PLEASE HELP, ALL MY FISH ARE DYING

[rommel39]

Hello everyone, I really, really need a hand. I have hand three cories, two platies, 1 rubberlip pleco die within the last month. And currently my light colored female betta has blood patches in her finnage and the last juli cories has red inflammation on his month and underside.

Now, I always do a gravel vacuum and w/c change once and week and my par. are always in line, my ph is usually a bit high at 7.6, but okay.

At first I treated the tank with Marcyn and Marcyn II because I was afraid that I was facing both an internal parasite and body fungus (my cory that died last night has both a reddish under belly and a discolored tuff on him) because the platies had a discolored tuff on them also. I added a second dose and thought everything was okay.

But the symptoms have returned and I tried Jungle Fungus Eliminator (it said that it cured bacteria related problems also) and used one does of Jungle Parasite Eliminator. Changed the water last Thursday and had a died last night, another cory with inflammation, betta with blood patches in her tail. I am not sure what to do anymore or what to treat with. Please help before all of my fish are dead.

Thanks in advance

 

[englishstar1978]

Did you remember to remove your filter cartridge before adding the medicines? If not they wont work with the carbon filter also it takes 4+ days for the meds to work. Good Luck.

 

[rommel39]

Good point that I forgot to make, I don't use carbon in my filters

 

[Seleya]

How long has this tank been set up? What sort of substrate, decor etc? What exactly are your parameters?

 

[rommel39]

Tank has been set up for about 3 years, regular gravel that I that I got from the petstore (and has never caused a problem before for the cories), with a piece of smooth flat stone (not sure what kind), a piece of driftwood and a ship from the pet store.
Pars
amonia is 0ppm
nitrite is 0ppm
ph 7.6
nitrate between 20ppm

 

[Lotus]

So you did two full courses of Maracyn I and Maracyn II (two five-day courses)?

That combination will generally knock out most bacterial infections, although I have had it fail on an unidentified disease.

The only thing I can recommend is to try another kind of antibiotic, and hope it works. The red streaking sounds like scepticemia, but the MII should work on that. Perhaps you need to try another course.

This link might help you with diagnosis: http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/skin_disorders.html

 

[rommel39]

The red streaking seem to clear up, although the red blotches remained on her finnage. And the inflamation on the one cory did clear up, although it later reoccured. Thanks for the advice Lotus, I'm really up a creek on this one. I may try another full course of M and MII treatments starting on Thursday, since I have to leave over the weekend.

 

[rommel39]

Okay, this Monday will be the last day of treatment for my tank. I have done two treatments of M and MII and while the streaking in my betta’s finnage has significantly been reduced it is not gone and there is still some redness on my last remaining juli cory. What should I do? Should I wait a day and then begin one more full treatment? Whatever they have it’s pretty virulent. Any suggestions Lotus? I guess I am afraid of overdosing the fish and/or the bacteria building up an immunity to the antibiotics


Thanks for the help in advance

 

[Lotus]

You could try an antibacterial food. I believe they're more available now (I think Jungle makes one, I know I have seen it at Petsmart). The Gel-Tek line is also supposed to be eaten, and you could try that, although I couldn't get my fish to eat it, I did soak food in it.

Hopefully by Monday the symptoms will be gone... at least that's what I am hoping. If they're not, in addition to medicated foods, you could try another antibiotic (after some large water changes and carbon in the filter). Almost all the packets indicate what the meds treat, but see if you can get something with an active ingredient that wasn't in the MI or MII (minocycline and erythomycin, respectively). Obviously, it's not good to throw too many antibiotics around, but you also have to make every effort to save your fish.

 

[rommel39]

I have some Fungus Clear (by Jungle) that says it also treats bactera-related conditions, active ingredients are nitrofurazone, furazolidone, potassium dichromate. I also have Parasite Clear by Jungle also.

Anyhow, I already have anti-baterial food by Jungle and I'll start feeding that insead of the bloodworms.

 

[Lotus]

I've used Fungus Clear several times on other diseases, and it has worked pretty well.

Good luck with them

 

[rommel39]

Okay, I did a 25% water change, added stress zyme and stress coat to the tank. And I started reading the directions for Fungus Clear. It says to added one tablet for every ten gallons for four days and then if needed to to do a 25% water change and repeat dosage. I have to leave for NYC on Friday and return Tuesday night, so the best I could do is add the Fungus Clear tonight and then change the water Thursday night and redose and change the water when I return on Tuesday. Does this sound like a good idea, safe?

The infection is looking better than it was, however it is still there. I would hate to wait till I return to start dosing with the Fungus Clear and possibly have to start from stratch.

 

[Lotus]

That sounds like a good plan. It's always a good idea to be around when you first dose, just to make sure everything looks "normal." If a med is going to harm the fish, it's usually within the first hour or two that they'll start to show signs of stress (which means time for an emergency water change).

 

[rommel39]

Okay, another lame question. The directions to the Fungus Clear says the following: Add one tablet to each ten US gallons of aquarium water. Remove activated carbon during use. If necessary, second dose may be added in four days. Change 25% fo the water before adding second dose.

I take the directions to mean that I only need to add two tablets (for my 20 gallon tank) on the first day and then on fourth day I do a water change and add two more. And I am not supposed to add two tablets a day to my tank. Am I correct?

 

[Lotus]

Yes, that's correct. Add two tablets today, then four days later do a water change and add two more (if necessary).

I hate confusing instructions!

 

[rommel39]

Well, it finally happened last night. My female betta that had the streaking in her finnage died. She had never acted sick, she only physical sign she had was the streaking. Anyhow, despite or maybe even because of, the treatments she passed. The other cories that has had somekind of infection still has reddish looking infection on his underside, although like the betta, he is extremely active and love to swim to the top and eat bloodworms before going to the tablets. I'm leaving for NYC after work today and when I return on Tuesday and I will probably try and treat him in the hospital tank. I hope whatever is "in" my tank is gone. The other remaining fish seem to be doing okay.
And Lotus, thank you so much for your advice. You mainly confirmed what I had already thought, but in doing so you gave me much more confedence that I was doing the right thing(s).