Sick Swordtail (Gill Disease/ Flukes) 7/9/09
I have a red Swordtail in a 30 gallon tank, which is lightly planted, that has a white mucus coming from it's gills with quickened breathing.
<Could be flukes, but perhaps other things too, such as Velvet, that irritate the gills.>
The Swordtail still eats a little, but with a less ravenous appetite than usual. He still swims around most the time yet in a more relax and slower manner than usual, but also spends some time resting at both the bottom and top of the tank. The tank is cycled and been running for years with a stable pH of 7.6, zero ammonia/nitrite, and a temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. The other tank inhabitants include 2 female Swordtails, 3 Flame tetras, 3 X-ray tetras, 5 Zebra Danios, 1 (temporary) baby Dojo Loach, 1 Amano shrimp, and 2 (1 1/2 in.) clams which all show no signs of being sick.
<Doubt the clams will live long, to be honest; they take a long time to die, but unless you're adding plankton for them to eat most days of the week, then dying they are. Contrary to what pet stores might say, they ARE NOT SCAVENGERS and there isn't enough stuff in the water for them to survive. They're animals, they're not getting anything to eat, therefore they are starving to death.>
Them most recent inhabitants are the clams and shrimp which were introduced about 5-6 weeks ago and had been at an LFS for at least several months before purchasing. The swordtail showed symptoms about 3 weeks ago and has been treated with a second round of Maracyn TC evidently having no effect at eliminating the problem, but has seemingly kept it from getting much worse than when it started.
<Interesting. What type of "clams" are these? If they're the small Asian Freshwater Clam (Corbicula fluminea) then these are relatively harmless, apart from when they die and pollute the water. But the (usually coldwater) Swan Mussels, primarily species of Unionidae, produce parasitic larvae that attach themselves to the gills of fish. This allows the larvae to be carried away from wherever their parents live. In the wild this seems to cause little harm, but within the confines of an aquarium, such parasitic infestations may cause problems, specifically by allowing secondary infections to set in via damaged gill membranes.>
The swordtail was "adopted" at a Petco about 3-4 months ago so I have no idea of its past exposure. I believed it to be gill disease which is why I used the Maracyn TC as I thought parasites would be unlikely, but I do not know how to tell between whether it is gill flukes or a bacteria.
<You really can't tell without looking at the gills directly; if sedating (e.g., with clove oil) and opening the gill covers is an option, then you may wish to do so. Otherwise rotating through different medications in a hospital tank could also be used. Don't use anti-parasite medications in your community tank: these will kill your snails, shrimps and clams.
Perhaps start with a fluke medication first, and then after a couple of 50% water changes across two days, an anti-velvet/ick medication.>
The other thing I was unsure of is if it is gill disease is it gram negative or gram positive because the TC works on gram negative. Any help would be greatly appreciated and if more information is needed just ask.
Sincerely, Mack
<Cheers, Neale.>

Disease/s of Fish, FW...   06/03/09
Good Day Crew,
<Bob, Pat... it's... BobF>
I'm hoping someone can help before any more of my fish die.
<Me too>
I have a 55gal. fw aquarium with an Aqua-Clear "70" power filter and use Bio-Max, Foam & Carbon also Aqua-Clear.
Power Stone & Temp. 76 ( for a year & half.)
Clean, dechlorinate, aquarium salt (1 tbsp-every 5 gals.)
<For?>
& 15% water changes every week faithfully.
Ph-7.2 Dh-75 (soft)
I use API testing chemicals which I prefer over strips.
<Me too>
Dh & KH I have to use
Ammon.-0 Kh-0 (low)
strips because I cannot locate chemicals for this testing.
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-10
(All my fish are quarantined 3 wks)
<Good>
I started with 6 Danios in a fully cycled tank (1 mo. later 1 died & 1disappeared - found sev. Mos. later in propeller)
1 mo. later added 3 swordtails (1 male & 2 females) & 1 pearl Gourami
(3mos. later Gourami died)
(only 1 female sword had babies but all were eaten)
1 mo. later added 6 Australian Rainbows (? Sex no babies)
<Need special care... spawning mops, cultured food/s generally>
3 mos. later added 3 marigold swordtails (1 male & 2 females)
This past April added 6 Mickey mouse platies (2 males & 4 females)
Since the Gourami died I've lost 2 male & 1 female swordtails.
This past week I noticed my original female sword (1 yr. old) seemed a little sluggish and staying among the plants. (artificial)
I kept a watch on her and she ate well and would occasionally come out of plants and swim around but sluggishly. I thought I noticed a whitish look to the sides of her body and her fins were clamped so I put
her my 10gal. quarantine tank, covered it and increased temp. to 80 degrees.
She was still eating fine. Next day she started swimming with head up & tail down but still eating ok. I didn't treat her because I didn't know what she had and the big tank appeared to be fine. (all parameters were
good & fish eating & frolicking as usual). Yesterday she appeared lethargic, weak, white stringy feces
<Mmm... sometimes evidence of internal infestation>
& not eating and often hiding in a pvc tube I have in the tank. Last night I found her sucked against the intake tube of the filter and of course she had died. I examined her closely and did not see the whitish look to the sides of her body, I thought I saw before or anything else that might look like a disease. I am so saddened by this.
I now have one of my rainbows with a raggedy-looking tail fin and swimming with a list and sometimes almost rolling over. He/she is still eating fine.
There is one other rainbow that keeps nudging this rainbow and it nudges it back. Noted white stringy feces on this other rainbow but not the one that is listing.
I also have 1 Danio that has a greenish iridescent look to its lower body & tail fin which just appeared 3 days ago.
What could be going on? I am faithful about cleaning, water & filter changes. It's obvious something is going on but I don't know what and with what appears to be different symptoms do I treat my main tank?
My quarantine tank isn't ready for any fish due to the fact that I threw out the sponge because tank wasn't treated. I didn't want to pass anything on to the to the other fish. I always keep a sponge in my main
tank for times of sickness and new fish. Please help if you can (asap)I would so appreciate it and thank you in advance.
Ps: Can I use my dishwasher (without soap) to sterilize my q-tank equipment? I heard this before
Pat
<I would not... for fear of some bit of contamination just the same. I would likely go ahead here... Using a microscope to autopsy/necropsy some of the dead if you have such... and treat for both Flukes and internal
parasites... Likely the best single treatment with be with Levamisole...
barring this, Metronidazole and Praziquantel... See WWM re (the search tool). Bob Fenner>

Velvet! No... not reading, yes  3-4-09
Hi,
<Sheri>
I can't seem to find anything about fish that are already sick, really sick,
<?!>
and so i am hoping you can answer my question.
I have a 25 gallon tank with mostly fake plants except one. It contains 6 guppies and 6 tetras, 3 diamond and 3 serpae,
<Oooh, these can be hard on the guppies... quite nippy>
and one algae eater.
<Mmm, not a Chinese/Gyrinocheilus I hope/trust... see the Net, WWM re...>
They have velvet and/or ich.
<?>
A couple tetra have some white specks like salt and a couple guppies have yellowish dust on them and are acting lethargic. One im particular is really sick. He is a blue and white phantom but his color is fading, his fins are frayed and he just sits at the top of the tank with his back half dangling.
He still eats but there is just not much to him anymore, frankly I'm shocked he's still alive. The PH is 7.2, temp is turned up to 81-82,
<I'd raise this up a bit more...>
nitrites, nitrates, ammonia is 0. I have added some aquarium salt and also treated the parasite with Coppersafe.
<Not my first choice...>
My question is will he get better or should I completely remove him?
<...? I'd leave all in>
They are all sick so I am treating the whole tank but I'm wondering if he should be taken out or would the stress of moving him make him more stressed? Is there something I should be doing to treat the fish for the disease or do they just kind of have to go through the process or does the Coppersafe work directly on the fish?
Thank you for any information you can give me :)
Sheri
<Please help yourself... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaintindex.htm
the tray toward the bottom... Parasitic Diseases... Bob Fenner>

Re: Velvet!  03/04/09
Thank you for the link. I'm wondering why my local pet store advised me to use copper if it's so toxic?
<Mmm... is an effective remedy for quite a few parasitic complaints... but has a "narrow range of efficacy" unfortunately... One needs to be very careful (with daily or more frequent test kit use) to not under (which one
do any good) or over-dose (which will kill all livestock) with copper>
I'm new at this and have been working with one of the employees whom helped me pick out my fish and has been helping with the disease....or not helping I guess. Yes it is a Chinese algae eater. Is there anything I can do now to help them or is it too late?
Thanks again
<Yikes... I'd be looking to trade in the CAE when all is better
disease-wise. BobF>

Re: Velvet! Now Loricariid ID?   03/04/09
Sorry, I looked up about the Chinese algae eaters and that's not what I have. He called it that but it looks WAAAYYY different. It looks like the common sucker fish you see stuck to everyone's tanks, black, about 2 inches long, wide head.
<Maybe a Plecostomus of some sort/species... again, you'd do well to read, learn to use the indices, search tool on WWM. B>

Deadly Diseases: Lymphocystis, Glugea, and Henneguya. 02/09/09
Hello All! Just writing this bc I had an important question and maybe something you don't deal with often ... Before I start I have a 60 Gallon FW tank that has been running for about a year. My ammonia/nitrites are always 0 and my nitrates always 40ppm or less ... Anyways, about 1 month ago or so (maybe a little longer) I noticed one of my blue rams which I've had almost a year had white pimple looking bumps on the top of his head ...
After researching I came to the conclusion that he had Lymphocystis so I left him in the tank. It would spread around his face, reappearing on a different spot on his head as another healed but never got any worse than when I first noticed it (he is still alive btw). Now, my question is this
... What is the chance that this isn't Lymphocystis and is Glugea or Henneguya? (I never took him out of the tank bc everything I've read said these diseases are even more rare than Lympho.) The reason why I ask is bc over the past 3 - 4 days I have lost 4 or 5 fish for unknown reasons ...
And they all exhibit the same signs: Loss of color. They were all eating and active except for the color and it got to the point where I could look in the tank in the morning and know which fish were going to be dead by the time I got home from work based on the color. Glugea and Henneguya is the only reason I could think of bc I have not done anything different to my tank in a long time and I religiously keep my tank clean and maintained. So what is your opinion bc I truly believe that my whole tank will be dead in a month or less at this rate. (Which means I convert my tank into a dart frog tank and forget fish forever lol). Thanks for the insight. -Nick-
<Nick, I think these are unrelated issues. Lympho is by far the most common viral disease among cichlids; or at least, the most common one aquarists can recognise. It isn't fatal, and as you've noticed, it comes and goes.
It's a nuisance, but doesn't seem to harm the fish any, and eventually goes away. If you're losing a bunch of fish -- of different types -- in a short span of time, it's most probable there's an issue with water quality or chemistry. Also consider reviewing diet, temperature, and even the age of the fish. So: What are the fish? What is the water chemistry? Cheers, Neale.>

Large Tropical Community with Ich (White Spot)????  1/16/08
Please Help. I have a 30g tank with a biofilter and airstones. Tank established for 6 months. NO2+=:0, NO3=:0, pH=:6.8, KH=:80, GH=:120. The temperature is at a steady 82% with the heater. Substrate=: Shallow Fine Gravel. Occupants are: 1 Black Ghost Knife,
<Needs more room than this>
2 Platys, 2 Guppies, 2 Angels, 3 mollies,
<... brackish water animals... Incompatible water quality wise here>
6 Tetras, 2 golden Dojo Loaches, 1 Dwarf Gourami and 1 Cory cat. All were doing well until I added a 4th molly a week ago. I only quarantined him for two days because my other 2 male mollies were harassing my female molly, so I put him in the 30g prematurely!!
<Oh oh...>
Now most fish, with the exception of my beautiful Black Ghost and the Tetras have several tiny white spots all over their body! It must be new. I just noticed last night. I have many medications, Melafix, Pimafix,
<These "fixes" are worthless... worse than worthless>
Rid Ich, Fungus Cure, aquarium salt, etc… and have never used them, because I believe if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
<We are in agreement here re this "philosophy">
I pride myself on pristine tank conditions with 30% H20 change weekly. Please, what should I do?
<... Raise temperature... read... move the mollies elsewhere... remove carbon, maybe try half dosing the Rid Ich... read first>
I love all my fish, but my Black Ghost and 2 Loaches are my pride and joy!
I will not do anything to hurt them! My quarantine tank is only 10g and does not have a heater.
<Too late for quarantine...>
The temp in that tank is only 76-78%. It is cycled for over a year and currently empty. The pH is 6.8. Please don’t tell me that I have overstocked my aquarium, as I already know and feel bad enough. Despite everything I read, I did not resist the temptation to keep adding beautiful fish and now I, or I should say, the fish are paying the price. Can u help me?
Sincerely Yours: Kristen
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
and here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>

Parasites..? in pond fish, Gambusia to be precise -12/14/07
Hello Crew,
<Nicole>
I am writing this in a bit of a hurry, so my apologies if this sounds disjointed. I'm at work and it's just about time to lock up.
<Okay... similarly, please make allowance for my incoherency... am just waking up>
I was visiting my friend today, and he pointed out something very odd in his pond. Three fish were covered with what looked like tumors at first. The affected fish were mosquitofish. Upon netting one and observing it more closely, by putting it in a glass and holding it up to the window, it became apparent that these fleshy growths were not subcutaneous but loosely attached to the skin. Some of them fell right off while the fish was swimming in the glass. I don't know how to describe the growths, except to say that they are light brown gelatinous blobs, slimy and mucus like, oval shaped, and they appear to cover the fish from head to tail, including near the gill area. The affected fish are moving slowly and seem emaciated, perhaps just from being too slow to get food amongst all of the competition.
<Good descriptions>
This pond is stocked with native FL fish that he's collected from various bodies of water and populated his pond with over the years.
Mosquitofish primarily, but it seems some minnows and killifish too.
More recently, a few bass and the fry of what appear to be bluegills, have been discovered in there.
<I see... possibility of contamination from vectors>
This is a very basic round pond, maybe 15-20 feet in diameter, which started as a hole dug in the clay and filled with water with plants of all sorts added over the years. It's about 10 years old, in case that matters. Recently he let it "go wild" and it became overrun with cattails, duck potato, pickerel weed, etc. Finally this winter, he drained it, moved all of the fish to other ponds (he has 3-4 other small ponds, which he digs himself with a backhoe) and removed most of the plants, leaving only a few huge root balls in the mud which will probably take hold again. I just thought I would mention this in case this gives any clue as to why these parasites (I am assuming that's what these are?) would suddenly appear, after 10 years of having small pond fish without any signs of such trouble.
<Many possibilities... could even have been "something" brought in via waterfowl...>
Incidentally, I don't have any idea what the water quality is like in the pond, except the water does seem very tannic (lots of acorns falling in and such) and is unfiltered, but regularly topped off.
Lately the water has turned green sometimes, but it seems to come and go. The clay soil around the pond makes the water rather turbid anyhow. I'm sorry, I wish I could be more scientific, but I know next to nothing about ponds! I'm just trying to help him find out more about this, as he is sort of a backwoods guy and not computer literate.
<No worries>
I know this is almost impossible to comment upon without a picture ID, and next time I see him I will bring my digital camera. However, in the meantime, is there anything you can recommend?
<Mmm, yes... some water changes mostly... perhaps even just water addition; if the system is "percolating" as many such ponds do in FLA... adding a slow running hose pipe to dilute the acorn et al. effects>
Any clue as to what this might be?
<Likely "just" environmental in cause... the result of "dead sea effect"... cumulative metabolic accumulation... Though could be pathogenic (trematodes, other possibilities), even idiopathic tumour...>
Or perhaps you could point me to a resource, either
online or in print (as I work at a library, and could probably have a book interlibrary loaned if need be) that could show me pictures of diseased fish to compare to?
<There are several Ed Noga, "Fish Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment" I especially like...>
I have looked a bit online and have found excellent websites with lots of written description, but the pictures, if any, are microscopic images. What I was hoping to find was pictures of diseased fish, or a picture of the parasites as they are seen by the naked eye. If there is anything obvious that I am missing here or failing to see?
<Mmm, not likely. There are no good to great works of this kind online as far as I'm aware>
Sorry, this email did get a bid wordy after all. In any case, if anyone could help, I would be most grateful!
Thanks so much,
Nicole
<For now, the simple water changes... Is what I would do. Testing for quality next... Bob Fenner>

Unwelcome Hitchers (External Parasites?), FW  11/9/07
I found what sounds exactly like what seems to be my issue. However, I do not see a clear answer. The question was named Unwelcome Hitchers (External Parasites?).
I found it here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fshwrmdisfaq2.htm
FAQs on Parasitic Worm Diseases 2
Just wondering what it could be. I have noticed these things for some time. Like the previous person said, it does not seem to bother the fish. They must fall off in after feeding because when I am cleaning the tank I find these little thingies.
<... a drawing, photo?>
Normally just one or two. The last time I found several. I just want to get rid of them. I do recall once that it may have been just attaching itself to the fish and it was like a clear round small bubble? (best way to describe it right now). I treated it with Quick cure and it kind of released itself soon after (not sure if it was the med or the life cycle).
<The former... has formaldehyde in it... just get the open bottle near your eyes... wait, don't!>
I saw it floating through the water and it appeared to have a tiny red dot in the center. A few days later, I was cleaning the tank and found this little disc, but hardened. Like a contact lens. Please, help. You may not have the answer, but seeing how this seems to be common in my tank for right now, if I find a treatment that gets rid of it (and it stays away for longer than a few weeks). I will let you know.
<Sounds like Flukes... I'd try a dewormer... Prazi-Pro, Praziquantel... Bob Fenner>

Sick fish and some sort of parasites 10/25/07
Hello. How is everything? I am once again, in need of your guidance. I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 great filters. I have 3 adult mollies, (5) 3 month old mollies, 2 dwarf gouramis (male and female), and 7 adult mm platies and (2) 3 month mm platies. My tank is 6 months old and is well established.
On Saturday 10/20/07 I cleaned the tank out and scrubbed the walls of it.
There was some sort of white almost microscopic worms all over it. Where could this come from??? I use algae tablets and clean the walls every Saturday. I noticed last night my molly with a beautiful tail has fin rot, so I began treatment last night with some medicine. Maracyn. I removed carbon from filters. This morning the white skurmmyworm things are BACK....and are everywhere. Any advise. and 2 of my mm platies are covered in slime...so they going to die
Melissa
<Hi Melissa. The worms are either free-living nematodes (thread worms) or free-living planarians (flatworms). In either case, they're harmless. But they are an indication that your tank has a lot of organic material lying about, because that's what they eat. In a clean tank, these worms are simply not a problem. So, given your other problems, I'd worry less about the worms and more about the water quality. Mollies and Platys are both sensitive to water quality, and Finrot and Fungus, the problems you have, are caused directly by poor water quality. Have you checked the nitrite and ammonia levels in your aquarium? These need to be zero. Furthermore, Mollies have very little tolerance for nitrate, so nitrate needs to be less than 20 mg/l. Regardless, "cleaning" an aquarium has very little to do with scrubbing the glass. Indeed, tanks that are covered in algae and look messy can have superb water quality. Conversely, plenty of superficially clean aquaria have terrible water quality. So, make sure you are doing all the basics: Don't clean the filter too often, and when you do (maybe once every 2-3 months) do no more than rinse the media in a bucket of aquarium water. Don't waste your filter space with carbon; instead, fill it with biological media. Sponge, filter wool and ceramic media all work great. Make sure you do regular water changes. 25-50% per week is a good amount. You tank isn't heavily stocked, so you should be fine keeping these fish. One last thing: Mollies do much better in brackish or salt water than they do in freshwater. Adding 4-6 grammes of marine salt mix per litre makes all the difference. If you absolutely must keep your Mollies in freshwater, it is ESSENTIAL that the water is spotlessly clean (zero ammonia and nitrite, and minimal nitrate) and that the carbonate hardness is very high (at least 8-10 degrees KH). Otherwise, keeping Mollies becomes an uphill struggle against disease. Platies tolerate slightly brackish water very well, as will most other livebearers. But Dwarf Gouramis not so much. For now, you need to treat your fish with a combination Finrot/Fungus medication; Maracyn should do the trick. Do make sure you remove carbon before using it though. Lots of people forget this critical step, and wonder why their fish medications never work! Once you're done, remember: Fish are basically very healthy and trouble-free animals -- provided you give them the water conditions they want! Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Sick fish and some sort of parasites 10/25/07
I should have mentioned that everything is reading PERFECT. Zero ammonia and zero nitrate. The pH is 7.0....I really don't know what is wrong. I am using Maracyn powder packets with carbon removed. How do I get rid of these little white worm things. They are really grossin' me out and are very unattractive. They have multiplied very fast. Also.....my mollies had a ton of babies......they are doing well it seems.....and have been in the tank for about 4 days. Thank you so so much for all your time
<Well, for a start, pH 7 is way too low for livebearers, so that's likely a problem. What this pH says is that your water likely lacks mineral content. When keeping livebearers, the general hardness (dH) and carbonate hardness (KH) are the keys to good health. Test the water and find out. You want at least 5 degrees KH, 12 degrees dH, and ideally above 10 degrees KH, 20 degrees dH if you want your Mollies to do well. Nice and hard water should have a pH around 7.5-8.0. There are two approaches here. Firstly, you can add Malawi salts to the water each time you do a water change. Malawi salts are NOT tonic salts. Malawi salts are added to the water like tonic salts though, and once dissolved into the bucket of water will raise the hardness very effectively. A 50% dose relative to what you need for Malawi cichlids should be fine, so if the box says it'll treat 100 litres, it'll do 200 litres in your aquarium. Alternatively, you add crushed coral to a filter. As the water washes past the crushed coral it will absorb hardness minerals. Likely every month you'll need to clean this crushed coral because bacterial slime makes it ineffective over time. So compared with adding Malawi salts this is "cheap and cheerful" but a little more work. It goes without saying that while all livebearers like "rock hard" water, not all other tropical fish do, so you need to choose tankmates with care. This is why you have to research fish before buying them. But please understand this: if your water chemistry is too soft and acidic for livebearers (which it seems to be) they will never stay healthy. Simple as that. Do you know anything about gardening? It's like trying to grow heather in an alkaline soil: the plant wants an acid soil, so however much you try to help the heather, it'll just die. As for the worms -- their numbers are directly proportional to the food in the tank available to eat. Cut back on the food you give your fish, and remove uneaten food at once, and Mother Nature will take care of their numbers! They'll die back gradually. Really, these worms aren't a problem, and in a stable, properly maintained aquarium you hardly ever see them. Cheers, Neale>

Re: pH and Bio Wheel filter (parasites are gone)   3/8/07
Hello Bob:
Here is Anna, again :--)
Before I start another topic, let me give you a brief update on my fish health condition.
On Feb. 24th I moved my fishy crew (tetras, sword, and butterfly - Pleco) to a hospital tank.
As recommended I let the 10-gallon home tank go "fallow."
With partial daily water changes & bottom vacuuming + some Maracyn 2 (for 5 days)  + excellent food + vitamins I was able to bring all hospitalized fish to stability.  The hospital tank reads stable parameters - ammonia = 0, nitrate = 0, pH = 6.8. Visibly fish looks better, eats well and swims all over the place.
None has any white patches, or heavy breathing, or white spots.
<Good>
In between, I also bought Emperor 280 Bio-Wheel filter (as discussed last time) and installed it on the home tank (along with an "old" filter). For the 1st week the parameters in the home tank mirrored the ones in the hospital tank (amm.=0, Nitr.. = 0, pH=6.8).
Few days ago I added additional carbon to the media container in Bio-Wheel filter. The water got unnaturally crispy, clean,  and transparent.
<Good carbon will do this>
Yesterday,  I checked the water condition in the display tank and noticed that pH jumped to the 7.6. I assume, however, that this number could actually increase further (the water as per API pH kit is very dark blue),  because 7.6 is the highest indicator on the API pH kit test.
Today I checked my tap water - pH read 6.8. Then, I checked my hospital tank, pH read 6.8.
I did ca. 30% water change in the display tank and measured pH an  hour later - I got 7.6 and really dark blue color in a test tube.
I went through other people's responses on your fantastic web site - but could not find anybody who complained about empty display tank pH problems ;--)
Luckily for me, ammonia and parasite problems are gone... for now ;--)
Do you think that Emperor's carbon activity could distort the pH level in my 10-gallon display tank?
<Yes... can... by removing compounds that hold the pH down... alkalinity/acidity... buffering works in both directions... "It's" just that most all are familiar only with "reductive" situations... with pH dropping...>
I was thinking of turning off that filter to see if that raises an issue. is that a good idea?
<Mmm, not really... I would leave all going... trade out only an ounce or two of carbon on a regular basis... maybe once a month or so>
I plan to move my fish back to the "home" tank in about a month, but I am afraid that after months of struggles with ammonia and hard work on parasites and keeping my precious fish healthy and alive I could lose all of them due to the pH shock....
<Mmm, not likely... do test the water in a month or so... use some from the main tank for water changes in the treatment one...>
Would you be able to give me hint(s) on what and why happened? Should I "feed" the display tank?
<I would maybe "give it a pinch" of food every week or so...>
Should I continue doing partial (weekly) water changes there?
<Yes... with the "new water" for the treatment tank coming from the old one... once you think communicable problems have lapsed>
Should I take out the carbon?
<I would not. I'd leave it in>
I hope I do not ask too many questions :--)
<Me too>
Indeed, keeping my fish save become my personal crusade :--)
<Ah, good>
Thanks for any insights, Bob.
<Welcome>
And thanks for that great web site - thanks to information you posted I learned a lot and was able to overcome many "first-tank" owner problems...
Anna
<Outstanding. Excelsior! (Onward and upward). BobF>

Re: Internal parasites (again), FW   3/11/07
Hello crew,
<John>
Surely you are sick of hearing from me by now.  I wrote to you some time ago about a guppy that had an internal parasite problem.  I had treated the aquarium with an anti-parasitic medication, but things went horribly wrong.  I suspect an ingredient in the tablets had wreaked havoc on my tank and killed many of my Corydoras and other fish.
<Easily done unfortunately... Some "med." ingredients are outright toxic, many will forestall or kill off nitrification... indirectly stressing to killing livestock>
The problem eventually resolved but only after I had transferred the fish from the treated tank into another untreated tank.  I had thought the problem gone, but yesterday I mysteriously lost a cherry barb from the tank that had housed all the fish at one time.  Today, while cleaning this tank, I observed that some of the other cherry barbs had what appeared to be worms extending from their anal area.  So it looks like the problems are just beginning.  I do not know if this is Camallanus or another type of parasite.  They look like red threads (in some cases they are white) extending 3-4 mm outside the fish.  I am not sure how to treat.
<I am... I would administer Praziquantel (relatively safe, and very effective) for now... and in a week or so, "Fluke-Tabs" (in case this is actually, or additionally a crustacean parasite, e.g. Anchorworm... These should do it>
  I have a UV sterilizing unit, but I understand this will be ineffective.
<Correct>
  Thus, the question, is: do I treat with Levamisole HCL or Praziquantel?
<The latter is my choice here as an anthelminthic/vermifuge>
  I believe Praziquantel is ineffective against Camallanus,
<Mmm, generally is efficacious>
but unfortunately I cannot identify the parasite so I am not sure what approach to take.  Any suggestions would be welcome.
<The use of an inexpensive (I have a QX-3 on my desk... simple to use... can be plugged into a USB port...) microscope with one of the fishs should it perish...>
The other problem is that to obtain either "pure" Levamisole (as last time the tablets were a disaster) or Prazi, I have to mail order from the US as it is not possible to find these medications in Switzerland.
<Ohh... yes... Perhaps... yes, am advocating this... a friend can buy and ship this cross-border. I understand the intent and spirit of such laws... but there is more harm from internal combustion/gasoline use... For others...just don't self-administer such compounds.>
I am also concerned about the length of time it will take for me to locate a company willing to ship to Europe and the shipping time itself.  A preliminary search has revealed that not many companies are willing to ship these items to Europe.
<The Net...>
Thanks in advance for any help.  I can't believe I'm writing yet again.  Ug.
<Sorry to hear/read of your trials... Can be fixed... Bob Fenner>

Question on white spots   12/16/06
Hello sir, I'm brand new to owning fish and have bought a Red Swordtail female and a  Red Platy male. I've had the fish for about 2 weeks, and the night I bought them the Female gave birth to several fry. Well tonight I was watching the fish swim around as I was feeding them and I noticed that the Female had 2 White Spots on her. I've been searching sites looking for diseases and most point to ICH, but with the pictures I've seen of ICH it doesn't look like it. The 2 spots are approx. the size of the head of a nail. I'd say maybe 1/8th of an inch or so in diameter. Any suggestions would be wonderful.
<Mmm... well, there are other such appearances other than parasites that this might be... and the presence of the young fish makes any sort of chemical treatment impractical... And two weeks is a good long time if indeed this were something pathogenic to evidence itself... If it were me, mine, I'd hold off at this point, and just keep a close eye on your livestock... Perhaps making preparation to isolate one, some, if indeed this does become an infectious issue. Bob Fenner>

The Right Medication For the Right Parasite  11/12/06
OK.  In a previous email you recommended Clout and Rid-ich for scratching/flashing fish (no spots).  I have Coppersafe already at home, will this be effective?  I don't want to buy another med when I already have one.  Is this one ok?  I have Aquarisol also, which is more effective?
Thanks again
< When you ask for a recommendation for a particular problem I always recommend what has worked best for me for a similar problem. These other medications may work, it is just that I have not tried them. I would recommend that you try the Coppersafe at the recommended dosage. If that does not work then do a 50% water change run carbon in the filter to remove any medication and then try the Aquarisol. Medicate as per the directions on the bottle. If that doesn't work then do a 50% water change, replace the carbon in the filter. The problem with these copper medications is the dosage needed to kill the parasite is very toxic to the fish too. These parasites are probably protozoans and may also respond to high temps around 82+ F. The trouble is that Lake Malawian cichlids sometimes get stressed out and start to bloat up at these high temps, especially the wild ones.-Chuck>

Is there any real way to rid a 10 gallon system of Ich or Velvet?   9/5/06
<Yes>
  The more I read the more confused I become.  Everything seams  geared towards a very large system.  I am not sure how this started, but I  noticed tiny white spots on my two clown loaches 24 hours after treating  the tank (sans Kuhlis-they got moved into a temporary 3 gallon quarantine) with  Maracyn for a danio with "cotton mouth".
<Mmm, I would have treated all in place... the system itself is infested>
Is there any correlation between  the 2 diseases?
<Quite possibly yes>
Did the E-mycin treatment cause the Ich to get out of hand  and start munching my fish?  
<Mmm, much less likely>
So far I see no other inhabitants with any  spots, but I am not sure how to treat, or what to treat with.
<Elevated temperature and... Posted... Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above>
I am waiting  on a 55 gallon to cycle, and was hoping to move everyone in there, but not with  an outbreak of Ich.  My water parameters have all been stable and ideal, so  I am not sure how this all got started unless I got an infected fish to begin  with,
<Initially, yes>
and the 10 gallon being the only system cycled, there was no where to  quarantine.
<No need to quarantine... need to treat...>
I also am feeling stupid right now for placing part of my  biofilter from the outside power filter into the new system to help it cycle,  and am fearful I just infected it with Ich.  The biofilter chunk was the  only thing transferred to the new system.  
I am hoping this will be OK  because the cysts are in the gravel, and the tomites don't live for more than a  few days at 78 degrees.  Should I raise the uninhabited 55 gallon to 86  degrees?
<Yes, I would>
Mostly I want to know how and if I can rid my small system of Ich  without killing the fish, and if I have possibly infected the new system.   I really don't want to start over after taking this hobby up again after 20  years!
Sarah W.
<Mmm, do read... silver salt, other medications (read re dosing with loaches... likely half concentration) and elevated temperature, careful monitoring of water quality/changes... should do it. Bob Fenner>

High Mortality Rate, FW, poss. Hexamita/Octomita    7/1/06
My daughter has had her Eclipse 12 aquarium for a little over a year. We have a high death rate.
<Not good>
In 13 months we have had about 18 out of 25 fish die.  We test our water regularly at the local fish store and it always test at normal levels.
<Mmm, you might want to invest in some simple test gear for your own, at-home use. Many important parameters can/do change in just the short trip to the store... And these tests, testing can be a useful element of education, sharing as well>
Deaths include about 6-9 platies, 3 dwarf gouramis, 2 albino catfish, 1 skirt tetra and 2 rasboras.
<A broad mix of tolerant species...>
  Our original skirt tetra is alive after 1 year and 3 of the 5 rasboras we bought are still alive after 6 months.  Many of the fish wasted away. Also some mainly the gouramis had a hair-like excrement.
<... trouble. This could well be indicative of a persistent protozoan parasite (Octomita/Hexamita...)>
We finally treated for internal parasites.  We bought our first 2 fish from one of those large chains and believe it might have brought a parasite with it.
<Given what you present here, I concur>
We did two treatments ( 2 doses each I think) a week or two apart.  
<With what medication?>
Two fish died after that.  We did not add any fish for at least 2 month after that.  When we did add 3 guppies and 1 dwarf Gourami, the male guppy died after 2 days.  The Gourami died after we added 3 more guppies 2 days later.  I realize we added fish to quickly, but we were given the second batch.  I am wondering if these last two deaths are likely due to stress or are there other things we should try.
<Possibly>
  The male bloated before dying, the Gourami just died.  I am getting really frustrated and my daughter is getting very discouraged.  Can you give me some suggestions on how to reduce the death rate.  
<A few things, yes. For one, if this problem is Hexamitiasis and unless it was eradicated through treatment... it's still there (a very common cause of continuing high losses from and through fish stores). I would treat your system with Metronidazole/Flagyl to be sure. Please see WWM re this anti-protozoal, its careful use, and Hexamita... and particularly here re Gouramis: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GouramiDisFAQs.htm
and the next FAQ file linked above. Bob Fenner>

Possible FW Parasite?  5/31/06
I need some serious help?
<Yikes!>
I often find myself turning to your site and have always found it helpful but I have searched your entire website under parasites internal and external and found a lot of useful info on treatment but still don't know what exactly I would treat. Since what I think might be a parasite or lice is too small to truly tell exactly what it may be to treat. I have a 55 gal FW tank that I have had now for 9 months. As of a month ago I had a Pleco, 5 neon tetras, 3 zebra danios, 3 diamond tetras, 2 pineapple swordtails, 4 various platys, 2 black mollies and 9 fry in breeder (about 2 months old/ inside same tank).  I have also noticed now a couple of snails in there shortly after I had added a couple of the female platys.  In the last 1 1/2 weeks I have had 1 platy, 1 molly and 2 fry die on me.  The black molly that died looked like he had a worm coming from the gills (not moving) but since it took me about a day to notice he was missing I figured he was just decomposing.  A female platy did not show any signs of stress before she passed and the fry got bloated bellies and became really lethargic.  My remaining black molly has had a cloudy looking film on her left eye and mouth that is subsiding on it s own.
<Mmm, well mollies do "like" hard, alkaline water... often people put salt in their water... but your other fishes don't all like this...>
I tested the water and ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels were zero or what appeared  as zero since the test kit I own is not strips but droplets and compare tubes to a color chart.  pH is consistent and staying at 7.4 and did a 30% water change 2 weeks ago,  I added a small container with 2 oz of aquarium salt and gravel on top to slowly disseminate through out the tank 2 days ago.  I sat and examined the fish behavior (eating and social) when I noticed a lot of what appeared to look like lint (very thin and poss. white in color) about 1/8
inch long in my tank but upon a closer look at those on the glass I noticed they were moving (slowly like worms). From most of the articles I have read on your postings I still don't know if these are flukes, internal/external parasites looking to attach, lice or what.
<Most likely either worms of some sort...>
Did these come from those snails?
<Not unlikely>
  I have seen some slimy patches with white dots on my plants but are gone by the next day and have also cleaned it off the breeder the fry are in.
<Mmm, maybe snail eggs>
Please help! I don't know how to treat if I don't know what I'm treating before the rest go fatal.  There was so much in regard to so many kinds of remedies for different parasites. I'm sorry to have given such a lengthy explanation but knew from reading prior postings too little information is not very helpful.  Especially when explaining something like this in such a distant forum.  Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer!!!!
Angie
<The only assured way to "tell" what you might have here is microscopic examination... of the affected (live or freshly dead) fish... There are some "general" treatments folks can try... If it were me/mine here I'd start with Praziquantel (sold under a few names)... and see if this brings relief. Bob Fenner>

Re: Jungle Medicated Goldfish Food   5/28/06
Hello, Tom.
<<Greetings, Alfredo.>>
I have given the Jungle Antiparasite food to Mimi and Lucy for three days now but their feces remain the same (transparent, long segments that seem to be filled with air). Is it strange that they don't show an improvement?  
<<Not really. Note that the directions call for three days on the medicated food followed by four days of regular food. This regimen is to be repeated over a four-week period according to the manufacturer. In my case, my Angelfish both showed an improvement after about one week. In fact, it wasn't until they were both on "regular" food that their feces started to return to normal. It's still early yet, Alfredo. >>
Mimi has been having trouble with swimming into deeper levels of the tank again today. She is mostly staying near the top and seems to be making an effort balancing herself. Last time this happened she got better with Epsom salts, so I have given her a half a table spoon( plus another tablespoon that has been in the tank for 3 days now). Is this the right thing to do with her? Should I be giving them the Jungle antibacterial medicated food instead?
<<The Epsom salts will help with constipation/gas but won't treat the infection. My concern here is that in cleaning out their systems, as it were, we're also purging them of the medication. I'd give the medicine some more time to do its job.>>
As always, I appreciate your kindness and look forward to your reply.
Thanks, Alfredo
<<Hang in there, my friend. Tom>>

Fish lice?   4/1/06
Hello. <Hi. Tom with you> About a week ago a purchased 2 Fantail Goldfish and 1 Platy. I have all of these fish in a tank together. <Not a good plan, Savanna. The Goldfish require very different water conditions than the Platy does which may have led to stressing this particular fish.> The other day I started to notice on my Platy white bumps all over it's tail. Then yesterday I noticed 1 huge bump on the back of the fish. Today I found 4 new bumps on the left side of the fish. These bumps are white and about 1-3mm wide. I have no clue what is going on, but I did take the Platy out of my tank and put him in a separate one by himself. Tell me what's going on; is it fish lice? <Your Platy almost certainly has Ich. Fish lice are quite a bit larger than you describe (visible to the naked eye) and are dark (brown or green) in coloration. Frankly, that's not all bad since Ich is much easier to treat. You do want to be prompt with the treatment, however. Lots of information here in WWM on the course of treatment. I'd highly recommend heat and aquarium salt as your Platy will be very tolerant of both. Tom>

Neon Tetra help needed  - 03/28/06
Hi. <Hello>  I have 5 neon tetras, 3 Zebra Danios and now 3 Fancy Guppies (1 female and 2 male) with about 7 fry hiding (mom died)<Sorry to hear that>.  When I bought my Tetras they were all fine until the next morning.  1 had lost its color from midway on back and was swimming funny (like it was drunk).  It has now regained its coloring and swims better.  However, it goes in fits of twirling about (fast circular movement; head down) and other times I can't tell which one it is in the school.  What is wrong with it (maybe got injured on the way home)?  I grew up (25 years) with Tetras (as well as the other types) and have never seen anything like this.  Do I need to remove it from the tank or is it ok to leave it in there?  Thank you, Karen in Georgia. <First, remove the Neon to another tank. What you describe, to a large degree, mimics "Neon Tetra Disease"; loss of coloration, erratic swimming behavior. I've not come across any information that describes the return of color to a fish once it's been infected, though, which makes me wonder, to be honest with you. There is a "false" version of the disease which is bacterial rather that sporozoan in its cause but it would be virtually impossible, outside of a laboratory, for you (or I) to discern the difference. Since NTD is spread to other fish so quickly and with such fatal results, you should treat this as a "worst case" to protect your other pets. Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for NTD although some claims of success have been offered; none conclusively, I'm afraid. Maintain your water parameters in the main tank to protect against any spreading of whatever this may be. Best of luck to you, Karen. Tom>

Myxosporea?  Myxosporidians? - 03/14/2005
Hi Bob,
<Actually, Sabrina with you today.>
I have read/searched through WWM and have been unable to find much regarding Myxosporea.
<Mm, try "Myxosporea", "Myxosporidea", "Myxosporidian"....  And try via Google, as well.  And, especially, try here:  http://www.fishdisease.net/ .>
I had 3 black phantom tetras, 3 cardinal tetras, a male Betta and a Pleco in a 10 gallon tank.  (probably slightly overcrowded but frequent (25% 5-6 days) water changes has kept the water quality very good.
<Can't attest to bioload, as I don't know the tank size.>
Anyway last week  I had a fish (bp tetra) start showing all of the swimming signs of Myxosporea but none of the other symptoms.  
<Myxosporea are simply a group of Sporozoans, protozoan parasites of fish....  I wonder if you're thinking of the Myxosporidean Myxosoma cerebralis, or "whirling disease"?  I'm not certain that tetras are susceptible to this....  Uh, in any case, what were the symptoms you saw?>
He succumbed to wounds sustained in an attack by the Betta which I happened to witness (lost an eye, severe fin damage).   I was not quick enough to get my net and rescue the poor fish.  Anyway now that I have carried on for a while I was wondering how I should deal with this so as not to start an epidemic and lose all of my fish to this slow but fatal disease.  
<Are you seeing any symptoms of any sort in any of your other fish?>
I have a 3 gallon "hospital tank" plus another 1 gallon jar that could hold the Betta if need be.  I am fairly new at this hobby and do not want to fail miserably within the first year.  Thank you in advance for the help and keep up the good work on your site.  
<And thank you for your kind words.  Hopefully a little more information will shed some necessary light, here.>
Scott (Ottawa, Canada)
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Paying for my hasty decision: FW Ich or Velvet  - 01/24/06
Dear WWM Crew,
  I have a 10G QT with one Killi and some plants. They have been in there for 1 weeks and have 3 more left. All was fine except for some green water that was solved by performing 2 X 50% water changes and cutting back on the lighting.
  Being the impatient idiot that I am, I somehow convinced myself I can get a Betta and add it to the QT, since they are held in individual bowls and are probably free of parasites. Wrong! He has Velvet now! I've had lots of FW and Marine Ich outbreaks before and this is definitely different. Rather than a few .5mm spots, it started out with a very fine dusting on the Betta. After 36 hours, the killie shows no symptoms and the Betta doesn't seem to be phased by the dusting, and hence I question my diagnosis, but I'm 100% sure he has parasites on his skin.
<Not an uncommon parasite on both species/groups>
I'm planning to treat the Betta by elevating the temp to 85F and dosing malachite green.
<This is what I would do as well>
  I just purchased a second tank for a second QT. I was planning to put the plants there and just let them go fallow for a few weeks while I treated the
fish alone. Plus I'm not sure if I should move the killie with the plants and just adopt a wait and see attitude with him while I treat the Betta.
<I would treat both fishes, not the plants>
I don't have enough equipment to give him a 3rd QT, but I can always move the plants
to the display and let it go fallow for a months while I treat the Betta and just observe the killie in the 2 QTs... Just wanted to get your opinion.
Thank you for your time and help,
Narayan
<Sorry to read of your travails. Bob Fenner>

Velvet   1/21/06
Hey there! It's me again!
     The blue crown tail that I previously asked about has an update!   
  Remember I said he was listless? well... a few days ago, I noticed he had this fine golden dust-y looking stuff on him. Now, growing up with fish, I knew EXACTLY what my Betta (and the Betta next to it, unfortunately) had. VELVET!!!
   <Mmmm>
  so, I put some Meth Blue in the water... (don't worry, I followed directions!) and gave them a PROMPT water change.
     my questions are this:
  1) How long does/will Velvet last?
<Days to a couple weeks... if treated properly>
2) Is Meth Blue okay to use on my fish?
<Yes>
3) My red Betta that has Velvet is peeling. It looks like he is shedding a few scales. Is this normal? What is this?
   <Mucus, body slime>
  THANKS A LOT!!!
   <No such word as a lot. Bob Fenner>
  Renee