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Suspected Septicemia Cichlid Sick or Non-compatible
12/28/09
Red Devil Cichlid With Internal Infection 1/2/07 Hello I have a Red devil cichlid that I got that has swim bladder for the purpose of trying to save him. The pet store gave him to me free because someone brought him in. He is a nice looking fish and is about 6inches and I have put him in a hospital tank and then added Epson salt raised the temp to 84F and treating the water with poly guard as well as trying to feed the fish with Metronidazole and garlic guard mixed in with some food as well as some green peas and doing daily 20% water changes and carefully replacing the salt and poly guard. But the problem is that the fish stays on the bottom of the tank and cannot swim but only scoot's around on the bottom of the tank on his belly. He sometimes will go over to the food that I place in the tank but can't get the food in his mouth because he can't seem to raise up to pick the food up from the bottom of the tank. He often lays on his side until he see's me in the room then he sits back up on his belly. I noticed as well that yesterday and today that there was some blood in his stool. I have been treating him for about three day's now. Do you know anything else that I can do to get this fish better and how long do you think it will take before he gets better? Thank you for any help. <Remove any sand or gravel that can be abrasive to the skin of the fish. The infection has affected the swim bladder. Even if you cure the disease the swim bladder may not recover and become functional again. I would add Nitrofuranace to the mix and continue to treat for another week. These medications are not cheap. You probably could have purchased a healthy red devil for the money you will spend trying to save this one.-Chuck> Red Devil, Viral Infection - 08/17/2005 Hello, <Hi.> I
just bought a Red Devil, and he seems to have this white cyst (Like a
pimple) on one of his scales. He is bright orange in colour,
and this white cyst stands out. It's not ich, since
it's only one, and bigger than ich. How do I treat it?
Does it go away? The previous owner said that its been there for
approximately 1 month now. <Sounds like
Lymphocystis.... A viral infection. Though this
is not treatable, it usually does go away if the fish is kept in
optimal water conditions (ammonia, nitrite = ZERO, nitrate = LESS than
20ppm). So be testing, and keep that water clean!> Thank
you, Toufic <Wishing you and your new red devil
well, -Sabrina> Red Devil, Viral Infection - II -
08/17/2005 Optimal eh? :-( <Should be no more difficult than
maintaining the tank properly.... That's the least we
can do for our captive fishes.> How about surgery on the actual
cyst? <This will cause more harm than good, most
likely. I would leave it as is, and let the fish heal on its
own time. Proper care, proper water quality alone will help
this to go away.> Extra salts in the tank?
<Nope. Patience, much patience, and proper
care. That's all. This will take
time.... but can/should heal up on its
own. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Blind "Heros Amphilophus" Help!
<That's what we're here for :)> I've been
searching for info to help my fish, but haven't found the
exact problem my fish is having. <I'll try to lead you in
the right direction> I have a Heros Amphilophus (just one
really big and aggressive female, I think) in a 50 gallon tank.
<By "Heros Amphilophus," I would assume that you are
referring to a parrot Cichlid, which is a hybridization between
the Severum (Heros severus) and the Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus
citrinellum). I think this is the case, as the genus Heros does
not contain any fish with the species name Amphilophus. As a side
note, Amphilophus is a genus name referring to a different group
of Cichlids. The correct way of writing the scientific name of
your fish would be Heros severus x Amphilophus citrinellum. But
let's not dwell on details.> Yesterday, she didn't eat
anything and I noticed that she wasn't moving much and kept
bumping into the tank walls. One of her eyes is cloudy, but both
seem move like she's looking around. I see one small red spot
near her tail, on the opposite side of the cloudy eye. She seems
a bit swollen, but not much. <The symptoms you are describing
are all indicative of a bacterial infection. However, I am unable
to pinpoint exactly what ails your fish from the description
provided. Please visit the following link to help you identify
what disease your fish has: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/disFAQsMar.htm
> Today, I changed the water by 40% and added Rid-ich, just to
be on the safe side. <Adding medicine "just to be on the
safe side" is never a good idea. You should always identify
the disease before you go dumping all sorts of concoctions into
the water. However, a water change is always a good thing when
your fish look worse for the wear, and can only help.> She
perked up and has been aimlessly swimming around the tank for the
past 3 hours since I treated the water. She's leaving her
mouth half open, like she's gulping down the water. I tried
waving a piece of dried krill in front of her and she didn't
go for it. I removed the artificial plants from the tank so
she won't poke herself. The water temp is just below 80. Any
advice? <Yes, I would advise you to determine what exactly
ails your fish and to use the wonderful internet to locate
potential cures (you may not have to look any further than
WetWebMedia for a treatment).> Thanks! <Glad I could be of
assistance. Good luck! Mike G>
Parrot Fish Fungus Hi, My question is about Parrot Fish Fungus. I have an orange parrot fish, with a rosy pink body tone, and orange spots on his tail. He is about 3 inches long, and didn't have the fungus when I added him to the tank approximately 3 weeks ago. I have a 55 gal tank that is filtered well at 400 gallons per hour, plastic plants, and do regular water tests, changes, and filter cleanings. All conditions are ideal, any suggestions for removing the fungus? Thanks <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwdis3setsfactors.htm and the Related FAQs, particularly on infectious disease (linked, in blue, at top). Bob Fenner> Re: Parrot cichlid extremely bloated-can you please help? Thank you! I actually treated the tank last night with Paragon II, which treats many different kinds of bacteria and is supposed to be especially effective on the cichlid family. I have used it before to treat ich and white spot. I changed about 25% of the water, prior to treating, per the instructions and will change it again after treatment. I will get some fresh food too. I keep the tank clean, and partially change the water regularly, so the water wasn't dirty but it could be the food or temp. I did notice the temp a few degrees higher than I usually keep it, so I may have bumped the heater and turned it up by accident. I will gradually drop it down a couple degrees to see if that helps too. Thank you so much for the response and advice. I really appreciate it! Great website by the way! < Check the label for the medications in the paragon II. Metronidazole is very effective on anaerobic bacteria. Hope this helps and thanks for your kind words about the website.-Chuck>
Angels can't swim! Hey there my angel fish have stopped swimming. Their tails have folded up and there long fins have gone thin and superficial. They just lie on the bottom, not eating. What is wrong and how can I fix it? < You have a bacterial infection. Do a 30% water change and clean the filter. I would treat with a medication called Furanace. If that is not available then try Maracyn. These medications also affect the good bacteria that break down fish waste. Watch for ammonia spikes. -Chuck> Gold Severum- Clear Bubble near Anus I would very much appreciate your feed back on the problem im having with one of my Gold Severums. Severum is about 7-8 years old, avg size, think its a male but not sure and i just noticed the last couple of days that there is some kind of clear/cloudy bubble growth, size of a dime in diameter near his anus or it might be coming from his anus. It is bloody looking inside looking like a embryo kinda i guess. Im really not sure if its some kind of cyst, tumor, etc..... < Your fish have developed an internal bacterial infection. An ulcer may have developed in the fishes intestine an allowed the bacteria normally found in the gut to escape outside the gut and start to feed on the fish itself. As the bacteria grow and multiply they begin to produce gas and cause the intestines of the fish to expand beyond the fishes body cavity.> Usually I've tried calling a few places here in town (KS) and nobody really knows. < This condition is fairly rare so it is not unusual that the stores have not encountered this before, but it does happen occasionally in older fish.> This is really upsetting to me since I've had my fish quite some time. (2-Gold Severums, 2-Convicts). I have transferred him to another tank for which the other Severum was bothering, chasing, swimming next to him, not really attacking in a way but i thought it would help him with his problem, not being bothered... PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND RECOMMENDATIONS. < Isolating the fish is a good idea. Treat for fungal infections. The extended intestine is damaged and begin to look fuzzy . This is a fungal infection and needs to be treated or it will never heal. Treat the internal problem with a medicated food with Metronidazole. Follow the directions as recommended. If the fish is not eating the you could try a Furanace type of antibiotic. Change the water often. If the antibiotics work then the bacteria will die off and the intestine may go back inside if it has not been damaged by the fungus. Saving this fish is a long shot, but I can tell by your writing that you have developed a attachment to your fish and really want to save it. Good luck -Chuck> TODD (KS) Oscar Dear WWM Crew, I have written in the past
regarding an "upside down" Oscar, who is still alive,
but seemingly not well. I strongly believe that he has
permanent swim bladder damage b/c he does not float and has been
on his side at the bottom of the tank for some time
now. < The swim bladder in cichlids is an open
system in which the fish can change the size depending on depth
and conditions. Deep water rift lake cichlids take a few days do
decompress like divers from deeper waters. The valve that
controls this can become infected and close permanently. It
appears your Oscar is in this category.> In addition, there is
a permanent small distended area around his rectal area, which
can vary slightly in size. < It appears there is or was a
definite internal infection with your Oscar> I clean the
tank one a week (30 gal.) and use Epsom salt each time because it
seems to help keep the distention at bay. I have not
tried any other treatments. < The damage is already done and
he will probably not get any better> He still eats very well
and can swim, although only with major effort and tires so
quickly that I often end up pushing the food toward him to
help. It is very upsetting to see him in this state
and I worry that he his suffering. I've considered
Euthanizing and you have suggested that freezing is the most
humane, but I don't see how since he will be removed from the
tank he has resided in for several years and placed in a dark
place that get progressively colder. Perhaps, I'm
thinking too much (my husband complaint). Any
suggestions? < Your fish will probably not get any better. If
you want to try to save him you can get some medicated food with
Metronidazole in it. Feed it to him for a couple of days, clean
the filter and vacuum the gravel to get rid of the built up
waste. Raise the water temperature to 82 degrees. Repeat the
medicated food in a week. It probably will not work since your
Oscar is a few years old and only live a couple of years in the
wild. An Oscar that is "several years old" probably has
his best years behind him. To euthanize you fish I would take
some water out of the aquarium and place it in a small bucket
with just enough water to cover the top of him. Place a few
Alka-Seltzer's?) tablets in the bucket. The kind you get at
the drug store for headaches. The tablets will foam when they hit
the water and put out Co2 gas. This will put him to sleep. He
will still be breathing but will be unconscious. Then put him in
a plastic fish bag with some of the water from the bucket and
place him in the freezer. The cold will slowly kill him and you
can then dispose of him. -Chuck>
Lymphocystis again Thank you, Sabrina - As it happens,
the lumps on the Severum have shrunk dramatically and if one did
not know they had been there, one would probably not notice them
at all. <Excellent!> As for the affliction surrounding the
dorsal fin of the Firemouth, the crud might be looking a little
better but the fin itself looks awful - I think a couple of
spines may even be gone from it. <Darn.... Do keep
on top of water quality. It may be a good idea to
treat with something to prevent secondary bacterial
infection.> But there has been no change in the behavior of
the Firemouth - it is as feisty and voracious as ever. I went
back to the fish store today and a different expert was there and
she recommended Spectrogram, so I purchased enough to treat the
55. <A good med - Kanamycin sulfate and Nitrofurazone
combination. Will definitely kick a lot of nasties
that might set in (like fin rot) after/while the Lympho clears
up.> However, on Saturday I leave for a five day trip and my
fish will once again be under the care of my wife, so, based on
what you say, perhaps I will just do another good water change
before I go and hold off on the Spectrogram until I get
back. Bill <Most important is that water
quality. I cannot stress how important it
is. Do the water change, by all means, and depending
on the firemouth's condition and whether your wife can handle
it, you may want for her to go ahead and treat while you're
gone. -Sabrina> Lymphocystis? Hi - I just returned from two weeks traveling during which time my wife kept the fish fed, but I have found something terrible in the 55 gallon tank. All around the base of the dorsal fin of one of my two Firemouths is a crusty, ugly, raw-looking growth of some kind or another that has a pinkish tone to it. The other Firemouth looks just fine, but there was a bit of slim trailing off the dorsal fins of both of my green Severums. Just above and behind the gills of one of the green Severums was a white dot about an 1/8 of an inch in diameter. The gold Severums looked fine. <Lots that could be going on here. First to suspect would be water quality. Can you give us ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH readings for your tank? Are the Firemouths and the Severums the only denizens? How many of each? This might be a bit much bioload for a 55. As to the illness you're experiencing, I would think, from the descriptions, it may be septicemia or Lymphocystis. Though, possibly a fungus - is it fluffy/fuzzy/cottony? I've found that septicemia and fungus responds extremely well to Kanamycin sulfate (can be found under proprietary name Kanacyn by one manufacturer). Lymphocystis, on the other hand, is a viral infection that is very hard to work with at best. Maintain immaculate water quality. If it is, in fact, Lymphocystis, you may have success manually removing the growths - but do be careful. Do a Google search on Lymphocystis for more info, as well, and take a look at the Lymphocystis FAQs - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lymphfaqs.htm - these are marine FAQs, but there's a great pic on there of a navarchus angel with the affliction. Might help in your diagnosis.> I took the Firemouth into my local fish store where even their resident expert was a bit puzzled, but they recommended Ampicillex. So, last night, I gave the tank its first treatment. This afternoon, I see no improvement in the Firemouth, although it is so early that I would not necessarily expect to. The two white spots on the green Severum are more pronounced, having grown out kind of like a pimple and have a bit of a moldy look to them. <This does sound much like Lymphocystis.... it is often referred to as 'cauliflower' disease for its appearance.> Most of the other fish still look okay, but they are swimming all about like crazy, and several of them frequently rub themselves furiously against gravel or decorations. Do you have any ideas? Do you think I am on the right track with the Ampicillex? <I'm not sure how septicemia would respond to Ampicillex, really - it might do well for that; but it does seem to me that you're not looking at septicemia. A picture would be excellent, if you can get it.> You once had me treat ick with salt. That was a slow process but effective. Would salt help in this situation? <Possibly. I keep all my freshwater tanks salted at 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons. Some people use twice that. I use the higher amount (1 Tbs/5 gallons) when dealing with illnesses.> If so, in conjunction with Ampicillex or separate from it? While I was treating with salt, I frequently had some low nitrite buildup, so I knew it had to be killing some of my bio and so I am hesitant to use it unless it will truly be beneficial. <A low amount of salt shouldn't wipe out your bacteria. I always keep that one Tbs per 10g in my tanks, with no ill effects.> I have some beautiful fish here and I do not want to lose them. -------------------- I might add - I just gave the tank is afternoon feeding and it seemed that everybody was eating normally, except for the electric yellow. He looks just fine, but is swimming frenetically all about. The other fish seem to have calmed down considerably from when I wrote the last email. It is possible that the electric yellow ate some a few pellets immediately after I put them in, as my daughter and one of her friends came in at that moment and distracted me from my observations for a bit. -------------------- I just gave the tank its late night feeding. The electric yellow was as voracious as ever. As for the green Severum with the white, mold-like pimples, there is now a protrusion from the larger of the two growths that, if it had appeared elsewhere on the body, I would have immediately suspected ick. <Again, sounding like Lymphocystis to me. Good luck, and keep us updated. -Sabrina> Bill Oscar and Myxosoma? <Hello!> I have searched the archives and have found very little information about this. From what I have read, I suspect that my Oscar may have this "whirling disease". He has stopped eating for the last week or so. I normally do weekly water changes of about 15%. Because of his symptoms, I have done three water changes during the last week totaling probably about 60% I have been using Melafix for the last few days , but have seen no changes. He is breathing heavy, mouth opening and closing. The other fish in the tank (2 large tinfoil barbs and a Synodontis cat) remain normal. During the day when I'm not home, I don't suspect that he is doing the whirling thing because there is no water on the floor. At night when the lights are on, he will do the quick, one full turn around action, often splashing water out of the tank. This goes on every few minutes while I'm watching. I have done some research on the web and found that infected fish will often do the whirl when they are startled or fed (connection with the lights?). Almost no info exists on this disease in Oscars, some in reference to Discus, but most are about Salmon and Trout. There are no references to a cure. One site even said to "immediately euthanize the infected fish and all other inhabitants and sanitize the tank...there is no cure!" ...and that was a discus site! Heck, I don't think I'd get too attached to a salmon or a trout, but Oscar is family! Do you think that this is what I'm up against? Do you have any information on this and a possible cure? I hate seeing this graceful creature suffer like this. <I am sorry it took me a while to get back with you! I also had problems finding treatments for this disease. This seems to be fairly rare infection in a warm water climate. Myxobolus cerebralis is the parasite you're dealing with, and it seems to find it's host initially in Tubifex worms. I think the following course of action is in order: Quarantine the Oscar in a sanitized tank. By medicating your other fish, you're putting additional stress on their environment. Keep his water in the QT changed as much as you can, and feed him lighter than normal. You may want to contact the nice folks at http://www.whirling-disease.org/ for more suggestions. I have a friend who is a toxicologist for the Department of Fish and Game- I'll forward your email and see if he has treatment ideas as well. Sorry I can't be of more help! Ryan> Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. |
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