Sick Guppie please help diagnose

[Kwakatoo]

Hi there, this isn't the first time I've seen this disease/fungi/parasite ?? In my tank - I have used Myxazin (5 day course) a blue treatment, to no avail all my fish which came into contact with it died. One at a time.. I then throughly cleaned the tank, using vinegar, including substrate and filter, buying new tank ornaments and plants.

I'm at breaking point now noticing one of my guppies has it. The dark female with orange speckled tail.

I noticed when she was stressed in a breeding cage, her mouth looked 'velvety' now it's more apparent all over, including eyes, and in particular her side find and tail fin. I've tried to photograph this white velvet like coating, which seems to erode the fins and affect breathing. Can anyone help me understand the problem so I can fix and stop another massacre. Your help will be very gratefully received!!

 

[Kwakatoo]

Oh no, I can see evidence of it on two other guppies. This tank has been running ok for 5 weeks. I've been carefully redeveloping good bacteria and the levels are good. I.e. 0.1 ammonia, 0.0 nitrite and 10-15 nitrate.

 

[Kwakatoo]

More pics - see how the ends of the fins are turning white? On my swordtail who died the white stuff looked very sticky, and there were slight 'trails' of white gluey substance coming off the tail fin.

 

[Kwakatoo]

Also, I fed the fish some soft inner peas last night and left in the tank 24 hrs so they developed white fur, I've taken out, but could that have started something?

 

[Kwakatoo]

Here's some pictures of my previous fish who died.. In the same tank.



I'm assuming it's the same thing..? Looks like a slimy sticky coating, but doesn't look like slime disease when I compare to other pictures, nor does it appear as velvet.

Thus I'm assuming it's a type of fungus.. But I sense it's contagious. Argh.
Have started treating whole tank with 1tblspn rock salt per gallon. And upped temp to 30C/80F

Any other thoughts?? Any appreciated.. Thanks in advance


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[Kwakatoo]

To clarify, Myxazin (which I used to treat previous fish - who died), contains malachite green and acriflavine hydrochloride. And I note that malachite green products "don't have enough concentration to treat fungus" (article on treating fungus infections : http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/farewell-to-fungus.aspx )

So maybe it is fungus related. In which case hopefully the salt treatment makes in-roads...

But still, any other insight welcome!!


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[Kwakatoo]

Ok.. Here's a picture of one of the left over peas from feeding yesterday... That's one aggressive fungus.. And I think the lady it's gotten to first had both mouth injury from hitting her face against the breeding tray (having a stress Attack), and a split fin.. So she was stressed and injured so her immunity is down.

But how does it explain the other fish also starting to show signs?

 

[Kwakatoo]

And.. When treating with salt - what do I have to watch for? Does the chemistry of the tank measure similarly? Do I need to increase air bubbles?

 

[Kwakatoo]

Oh - here's the picture..

Or, is this normal growth for a pea after 24 hrs in a tank. Seems excessive to me.

 

[Delapool]

Imo if not seeing any dusting on the body or flashing/scratching (?) I would go with a bacterial infection. I favour this over fungus unless your tank has been changing temperature quite a bit (eg large cold water change) but the number of fish with it makes me suspect bacterial mostly.

Have you added anything to the tank in the last week? Even plants or snails?

Edit - do you have any sort of QT? You can gradually lift the salt up to 2 tablespoons per gallon but plants wont like it.

 

[gilpi]

I'd say do massive water changes for a while till everything clears, no meds.

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[Kwakatoo]

Imo if not seeing any dusting on the body or flashing/scratching (?) I would go with a bacterial infection. I favour this over fungus unless your tank has been changing temperature quite a bit (eg large cold water change) but the number of fish with it makes me suspect bacterial mostly.

Have you added anything to the tank in the last week? Even plants or snails?

Edit - do you have any sort of QT? You can gradually lift the salt up to 2 tablespoons per gallon but plants wont like it.

It's not an obvious dustiness, but there is a slight appearance visible on the darker fish. The fins of three fish do have this white stickiness on them. And they are flashing occasionally, some have swum toward the 'jet stream' of my filter (which is very difficult to slow down without losing all aeration).

They seem agitated, swimming up and down the glass a bit like they are irritable. And, the one I was most worried about hasn't gotten worse, but difficult to see any obvious improvement.

If salt is helping, how long would it take to see results against a fungus do you think?

I take your point about the bacteria, but given the flashing, do you still think so?

Thanks so much for your replies


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[Kwakatoo]

They are also spending a lot of time at the top of the tank at water level. But not lost appetite.. Lol


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[Kwakatoo]

Velvet.. It's reading like velvet.


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[Kwakatoo]

So, just in case anyone was following this.. I've learnt heaps in the last couple of days..

1. that I should be adding a couple tablespoons to my guppie tank every water change.. They don't mind the brackish wTer, and it helps keep illness at bay..

2. That the illness my black lady guppie has would have started from bruising/mashing her mouth against the breeding tray I had her in which she bucked and kicked about in. So she would have had a bacterial infection... Reduced immunity, and so protazoa have entered the scene and grown in the tank.. Likely to be velvet or similar.
- clamped fins
- fine dust over body
- flashing
- sluggish

3. Added a tablespoon per gallon to tank and upped temp to 30C/86F
- seems to have helped bacterial effect on black lady, whose cloudy eyes are improving.

4. Visited fish shop today to buy a medicine for protazoa, contains a blend of malachite green, formaldehyde and formalin. Doing half doses per 12 hours, rather than single daily doses.

Feeling hopeful, esp with black lady's subtle eye improvement.

A MASSIVE thank you to Craig/Delapool for his very patient, but comprehensive advice to me over the last 24 hours to help me work through this. I really don't want to lose this second batch of fish to what appears to be a second outbreak of an earlier issue. Last time I treated as if a singularly bacterial issue, but I think I'm on the right track this time.

Thank you Craig! Updates soon


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[Kwakatoo]

These fish are all improving!! So happy! I personally think the high dosage of salt is working magic on the guppies. Also started a 4 day course of Protozoa medicine 2 days ago.. Touch wood, all going as well as can be, all alive and hungry and fins less 'affected'