Help - Clowns & Yoyo's flashing & sick. Ich maybe?

[hvacrwe]

Hello,
I am new today and very anxious trying to save my clowns, yoyos, pandas, etc. I moved them from a 35 gal about 2 weeks ago into a 75 gal. The water has been up and down awful, but I am trying to get it right. However, the one 6" clown has been lethargic and hiding most of the time and about 4-5 days ago, she couldn't even swim. The male at 4" has been ok unti; 2 days ago. All of the yoyos are flashing and reddish in spots. They are also darting and I know they are uncomfortable. Here we go. 5 days ago I checked the water. The nitrates were thru the roof. I did a 50%water change and put all gone in the filter, Got better. Meanwhile my fish still will getting worse. So 2 days ago, I started raising the temp (it was 78) and I put 7 tsp. salt in. Yesterday both nitrites and trates were high and did 25% change and added 4 tsp salt, melafix and a lot of stress coat. Last night my clown was out and swimming but have not seen her all day and don't think she is eating. I held her when she couldn't swim, she felt very slimy and 2 days ago I saw tiny white dots on the clowns. I thought I lost one of the 3 baby clowns (1.5") but they are all still here. One keeps gasping at the top. Yesterday I added extra aeration, lowered the water the flow from 4 HOB'S would make it more flowing, also took all carbon out. My parameters today now are as follows:
temperature - 82
nitrates - 25-50
nitrites - 1
hardness - 120
chlorine - 0
alkalinity - 130
carbonate - 180
ph - 6.0
copper - .5
The only thing I put in today was stress coat so far. Can anyone suggest anything? I am distressed. They seem better then they're not. I want to help them if I can. Thank you.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Nitrites at 1.0 is incredibly high, I would do a few large water changes tonight and one or 2 every night this week of at least 50%. I’ve always gone the clean water and high temps route when dealing with ich.

 

[hvacrwe]

Thank you so much for responding. Did I mean .1? It was the reading right next to zero. Very pale oink.

 

[hvacrwe]

I am sorry. I am very new at this and I have been reading and searching as fast as I can. I have also acquired a small pharmacy in my kitchen over the last week, of various water treatments and meds. I also wanted to say my yoyos are not eating as of today and I have lost 6 fish to date with this. Thank you so much.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I am sorry. I am very new at this and I have been reading and searching as fast as I can. I have also acquired a small pharmacy in my kitchen over the last week, of various water treatments and meds. I also wanted to say my yoyos are not eating as of today and I have lost 6 fish to date with this. Thank you so much.

As you havent mentioned ammonia, ill presume you are using a 5 in 1 test strip. The lowest the API test strip will read nitrite is 0.5ppm so i think you are right with your 1ppm nitrite. I would also suggest a liquid test kit, much easier to read, more accurate, and much, much, more cost effective due to the 100s of tests you can get out of a kit. API freshwater master test kit covers the basics (pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate). You need something to test for ammonia whatever.

It doesn't look like you are cycled. Ammonia and nitrite build up takes a few weeks to manifest into health issues, so its not what they are living in now that is the problem, but what they lived in previously.

Your priority should be cycling the tank. Test daily, if ammonia + nitrite combined is above 0.5ppm then you need to be controlling them with water changes. 50% daily water changes until you are below this target level and then whatever you need to change to keep them there. Feed sparingly, as much as they can eat in 1 minute daily or 2 minutes every other day. You can speed up your cycle process by introducing some filter media from an established filter or alternatively some bottled bacteria like Dr Tims One and Only might help. Until you are able to test for ammonia and know the full extent of issues i would be doing daily 50% water changes.

As to treating your fish, this can be an issue while you arent cycled. You will just be treating symptoms and not the cause and medications can cause issues with your cycle when still establishing. Im not sure there is a treatment for ammonia poisoning beyond getting the fish in better quality water and cycling the tank. Nitrite poisoning can be treated with aquarium salt.

I agree with the previous comment that water changes will be of most benefit to you, and heat to treat any ich.

 

[hvacrwe]

Thanks so much for getting back to me. Well I did a 30% water change last night because of the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. Then later about 1 am, my smaller of the 2 adult clowns came out of hiding and couldn't even swim strait, trying to get to the top and gasping for air. So I immediately did another 50% water change and was dumping buckets of conditioned water back in to try to get oxygen in the water. My temp was up to 83 and I put it back to 82. This time, no salt, all I put in was melafix 1/2 dose and full dose stress coat. one of the 3 baby clowns is in bad shape and the other 2 I haven't seen since earlier yesterday. I haven't seen my big girl clown, since the night before last. I stayed up after the water change this morning but didn't see her. I am going to look later today. I guess I have been avoiding what I am dreading I will find. The yoyos are lethargic too. Should I do another water change tonight? Anything I can put in there to at least make everyone comfortable? So depressing but I am not giving up. My little panda corys are such hearty little guys, they look and act fine. Any advice is so needed and very appreciated. I guess I should be hunting down my missing babies or give it a little time?Any advice or knowledge. Thanks so much!

 

[hvacrwe]

I had ammonia strips and used the last one at 3:00am. Ordering more but getting the test kit you suggested. Thank you for that .

 

[hvacrwe]

Hi I just did water test. Things aren't good. What should I do now?
Nitrite - 10 ppm
nitrate - 25
copper - .5
chlorine - 0
alk - 180
carbonate - 180
ph - 7.2
temp - 81.7

 

[Aiken Drum]

Keep up with water changes. Nitrite at that level is definitely not good for fish long term or short term. Its not really feasible to get nitrite down from 10ppm to safe levels in the space of a day, but a couple of 50% changes a few hours apart will get them safer.

Get that ammonia test.

I would also test your tapwater, make sure you arent inadvertently adding any ammonia in with each water change.

Try using Seachem Prime for your water conditioner rather than Stresscoat.

 

[hvacrwe]

Below is my tap water:
RON ? - 0
copper - 1
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5-10
hardness - 425
chlorine - 0
alk - 240
carbonate - 340
ph - 8.2
ammonia - TBD
I found my big girl (clown), but in a cave and can't tell how she is. I attached a couple pictures of different fish (my camera is awful). I know something is wrong with the bright pinkish red danio. If it can't be made out, the belly is big or swollen and there are bumps sticking out on the face near their eyes. I think the panda gammas look wiped out. The baby clown really look disheveled. I just can't find the ich spots on them. Thanks so much.

 

[hvacrwe]

is there a certaiin conditioner i should get for the water changes? I am ordering today. I was getting API Tap Water Cond. Thank you!

 

[Aiken Drum]

A water conditioner is a water conditioner. Some claim to have bells and whistles on them. Eg. Prime claims to detoxify ammonia and nitrite for short periods. Stesscoat has an additive they claim helps to maintain the fishes slimecoat.

Personally, unless you have a particular issue then go with whatever turns out to be the most cost effective per water change.

When i did the calculation, Prime was the cheapest readily available (from my local stores) water conditioner per water change (its quite expensive, but you dont need much to treat a lot of water). I think API Tap Water Conditioner is a similar cost per water change to prime, but my local stores dont stock it. I used to use api stresscoat, but it was stupidly expensive and im sceptical that adding a product that contains a sugar (aloe vera is a polymerised sugar) is of any benefit.

 

[hvacrwe]

Thank you so much. I am going to do a water change as soon as these phones stop. I work from home HVAC. I used API and ran out this am. I stock Prime in my newly added kitchen pharmacy . So I will switch to that. If you have time, please let me know what you would recommend to make them more comfortable skin wise. Some of the Yoyos are red from flashing. I was using the API Stress Coat. Is it ok to let you know the readings after thwe next water change (I am sorry...still haven't gotten to reading all the rules etc about tis site). I will soon! TY

 

[Aiken Drum]

I think getting your water conditions in order and the tank cycled will be of more help than any additives. You have a high bioload to be cycling a tank with fish, but we are where we are.

Post whatever you like as long as its relevant, its your thread. Its better to keep things in general discussion as other people can help. Im hardly a font of all knowledge.

In your pharmacy do you have any bottled bacteria? Seachem stability, Dr Tims One and Only, Tetra Safestart, API quickstart, fluval cycle (im sure there are others)? These might be of benefit to help out with your cycle.

 

[hvacrwe]

Thank you for the thread advice. Yes the pharmacy has API Qk Start, Seachem stability & Pristine, Tetra safe start plus, Kordon NovAqua plus, Fluval waste control. I think that's it I wish I knew more.
I meant to ask if nitrites are high I have ammonia treatments too?? Like API Ammo Lock or Kordon Amquel plus? also I have just both of the older Clowns and are they supposed to hold their fins in real close and tight to their bodies? It doesn't look right but I'm not sure. thank you so very much!

 

[hvacrwe]

The big clown, who has been the sickest, was just out for about five minutes. Her mouth looks ?, her eyes aren't right. I attached what i could get, I hope you recognize the eyes. Swollen and milky looking. Thank you again.

 

[hvacrwe]

Hello. I have completed a 50% wc and here are the test results:
RON -0 ppm
COP-.5 "
nitrate-25 ppm
nitrite- 5 ppm
hard - 425
chlor - 0
alk - 340
carb-340
PH - 8.2
Ammo??? Will have strips tomorrow and API test kit
Prior to the water change earlier, some fish started going downhill fast. I lost a baby clown, possibly 2. Since the change they look a little better.I forgot to ask about filter media. All I had in was allgone and white media. I wasn't sure so now I am running one filter with nothing in it. What would be good? Also what about the nitrate and trite levels?? Thank you very much!! fter thought, I was going to do another water change around midnight if I should. I wondered about Amoxicillan being as it seems like slight ich, funny looking eyes, still flashing, swollen belly, raised bumps around eyes, these are all different fish, lethargy, swimming erratically then sinking to bottom and earlier air gasping. Thank you again!!.

 

[m.j.gomez]

Hello. I have completed a 50% wc and here are the test results:
RON -0 ppm
COP-.5 "
nitrate-25 ppm
nitrite- 5 ppm
hard - 425
chlor - 0
alk - 340
carb-340
PH - 8.2
Ammo??? Will have strips tomorrow and API test kit
Prior to the water change earlier, some fish started going downhill fast. I lost a baby clown, possibly 2. Since the change they look a little better.I forgot to ask about filter media. All I had in was allgone and white media. I wasn't sure so now I am running one filter with nothing in it. What would be good? Also what about the nitrate and trite levels?? Thank you very much!! fter thought, I was going to do another water change around midnight if I should. I wondered about Amoxicillan being as it seems like slight ich, funny looking eyes, still flashing, swollen belly, raised bumps around eyes, these are all different fish, lethargy, swimming erratically then sinking to bottom and earlier air gasping. Thank you again!!.

Hello, nitrites affect the red blood cells reducing their ability to carry oxygen. You want to get them down to or below 0.25 ppm. Nitrites are more toxic than ammonia.
I would say use salt at 1 tablespoon per volume of tank cause this actually stops nitrites from affecting blood but your loaches, cory's are scaleless fish & salt sensitive. I have used 1 teaspoon per gallon for ich w/no apparent harm to scaleless fish so it may be worth a shot & help a little.
I would slowly raise temp to 86°. This is the salt & heat treatment for ich. Make sure to replace any salt taken out by water changes also add as much air to tank as possible. If needed I can get more detailed on treatment. Hopefully this helps you!!!!!

 

[hvacrwe]

Thank you so much. I just did the heat and salt from Monday until last night when the Yoyos were flashing and darting terribly and my clowns were really bad, so I did a 50% change in the evening and they improved and another one overnight with just water conditioner, stress coat, and I think one capful of Prime. They were much better. I think their skin was burning. Since the wc a little while ago, they are all happier. My water isn't though. I did the salt for 3 days and to be honest, I am really concerned that it is harming the Yoyos and the Clowns. I may be wrong. There is still some flashing from the Yoyos, but not wildly thrashing. I just don't know what to do withthe water at this moment. I am doing another water change tonight and hoping. Can I keep doing these 2 or 3 times a day? The fish are so much better right after. I had 4 filters with only cloth media and put carboni in yesterday to try to remove what was bothering and killing them. Only one running now empty of anything. I don't know what I should put in them, just the plain white media? Also I wondered about Ammo lock, allgone, etc. Thank you so much!!

 

[Aiken Drum]

You removed all the filter media from your filters? That will have caused your cycle to crash.