Possible Parasite

Hi all, wondering if anyone can throw any light on this problem. I have been having periodic fish loss for the about two months now. Nothing serious just one or two every now and again. The LPS said as long as the water conditions are good and tank maintenance is done it should be ok. I keep a record of all my water parameters and they have been perfect, however, about two week ago my large angle developed a sore on its side, the two bala's got large white patched on their noses. I have noticed the two clown loaches have now got very lethargic and not feeding and I think I am gong to loose them as well. I have put 10ms of fin rot/anti fungus into the tank yesterday and today, is their anything I need to do. Anyone any suggestions

Hi,
Can you tell us a bit more,what size tank,filtration,population,water parameters(temperature,pH,nitrate level...),please?
Dimitri.

Hi its a 140ltr tank, fluval +4 filter. I know the stock is ok for the size of the tank and I am very careful with tank maintenance and checking water. It about 6mth old and up till now (apart from usual start up problems) has been doing very well. I buy all my fish from the same LPS but can't expain the fish loss (for no apparent reason) and now I have this problem. I'm a bit concerned that it may wipe out my tank. The water has gone a slight yellow color today but I put that down to the fungus medication. I'm quite new to fish keeping. The bala, angle and clown loaches have been in the tank since set up and I really dont want to loose them. Any advise would be appreciated. The water condition are Ph 7.6, Ammonia o, Nitrite o and Nitrate about 40.

The Fluval 4+ is a cracking little internal filter and should be able to handle that size tank, but they do require good maintenance as they clog up quickly.
Remember to wash out the sponges periodically (i.e. about every 4 weeks or if the flow reduces) and always wash them in (removed) tank water during a water change.

For now I advise a big water change, 50% and another 50% on Monday or thereabouts. Get the clean fresh water in there.

Which brand is the anti fungus? Some are rumoured to be useless.
Personally I prefer the products of esha, such as EXIT and 2000. These little bottles haven't failed me yet. But don't forget the water changes, thats the most important.

Hi you say your water has a tinge of yellow....do you use carbon, how often do you change it if you do? Can you give us more info. about how you maintain you tank/filters etc... How old is your test kit?

What type of test kit have you and are you sure its in date?

You'd want to check that medication is safe with your loaches !

You shouldn't be losing any fish over two months, its not normal at all.

I'd guess there's a problem with your water params or your maintenance.
What is the PH of the water & is it suitable for the inhabitants?

Tell us how you maintain the tank in detail.

Probably something small but once you fix it you'll be grand.

Its tough going at the start when you are losing fish & don't know why.
Very easy to give up. But generally once a few things click, losses are rare.

Hi all, first thanks for all your comments and apologies for not replying over weekend but I had no internet access. Anyway I will try to answer all your comments in one go. Tank maintenance, I keep a diary of all my water readings and apart from one occcasion where I had an amonia spike (about 5 months ago) all my reading are very stable. I use an API master kit and its about 6 months old. The Ph is always at 7.6, ammonia at 0 (95%) of the time, or very slight increase. Nitrite at 0 and Nitrate at about 40. I do a 20% water change every two to three weeks and in the past 6 months I have changed the filter (one at a time)on two occasions. I am careful to use the tank water and I also use stress zyme and stress coat about once a month with a water change. I don't use carbon but the LPS has said to use a carbon filter after medication. I also give the gravel a clean about every six weeks. The weekend have been tough. I really didn't know what to do except keep up the medication, (it King British Fin Rot/Fungus control)

Sadly my two beautiful clown loaches are really sick, I though about taking them out of the tank but I'm hoping against hope they'll recover. The two balas are really looking sad and their coat is very dull but they are still smimming. The pleko is also really sick. The others fish in the community tank are looking ok. Sorry about the length but I am gutted about this and don't know what to, I was putting the yellow tinge in the water down to the medication. I will get on a big water change this evening, but any help/suggestion would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

Hi,
I'd raise the temp to 30 c for the clown loach,make sure your filter outlet creates as much diturbance as possible at the surface(to oxygenate ).do a 25% W/C every second day for a week.
some might not approve but i'd stop using stress zyme,use only dechlorinator.
one more thing,don't change your biological filter sponges,just rinse them the way you normally do( tank water).also you could add some tonic salt to help fish osmoregulation and immune system.
Hope this helps,let us know how it goes anyway...
Dimitri.

Cheers and thanks for that, I'm going to do a big water change this evening but do you know if I should stop with the medication altogether, or should I try something else. Also do you think I should just take the really sick fish out euthinize them are should I stick it out. Am I doing more harm to the other fish by keeping them in.

I have thought of a hospital tank but its a bit late for this situation at the moment. Would I need to clean everything or does this sort of thing clear itself up

OK, yesterday evening went home and one of the clown loaches and the pleco were dead, I did an almost 50% water change, cleaned the gravel and gave both the filter sponges a squeez out. The other clown loach has taken itself under a rock. The two balas still have the white marks on their face and the angle still has the sore on it side, although I do think there not as bad as they were. I also decided to stop the medication which I don't know if I should. I intend to do another big water change on Thurs. Could anyone say if (a) I should stop the medication now. and (b) Does this sort of thing clear up.

I still havent found out the reason why I keep loosing fish and what this infection in the tank is and I'm half afraid to do anything. Is there anyway of determining what it is or is it just something that happens along the way with fishkeeping?

Hi,
It's difficult to tell if you should euthanize these fish without seeing them.
all i know is sometime it is necessary.
I don't think you're doing too much harm to the other fish if you follow instructions.
once clown loach go skinny,it can be extremely difficult to get them back to normal even given extra food.if it's stopped eating altogether and is skinny then...it doesn't look too good to me i'm afraid but then again,haven't seen them.
i'd keep on doing water changes.
D

Can i ask what meds where you using...?

There has to be a underlying problem here somewhere..?

I have a 180l and i would do between 10-15% water change a week which i find helps to keep the water conditions bit more stable.

Do you test ur tap water...?

Maybe someone could answer this would any metals or chemicals we dont test for in the water coz this.....?

Alan

Hi Dimitri, thanks for reply, my gut feeling is the other clown loach is just about gone but I'll let it go naturally. The water change seemed to perk them up but the balas are still looking dull. I will keep them up over the next week or so but I guess it just a wait and see game. I know it all comes down to expreience but when ya don't know what it is your dealing with it a hard one to call. Anyway here's to expreience (about another 10 years of it)
G.

Alan, I used King British fin rot/fungus control 10mls for 5 days. Stopped it now, should I get a carbon filter to help clear out the water. I do seem to have an underlying problem which I just cant put my finger on. I have tested my own tap water and the Ph and ammonia are ok. Is they another test I should do?. As I said I've been having a stedy fish loss, nothing to really cause much notice but it is constant and I have been wondering about it. Though it could be the supply at first but I'm loosing some nice fish which have been in the tank for 6mth or more.

Yeah i would add new carbon media into ur filter.

Also how long have you had ur fish and did you get them all in the same place...?

When was the last time you put in fish into ur tank...?

Alan

The bala's came with the tank as did the 2 clown loaches. There were about a year old. I have the tank about 6/7 months and have slowly added my fish stock over that time. I have been careful not to add to many to soon and all was going really well. I haven't overstocked for the size of the tank. The fish loss started about 8/10 weeks ago. I though at first it was a natural thing and the pet shop said not to worry if the water condition were good which they were, but it's now at this point and I don't think I've bottomed out yet. Last fish I put in was a pair of scat's (not cheap) about 5 weeks ago and I have lost both of them. Haven't added anything since them. Oh ya get all my fish from the same place..

though I'm no advocate but would a UV sterilizer work?

Ian, what exactly it is and what would it's advantage be

A uv sterilizer would kill any bacteria etc in the water before you put in ur tank. Alot of marine keepers use them.

Maybe its something that has come in on a fish and has spread.....?the only thing is, its killing ur fish of one by one...?

I wonder if i hook a UV sterilizer in a cannister tube and water cycling around passes thorugh it in and out of the tank (not just new water from main or RO unit) - that way any new bacteria introduced through livestock or in water is managed

Hey,
Just to let you know,you probably would have lost your scats anyway.they are not suitable for community tanks.they only do ok in freshwater for a bit but they need salt as they get older and even full on marine when adult.the other thing is they can be a nightmare with tankmates,very nippy and quite large depending on specie.
i think you're right about being a wait and see game.i'd just keep doing what you're doing and maybe try get your tapwater tested.get some carbon and then let your tank settle back down.
about the uv filter,it won't do any harm but unless marine i wouldn't bother with this.

Hiya thanks for that the scats looked a lovely little fish but thats another thing learned. I put the carbon filter in last night and I also took a sample of tank water to the LPS. He tested it for me and it was all ok, and he gave me his Ph tester to do my tap water as well which I did and that was ok as well. We both had a look on the API master kit and couldn't find a best before date. So where I'm at.........I am going to let the tank settle with the carbon for the next couple of days and then see how thing are. I think I'll also get a new water kit (even though the other one is only 6 mths old)

The bala's fins are looking really tatty and the clown loach which is still alive and moving around a bit may not survive but if I can stabalize things with that I won't be too bad.

Did a bit of research on the UV filter and ya I think you may be right, I'm going to hold off on it for the moment but I'm not ruling it out. I think my next investment is a hospital/quanantine tank!!!! Thanks everyone again.....

Have you any rocks you added to the tank...?

Hi Alan, I added a rock to the tank about three months ago. It was an aquarium rock. A pleco has made it his home. I did soak it for a day before I even put it into the tank and as I've had not adverse reaction to it over the last month or so I'm thinking its not that.... it came from another a gold fish tank a friend had about a year before and was not use since then. I lost a green barb, and a orange strip tetra last night so the fish loss is not over yet. I'm going to do a 30% water change tonight. I tested the water last night as well and the Ph was 7.4 Ammonia was up a little to 0.25, the Nitrite was also 0.25 and the Nitrate was 40ish. The bala's fins are very bad and I'm thinking of taking him out tonight. What ever it is, its not gone yet.....

Id go bigger maybe even 50%, if you can leave the water sitting for a day then add to ur tank. The rocks should be fine then once they got a good scrub and clean.

Hi,
I'm really intrigued,after all of these water changes your level of nitrate is still 40ish and have nitrite and ammonia.
All of this would indicate ,IMO,that the water changes have been too big.The tank is all unbalanced.
still not sure what started your fish loss but nitrite and ammonia are bad enough to kill fish.
the presence of ammonia and nitrite means that there is too much organic matter for your bacteria.
diluting the tankwater with fresh water a little and often will ease the tank back to balance.
cut down on feeding as well:)
D

Yeah it would be unbalanced but after so many water changes and still ammonia and nitrite. Have you given the filter a good clean in tank water...?

Maybe another filter could help

Cheers Alan and Dimitir, ya I gave the filter sponges a good clean about a week ago in the tank water, and cleaned the rest of the filter as well. I've cut down on feeding to every third day or so and not over doing it. The water has cleared and no yellow tinge since I put the carbon filter in. I was thinking of the filter efficiency... and as it was in the tank when I got it (I was told it was only about 6mth old) I may go ahead and buy another one myself to be sure. I have lost alot of fish over the past couple of months and while I'm not giving up yet, its really trial and error. Would the fact that I still have a few sick fish in the tank be hindering matters. I don't want to unbalance the good bacteria too much, so do you think if I gave the plants (plastic haven't progressed to live yet) would be useful at all.

Im gonna be lazy again.... what size is ur tank and ur filter