphate not tested.

 

[Devilishturtles]

LWB, your serpae looks like it may have Columnaris or some other bacterial skin infection. The Maracyn and Maracyn-Two should knock it out. As far as the mouth thing goes, it's been plauging me at work lately and I can't figure it out either. I've done little reseach on it and I guess it's some sort of internal bacterial infection.

Pop-Eye looks nasty, but will usually clear up on it's own. It comes on from stress. In your daily water tests, I'm assuming everything is staying the same? Temp or pH not flucuating?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Temp stays between 77.5 and 79.5.
ph is controlledby the ph controller, 6.5-6.7

And after looking at the one serpae, the lump under it now has a hole in it. Can't get a good pic though.

Update:
My tank is very cloudy now, lol. Double checked my parameters and all's good. According to the Maracyn Two package, it will make the water cloudy. And boy, it sure is cloudy, lol. Can't wait til treatment is done. As for the fish, no sign of any change, all's still looking the same. Have 3 more days of treatment, or possibly longer if it still persists. If things don't get better, I'll do a major water change and add carbon to the tank to remove the meds. Once that is complete, what should I try next? Any ideas?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Update:

1 Serpae dead after I got home. And the male GBR's eye is about ready to burst. I sure wish the Maracyn Two would knock it out, but looks like he may lose his eye. Not sure if there would have been anything better for him than Maracyn and Maracyn Two. I'll have to check and see if it was the serpae with the lump. I didn't look him over when I flushed him, I should have. And luckily, he must have just passed away, as he didn't have any parts of him eaten away. So I got him out of there ASAP.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Sorry, LWB.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Any other ideas if Maracyn and Maracyn Two doesn't knock it out, other than a major water change every day for the next several days? After 3 more days, I'm going to do a 75% PWC and place carbon in the filter for 2 days or so.

 

[Devilishturtles]

If the serpaes are still lookin nasty, I'd get the maracyn and maracyn-two out (carbon, pwc, etc.) and try and find yourself some Kanacyn (kanamycin). Much stronger antibiotic, but harder to come by.

 

[joannde]

Watch your parameters closely - when I used Maracyn and Maracyn II I knocked my biofilter completely out on the third day. The plants will help you some (I have all slow growers so they weren't much help). And I know what you mean about the cloudiness ! Are you also getting a "skin" on the top of the tank ? The bubbles from my bubble wand just accumulated on top - it looked like a bubble bath !
Good luck to you - sorry this is happening.

 

[plecoperson]

I ordered some different parasite med (Levamisole hydrochloride) and will treat when I get it. Treating w/Maracyn II starting tonight for secondary infection. On my fish, it looks for-sure parasitic. There is bloating on this fish, and my bristlenose was very bloated before dying as well.

I think it's odd that we both had repeated ich attacks, and now this. I'm convinced that the "ich" I saw on these tetras was actually the start of whatever they have now, and that I never actually had ich in the tank.

Pics of my worst fish, taken last night. Note face lump. The other smaller bumps looked exactly like ich when they started.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Parameters are still looking good, but nitrates rising some. Other than that, all's ok. No real film on the top, just the minimal that I've always had, and the bubbles from the bubbler pop almost as soon as it surfaces. So no bubble bath here.

Update......
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40+ppm (I think it's the large amount of waste coming from the large pleco)
kh and gh both 60
ph 6.6
Appearance: Very cloudy, hard to see in the tank.
Serpae's: Still not in good shape.
GBR's eye: Huge, and looks like it's scraped and peeling on the outer layer.
Red Tail Shark: The black is black, and a bright red tail. Looks healthy and happy.
Rummy Nose Tetras: Heads are bright red, which means they are happy and the quality is great for them.

Doesn't look like this treatment is going well, but the biofilter and fast-growing plants are holding up. Going on day 4. If it doesn't look any better tomorrow, I'm going to start flushing the tank, and add carbon. It's beginning to get some smell to it, like dead fish. But all fish are still alive and well, other than having problems. The large pleco isn't handling it too well either, he seems like he's a bit on the chill side, lol. Maybe it's the meds? LOL. Wonder if he's feeling real good, lol. But anyways, not acting normal, so I'm going 1 more day and then the flushing begins.

Now it's making me wonder if it's something else. Now the popeye should have been handled by the Maracyn and Maracyn Two. But the other fish still confuse me. Wondering if I'm not fighting a bacterial problem, and it's something else. I really don't see any signs of fungus either. Wonder if the white stuff that looks like dry skin is a fungus? Anyone ever see a fungus look like that?

Also, this weekend I ordered more stuff. I got 2 powerheads for my 75G and 1 for my 29G. I also got the small rio powerhead to use with the viewtainer I have for a DIY CO2 reactor, and see what I can do with that. But I think I need to get some more circulation in my 75G, so I think 2 160GPH powerheads will do it.