HELP!!!! Sick bala sharks

[ewilde1988]

Hello all I'm still quite new to the hobby about a month in. I have a couple of bala sharks and well one of them is doing really bad.* The other bala shark is doing better but may be coming down with the same thing.* Yes I know how big they get I have plans to graduate them through tanks. Ultimate goal is a 200 gallon long boy.* So setup 22 gallon planted tank seen here https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/126403-albums14874-picture72967.html

Parameters* temp 82° p.H. 7.6 Ammonia .25. Nitrite .25 Nitrate 5 ppm test kit api master test kit. Tank is still cycling water changes every 3 days of 25%

Tank mates 2 ember tetras 1 Buenos Aires tetra 5 glass shrimp 3 gold dust mollies 1 zebra dannio 2 highfin spotted plecos (juvenile) and normally the 2 bala sharks (juvenile)

Food* Tetra color tropical fish flakes Hikari tropical algae wafers ( I know once this pouch is done I'll be getting a brand with more nutrition and less filler.) New life spectrum pellets so I'll cycle through the flakes and pellets daily am and pm feedings will be the same type of food. Pm the dry food is supplemented with thawed frozen food I rotate between spirulina brine shrimp and blood worms remains of the thawed cube stored in the fridge. And if I'm feeling cheeky ill give them a treat of freeze dried baby brine. I swear these guys eat better than I do

Symptoms Balas aren't really going after the food one bala has a red streak up the top portion of his tail fin his anal fin has a more pronounce red streak starting at the base and in of his pectoral fins is red at the base as well. His coloring also seems to be off he isn't bright silver he is tinted brown almost red and it looks like some of his scales are darker than the others. Please see pics https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/126403-albums14874-picture72969.html

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/126403-albums14874-picture72968.html

Right now I have them both in a 1 gallon hospital tank which isn't the most ideal but what I could manage ATM. For nowI'm treating with a teaspoon of aquarium salt in the water with microbe lift artemiss it's supposed to help with bacterial and fungal infections. However I'd very much like to know what it is I'm treating so if there is a better treatment I can utilize it. Thanks so much for your help and guidance I appreciate you and more importantly my balas simba and Nala do too.

 

[ewilde1988]

Bump... update.

2 days into being secluded in 1 gal hospital tank Bala shark is not lethargic red coloration of tail fin completely gone. Red coloration of dorsal fin greatly diminished. Bala is no longer clamping pectoral fins. Anal fin still showing red color little improvement there but we are making progress. Treatment administered is 10 drops imagitarium parasite remedy per gallon daily and .5 ml of the microbe lift artemiss daily. About 2 tsp aquarium salt in total slowly lowering salt level by adding some back in but less every time. Daily 90% water changes with tetra aqua safe and api stress coat per dosage instructions water temp about 80°- 82°. He is now showing interest in food I'm gonna continue treatment until all symptoms gone wish me luck.

 

[ewilde1988]

So I lost one of the balas. However I did figure out what caused them to get sick there was a line zebra dannio in the tank that I have been trying to extract to no avail. Well I upgraded to a 55 gallon and everyone seems happier I removed the dannio too as he was chasing the balas causing stress. My bala is doing much better now I even got him some bala friends.

 

[Aiken Drum]

This is great example of why it can be important to keep social fish in groups where they are more comfirtable.

Your danio was on its own and this led to an unusual amount of aggression. It couldnt use up this aggressive energy amongst its own species so resorted to chasing your bala sharks. The bala shark in question also didn't have the comfort given by a suitable number of other sharks and got more stressed by the attention given to it by the zebra danio which caused illness. Removing the danio and increasing the number sharks improved the health of the sharks.

How is the zebra danio doing? Any plans to help out this lonely fish too?