Help diagnose what's wrong with my fish

[ThePiranha]

Hi guys im new here and i've come cause i need help...

It's been years since i kept fish but i was given a couple of Clown loach 3 days ago now im losing fish.... i have a couple of images






this is one of my poor cories.... it's been so long since i needed to diagnose i'm unsure as to what is actually wrong... ok i've eliminated some but i need your opinions..... im thinking parasite maybe Costia or Chilodonella but the truth is im really not sure....

The loach are the only thing that is new besides a partial water change and the loach don't seam to exibit signs of a problem. ...

[ThePiranha]

I didnt think Chilodonnella was that quick... as we are talking onset to death in less than 24 hours... the above cat was fine upto midnight yesterday my time and has just died some 16 hours later

Nitrites / nitrates are fine and ph is 7.3

[ThePiranha]

My tank is 247 ltrs, i've raised its temp from 76 to 80... i'm thinking of pushing it to 86 for 5 hours if it is Costia that should sort that problem. As i say nitrites / nitrates no problems. The tank is well stocked with mature plant life. The Ph is up slightly to 7.3 but thats from the recent partial water change ( about 1/3rd ) it usually sits at 7.1 - 7.2
It had 12 now 8 cardinals 1", 8 rummy nose 2", 2 small plecs l333 4" and a baby royal at 2 1/2" , 3 clowns 4", 6 bleeding heart 2 1/2" my poor 4 now 3 cories 2"... who up till 2 days ago where breeding in the plants. Fish sizes are aprox sizes... but i wouldn't say i was overstocked.

I use an internal power filter with a variable 2000 ltr max turnover per hour with spray bar set to about 1000 ltrs per hour. Aprox 1" of natural pea gravel on the bottom... The tank is a mature tank and everything was fine till i did the partial water change and added the clowns.

oops forgot 2 butterflies 2" i always forget about my butterflies........

[StanChung]

Hi, Sorry for your loss.
Formalin might not be a good idea if fish has open wounds. Burns.
Suspect it's some sort of internal parasite/protozoan like in neon tetra disease where it eats from the inside out. [Only my guess]
I normally use Protozin with good results.
May I ask if you have a Quarantine Tank?
A UV Sterilizer unit would be helpful in dealing with such outbreaks.

[ThePiranha]

Hi Stan,
yes i do but only just... i purchased a second tank for the lower rack on the stand last week of 48x18x15. This has been split into 3, this is 2 breeder units and one quarantine each section independent from the next... but at the time i added the clowns no... I sort of wish i had dropped em in the new water and maybe i wouldnt have this problem.....
its also been suggested to me that this my be Flexibacter columnaris or saddle back disease with the rapid onset i have a feeling this may be my foe... and could of been brought in on the loach who if exposed to it for a long period of time may now be carriers and not exhibit signs themselves...

[ThePiranha]

ok here is where im up to today....

i raised the temp 4 deg to 80, today im going to push the temp to 86 for 5 hours and then drop back to 80 i've added a small does of aquarium salt, and treated the tank with protozin around 4pm my time yesterday. I have always used waterlife products since way back in the early 70's and found them to be excellent. I also removed from the main tank anything that even vaguely looked like it may have an infection. This was a couple of cardinals 2 rummy and the last of my cories. My poor cories i put out of there missery they where hit the hardest. Since then my death count overnight and this morning has been zero in the main tank. I'm keeping a close eye to them but so far so good. My prize winning L333 so far has not been touched... will keep you all updated.

Thank you for your advice and your recomendations.... I suppose i should now make a post now things have calmed / slowed down as to who i am level of ability and so on...

[StanChung]

Hi Piranha,

Good that things have calmed down. I keep discus and planted tanks so I'm also exposed the gamut of meds. It's stressful to see sick fish so prevention is always the best course, can't be too careful.

Michael, formalin's great for bare tanks but don't really like it for tanks that use biofilters, substrate etc. It's toxic to us as well that's why I kind of shy away from it though it's really effective in killing protozoans. If used, tank has to be cleaned properly of residue due to it being toxic when other meds are used immediately after. eg Potassium permanganate.

[benny]

There is a type of acute Columnaris that kills within 24 hours. It's practically impossible to save as it eats away the fish. From the look at what's left of the soft rays above as well as the whitish patch. It's a likely candidate.

BeFuran helps if used early. Most of the time, Potassium Permaganate dip seems to be a more successful stop gap measure.

Cheers,

[ThePiranha]

Hi guys...
Now don't fight guys.... I wouldn't call myself a novice either... out of practise yes!

Diagnosis is often the hardest of all and a lot of the little blighters look so much alike to the naked eye one can easily be mistaken for another. At one time I would of had no problems correctly diagnosing my problem, but time and tide wait for no man and it has been a LOOOOOOONG time since I had to diagnose such a problem and your right even here I was looking more for someones opinion to see if it gelled with my own...

Working in a fish house / aquaria I used to have to diagnose on a daily basis along with water tests choosing the right product for the right disease and so on. Be it from the general public who walked in saying ' i've got this fish and I don't know what to do ' to import shipments of trop's and marines most of which came in half dead, alot were wild caught disease ridden and all of them totally stressed.

A lot of the products I knew back then are still around today and still just as viable, some I knew disappeared off the market I now see have now made a come back aquarium salt being one. It went out of fashion in favour of high tech chemical substitutes. I'm glad to see it has returned I would rather use a natural product than a soup of chemicals any day.

As an update on my tank today I have lost 1 small cardinal which right now to me is a success after yesterdays nightmare...

Stu

[StanChung]

Hey! What's going on?
No offence taken but perhaps I sounded ?condescending. lol.
Sorry guys!

[ThePiranha]

No problems... As for me you didn't / dont know me from adam, I could of been anyone at any level from novice up... but as was said your clue was in the fact i was asking for others opinions of my own diagnosis. I have now however posted in the new members introduction... I am still glad though to both of you for your input and help this last 24 hours

Thank you!