Pimamix and dwarf gourami?

[BettaGal]

I just read on the back of the meds that I can mix it to the food or add it to the tank directly. So tomorrow ill make up some food mix and hope that with the water being treated aswell as them hopefully eating it directly it will kill them inside and free swimming. Ill give the tank a good gravel vac and water change in a few days after I've given the meds time to work. Then re treat. Lolly us having trouble staying upright he falls flat on his side but acthen straightens up. It's the cotton mouth and internal parasites that's causing it I'm pretty sure of. I think the bloating is from the parasites it's definitely not dropsy. He's not massively bloated just a but more than usual.

Sounds entirely possible the parasites are doing it. I would say do a thorough gravel vac, add back the water, and medicate for cottonmouth. Cottonmouth is a bacterial infection, so you have to treat the water that its living in. Internal parasites get their food and nutrients from the food the host fish eats. They HAVE to have a host to survive and spread. That's what defines them as a parasite. With a good gravel vac, the parasites that have come out in the feces are removed, no longer able to reinfect someone else. So in the morning, lets find your antibiotic, lets do a good cleaning to get rid of some parasites waiting for a new host, and see if we can't clear this all up. I would say start the medicated food immediately, as it sounds like Lolly is getting pressure on his swim bladder, making his balance go off. That's a whole other ball game we don't wanna go to if we don't have to.

 

[_skyla_]

Wouldn't the parasite meds kill the parasites? Ok thankyou for all your help I appreciate it I will head to the store and try and find a suitable antibiotic for the cotton mouth and do a good gravel vac and water change add the new meds and feed the medicated food. That's if he's still alive by morning. I think I'm going to treat the whole tank with the antibiotic either way though I don't want to risk Any of the others getting it.

 

[BettaGal]

Wouldn't the parasite meds kill the parasites? Ok thankyou for all your help I appreciate it I will head to the store and try and find a suitable antibiotic for the cotton mouth and do a good gravel vac and water change add the new meds and feed the medicated food. That's if he's still alive by morning. I think I'm going to treat the whole tank with the antibiotic either way though I don't want to risk Any of the others getting it.

Before you go, I will gladly look up what kind of medication you need. Depending on what type of bacteria it is, it needs a certain antibiotic. For example, a Gram-positive antibiotic won't work for a Gram-negative bacteria because they go after the cell wall to destroy it, therefore destroying the bacteria. Gram-positive antibiotics go after a thick protein layer that Gram-negative doesn't have. It won't work if it can't attack it's target.

Parasites are interesting little buggers. Internal ones, in particular, do not themselves eat. They take what the host has already digested and absorb the nutrients from that. This is why when humans get intestinal parasites, they lose a lot of weight. Without a host to provide readily-absorbable nutrients, the parasite cannot live. They can live for a while outside of a host, which allows them to infect other hosts. Vac them up and there is zero chance of them infecting a new host in the tank.

 

[_skyla_]

It's cotton mouth so I have no idea what type that would be I was just going to read the backs and find one that was recommended for it. But that would be a great help to make sure in getting the right type. The other thing is a lot if the meds you have there we don't have here so it gets a bit confusing. They are basically the same thing I'm sure just different names and brands here.

 

[_skyla_]

Oh and when we get worms and stuff we just eat the chocolate and it kills them lol so does it have the same affect on the fish when they eat the medicated food ?

 

[BettaGal]

It's cotton mouth so I have no idea what type that would be I was just going to read the backs and find one that was recommended for it. But that would be a great help to make sure in getting the right type. The other thing is a lot if the meds you have there we don't have here so it gets a bit confusing. They are basically the same thing I'm sure just different names and brands here.

Ah. The fun begins. I will try to keep it generic to hopefully skip that issue. I will get back to you on this one here in a few hours, probably by your morning. We will combat this together.

 

[_skyla_]

Thank you so much for your time and effort I should be trying to get some sleep its nearly midnight agh I'm such a night owl and a zombie all day. Ok well I guess I'll hear from you tomorrow and get into fixing this mess.

 

[BettaGal]

Oh and when we get worms and stuff we just eat the chocolate and it kills them lol so does it have the same affect on the fish when they eat the medicated food ?

So by the chocolate I'm assuming you're meaning the lovely medications you're on for weeks. My dad got parasites a few years ago. Basically what is happening is either you're making them eat poison, which doesn't affect us, or you're making the nutrients become unappealing to them. They think its bad, and subsequently die. The reason human treatment takes so long is larva. We have to be sure the larva that the adults laid all over the place can't grow up and start the cycle all over again. I would think this would be the same description in your fish. The medication will not harm your fish, but will kill the parasite. Just don't let any feces sit around for a while. Parasites come up with the grossest ways to spread.

 

[BettaGal]

Thank you so much for your time and effort I should be trying to get some sleep its nearly midnight agh I'm such a night owl and a zombie all day. Ok well I guess I'll hear from you tomorrow and get into fixing this mess.

I totally understand. It might be 11 am here, but I work graveyard shift, so it might as well be midnight. I'll get on that and get it to you in the morning. You are very welcome.

 

[_skyla_]

Eeeep I was just thinking about worms that you only treat once usually and their gone. That's kind if freaking me out now :/ freaky things. I'm getting all paranoid now even though I know I'm fine lol I tend to do that.

 

[_skyla_]

I totally understand. It might be 11 am here, but I work graveyard shift, so it might as well be midnight. I'll get on that and get it to you in the morning. You are very welcome.

Ah true you should be sleeping then too!

 

[_skyla_]

Oh and by graveyard shift you mean night shift yeah?

 

[BettaGal]

Oh and by graveyard shift you mean night shift yeah?

Yeah. Graveyard shift is night shift. Don't get yourself all worked up. Just use the medicated food and gravel vac thoroughly. They'll be gone in due time that way.

 

[BettaGal]

Cotton mouth is Columnaris. Gram-negative bacteria, highly contagious, potentially deadly. If you can, isolate the gourami in question. You'll need a Gram-negative antibiotic and definitely do a thorough gravel vac and water change to the tank. You might need an airstone or another filter. Poor oxygen can cause it as well as poor water quality.

 

[_skyla_]

Cotton mouth is Columnaris. Gram-negative bacteria, highly contagious, potentially deadly. If you can, isolate the gourami in question. You'll need a Gram-negative antibiotic and definitely do a thorough gravel vac and water change to the tank. You might need an airstone or another filter. Poor oxygen can cause it as well as poor water quality.

I have a bubbler in the tank already so i dont think it was the lack of oxygen. Ok I haven't dared look in the tank to see if he made it yet I think it's time ok here's the verdict..... ahh he's gone my poor little baby he's fast becoming a snail meal so I should get to removing him. Hes my 3 year olds fish in his tank so here goes the hard part of explaining it to him. I feel soo terrible.

 

[Pipedreamer86]

I am sorry for your loss :'(

 

[BettaGal]

I have a bubbler in the tank already so i dont think it was the lack of oxygen. Ok I haven't dared look in the tank to see if he made it yet I think it's time ok here's the verdict..... ahh he's gone my poor little baby he's fast becoming a snail meal so I should get to removing him. Hes my 3 year olds fish in his tank so here goes the hard part of explaining it to him. I feel soo terrible.

I totally understand. Buddy, my last betta, didn't handle parasite treatment well and I saw him die. It will be fine and you can get a new dwarf gourami once we clear this all up. Since its highly contagious, I'm gonna say treat the whole tank and vacuum it good to be absolutely sure there is no more Columnaris in the tank. Make sure no one has any parasites before you get another fish. I'm sorry he didn't make it, but we all learn and can catch it better the next time.

 

[_skyla_]

Yeah thanks it's sad but these things happen. Yep definitely a big clean of the tank and mix up some medicated food. I'm definitely going to quarantine any new fish from now on even if I just have to buy a small tub and use my spare 20watt heater, just got to get a small spare filter I can keep running to use in it. Oh and you've been such a great help thank you again

 

[_skyla_]

I am sorry for your loss :'(

Thankyou it's always sad loosing a fish you get attached to

 

[_skyla_]

Oh and I don't think I will get another dg I have about 11 guppy fry in my main tank that ill want to separate the sexes in when they get big enough I don't want them inbreeding with their mother and siblings if I can help it. So some can go in my sons tank.