PLEASE help diagnose this....parasite?

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Kelly5978

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
May 18, 2013
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PLEASE help me diagnose! I will ask the questions first, giving background after.
1. What parasite affects a fish underneath? Meaning, they keep rubbing their bellies in the gravel.
2. Could rubbing bellies (or angels tapping their ventral fins up against them) be because medication is irritating them?
3. What red parasite clings to the outside of a fish , but doesn't fork at the end like an anchor worm?
4. If a fish survives ich, can it get it again?
5. Can you safely treat a fish with coppersafe twice?

I have a few other threads. I will try to make this to the point. I have a 55g fully cycled tank (water change weekly, or sooner if nitrates hit 20). I stupidly added a Bolivian ram without quarantining, and he had camallanus worms and ich. The ich showed up right when I got him (almost 2 months ago), and I treated the tank with coppersafe. It went away, and I haven't seen a spot since. The camallanus showed up a week ago. I just completed the first levamisole treatment and he passed the worms. I have angelfish, blue rams, denison barbs, and a bala shark in addition to this fish, who never showed camallanus worms, but have shown these symptoms:
Angels: raising their anal fins backwards and lifting their ventral fins as if beating a drum. Missing scales. Grey spots that look duller and almost as if a patch has been scraped off them. Their dorsal fins keep getting pinholes and/or deteriorating at the top. The lighter ones have had a red streak come and go in dorsal fin. I've lost 2 angels, and had to quarantine and treat 2 because they stopped eating.
Male blue ram: (pic attached) has a red thing that looks like a piece of toothpick sticking out of him on left side of anal fin.

Since they were all still having issues, I used the medication on my main tank, that I used on the quarantine tank to get the 2 angels eating again (fungus clear tabs and general cure (prazi + metro) and kanaplex anti-biotic flakes. On day 2 of the 4 day treatment, I have seen 3 of the 5 rams rub their bellies in the gravel, and 1 flick his face on wood. I know the angels symptoms point to HTTH, but they ate metro medicated food for 6 days. I'm worried about giving them too much medications. But, I can't just watch them die. I use purigen and nitra-zorb instead of carbon. I soak food in vita-chem. I test water daily. I'm out of ideas, and I'm afraid these meds will kill them anyways! Anyone who can help me with any of my fish, PLEASE respond! (Last 2 pics are showing the angels fins deteriorating, and getting pinholes. I know this is probably fin rot, but these treatments should have fixed it. They get better, then it starts again. So frustrating!)
 

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I can't help you diagnose in general but occasionally my angels pick on each other or get picked on and the fins look rough. Leaving the lights off as much as possible helps them heal tremendously. I don't know what it is about light but fin issues, for me don't heal if I'm leaving lights on. I dunno if its because everyone stays calmer and is less stressed so they heal better or what. One of my veil tails was looking super rough after getting stuck in a decoration and after 2 days of no healing in the dorsal fin the lights have been off for 2 -3 days and its almost totally healed. Hope that helps.
 
I can't help you diagnose in general but occasionally my angels pick on each other or get picked on and the fins look rough. Leaving the lights off as much as possible helps them heal tremendously. I don't know what it is about light but fin issues, for me don't heal if I'm leaving lights on. I dunno if its because everyone stays calmer and is less stressed so they heal better or what. One of my veil tails was looking super rough after getting stuck in a decoration and after 2 days of no healing in the dorsal fin the lights have been off for 2 -3 days and its almost totally healed. Hope that helps.

That's nuts! I will try that. I have some Indian almond leaves coming as well.
 
Well- look up velvet disease. Nevr had experience with it but its a parasite similar in effect to ich- just different anatomy and colors. Its more like a shimmery red spot, easiest to see when u shine uv light on ur fish. Ur tank sounds overcrowded- a bolivian ram needs an entire 55 to 75 to itself, possibky shared with a raphael or other large catfish. They can be bery aggresive. As for angelfish- u disnt mention numbers but if 3 died, it soumds like u have too many. In a 55 about 4 would fit nicel with a school of tetras and some corydoras. And denison barbs get big- a group of six needs a lot of water, and if they arent at least six, they wont be happy. The bala shark is the only thing O would put in a fifty five. These r my opininions, some people stuff tanks to the bursting point and work it out. Also, u need to be changing anything above 1 ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite. 20 is insane. I recomend getting ammonia neutralizer drops. Good luck.
 
I forgot one thing- DONT USE COPPERSAFE!!! Its about the worst medication for fish.
 
3 of my fish are 3". The rest are smaller. I don't plan to keep them all in this tank as they grow. I'm trying to get pairs to breed. Bolivian rams only get 3". Females smaller. Blue rams, the same. I have a total of 5 adolescent angels....again, trying to pair. All of these fish (aside from the Bolivian) have been in the tank for 3 months. I had no trouble until I added this fish. I do mix tap and RO water, and have concerns about ph, but I'm assured this wouldn't cause all these problems. I have 6 other tanks. The one thing I forgot to mention: I have a breeding guppy tank. I have net soak, and different nets anyways, but I've heard they have a lot of diseases. I can't swear I've never stuck my hand in one, and washed before changing water in another. I sure will from now on. I honestly think this is 1 thing (with bacterial secondary problems). I'm liking the light idea, because I believe 10 days without light kills velvet? Velvet has occurred to me before, but no one clamped before I put in the fungus guard....and it's only 2 rams flicking now. Velvet wouldn't explain the red thing sticking out of the ram, but it's a start. What should I use...if not coppersafe? I have no plants or snails. I was told ich/velvet required copper to actually die. And, as far as I know it worked the first time. Btw, wouldn't velvet have been killed the first Time I used coppersafe? I know there are horror stories, but my rams laid eggs twice after coppersafe, and the ich was never seen again after a few days (I followed directions and left it in the tank 10 days before starting to remove with water changes, but I've never seen a fish flick again until very recently. In fact, the ich never spread from the infected 2 fish, who came out fine. I'm not advocating the product, just sharing my experience. Do, should I just turn off lights for a few weeks? Thanks for all the info and help. I learn so much from you all!
 
Oh...and, aside from dr Tim's one and only, used to cycle, and novaqua or stress coat, if never used a chemical on this tank until the coppersafe. My tank NEVER showed ammonia (I'm a big supporter of dr. Tim's). I saw .25 nitrites for 1 day, and then nitrates under 20 til water changes. I should have included that to start, but people are sick of my long posts! lol. I really love my fish, and literally get upset when things go wrong! I test my water daily, so that's why I'm so frustrated. I am so mad at myself for even adding another fish, let alone not quarantining. Just a peek: cause I'm so proud! The last pic is in the dark with a flash. He does look kinda gold sprinkled? But it's more a green color in light. And, I thought velvet looked like ich...but smaller and dustier? I really want opinions here....thx
 

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Just re-read....under 20 NITRATES! Not ammonia or nitrites! Those are 0, and always have been :).
 
Actually, I found this in my QT tank. At first I thought it was a bloodworm, but I feed frozen ones, and this moved. The tank has praziquantel, kanaplex, and metro in it. An angelfish was the last occupant. I hadn't cleaned it yet. I noticed this worm moving, but he only moved in the places he's still white. I think the med is killing him, and some of the other red things in the tank are dead ones. I know....this seems to be hexamitia. But, it KEEPS coming back. I think it's dangerous to keep treating with metro. So, if that's what this is, why do they keep coming back. And how do I get rid of them? I understand most fish have these, and it just becomes a problem when they're stressed, and the worms multiply, or they lack vitamins, but these fish are happy. Then, they get sick again! Or, maybe this is the exact same red thing that is sticking out of my rams side....and it's turning white, not the other way around. How can I diagnose? (Won't let me attach post. I will do new thread labeled: what's this worm....)
 
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