>>Hi, everyone. There's have been war in the Gulf Coast lately but I am also having one in my tank. I am currently facing a major problem here; you've gotta help me...
>>Patients: My 5 Beloved Male Red Platys Xiphophorus maculatus (I raised them from babies and they are about 1 year old now), the new kids on the block -> 5 long-finned Leopard Danio Brachydanio frankei (got them a month ago; they were suffering from ammonia poisoning when I got them home)
>>Background: All the 10 patients are housed together in a 2 feet tank (10 gallon) with a medium hardness. There are some plants inside which are beginning to establish themselves. Tank is up for 2 weeks; filter was already matured (from another tank) when tank was started. Nitrite at safe level: <0.1 mg/l. Nitrate: ?; the plants are taking care of them. Iron: Present. A little blackwater extract added to water to aid plant growth. Lighting: yes. Filter: Internal box canister (biological only). Carbon/charcoal: nil. Water changes: Weekly. About 30% to 35% water changed everytime. Water: clear.
>>Situation: A few days ago, when I saw some of my (young adult) Leopard Danios lying on the tank bottom, I quickly did a 35% water changes as I thought that something was wrong with the water; the fishes showed no signs of any diseases then. But the next day, more danios and platies lay down on the tank bottom (lethargy). The leopard danios, which I have almost cured of ammonia poisoning, came down with fin rot. Just yesterday, some of the fishes were lying on the bottom, gasping for breath while others were swimming sluggishly, gills expanded widely. The platies' fins were clamped and ragged. So, I quickly netted out all the fishes and placed them under observation in a three-gallon hospital tank - the largest tank that I can move freely around the house. Salt added; the fishes are salt-tolerant.
>>Symptoms: Apart the clamped fins, widely-expanded gills and lethargy, 2 of the platies did some ballet dance in the hospital tank before dying an excruciating death. The leopard danios, although hit harder, survived the day. They experienced a loss of appetite, lethargy, hypoxia (gasping for breathe; with red streaks on the edges of their gill covers), fin rot, white cloudy thingys on their fins, blood clot/haemorrhage at the base of their pectoral and anal fins, and the scales on their whole bodies are raised. One danio that is experiencing a loss of balance, even have a small tuft of fungus growing on its left flank. In addition, the colours on the danios have darkened considerably. Platies are still eating.
>>I took one of the dead platies and pryed open the gill cover. Results: gills are deep red; however, there are white streaks attached to the underside of the gill cover. Intestines are pinkish white. Stomach pink. I suspect that it may be chilodonella but am not really sure.
>>Anyone can help identify what have happened to my beloved fishes???? How should I deal with/ treat the poor fishes? Emergency... Pls help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanx.
Maybe you can try this. I used this method before when my shrimps are dying everyday, and my fishes looking listless. Thinking back, I still dunno what hit them.
I just put in 1 packet of activated carbon into the tank. And I think it kind of absorbed whatever poison there is in the tank.
Thanx Nick.
Update: I have found that there are some visible white protruding spots (with an irregular outline) between the head and dorsal insertions of my platies = parasite. So I suspect thatn it is the skin slime disease... Any opinions on this???
All died.
sorry to hear about your loss
i don't think the problem was caused by your water, but as you suspected, the things on the gills
chillodonella attacks the sides of the body NEXT to the gills, but not the gills directly
since the parasites are external, they should be either gill flukes or some kind of crustacean parasite
iirc gills flukes can be killed with salt, but crustaceans are a lot harder to eradicate, and tanks have had to be nuked with potassium permanganate to wipe them out
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