crytobia

[littlebobecki]

hallo everyone,
I have just had histology done on one of my discus and it has cryptobia in the gut. Do fish recover from this?....I have read that some people cull their whole tank and strip it ands start again......but I thought that all fish have a quota of paracytes living in their gut which do them no harm until the fish becomes stressed or ill.
My husbandary is pretty good and I feed a good diet, but I recently got a new fish for my birthday and didnt quarantine it.....it brought with it a bacterial skin thing....so I am pretty sure the cryptobia is a secondary thing....I would really value anyone elses experiences of this......

[LizStreithorst]

I was not able to cure it even using dimietidazole. John Nicholson was able to cure it. I culled an entire fish room and sterilized everything. The primary thing is the Cryptobia. The bacterial thing is secondary. PM Nicholson. He says that it can be cured if it's caught fast. Good luck.

[DonMD]

I had it and lost all my fish. I also had a histology from the aquatic veterinary at Virginia Tech who consulted with a university in Miami, and got a definitive diagnosis. I tried some medication they said might work I forget the name, it's used with racing pigeons. No luck. Lost everything, sterilized everything, and began again from scratch.

[littlebobecki]

oh dear!! thanks everyone for replying....very interesting hearing others experiences......will try and pm John Nicolson

[LizStreithorst]

I wish you the greatest of luck. I used the same stuff that Don used. It came from Foy's pigeon supply. This is a very bad parasite. Nicholson is the only one I know who was able to rid his fish of it. My heart bleeds for you.

[MadMatt]

Holy crap!
This is a parasite you guys are talking about?

[Second Hand Pat]

Holy crap!
This is a parasite you guys are talking about?

Yup http://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/2013/09/Cryptobia-iubilans-in-Cichlids.pdf

[MadMatt]

I just googled it, it's terrifying!
Loose your entire fish room???!
I would die! I must have over $?????k invested and like 70 plus discus and growing.
I haven't added a fish to my collection in months and months, and after reading this I think I might not either, like ever!
Either I buy it from a pro breeder here or I breed more, but there is no way I'm ever buying a fish from a LFS ever again!... NO WONDER WHY all you guys that are very experienced never get discus from your LFS.
WOW!

[MadMatt]

How long does it take them to kick the buckets once they get it?


I had it and lost all my fish. I also had a histology from the aquatic veterinary at Virginia Tech who consulted with a university in Miami, and got a definitive diagnosis. I tried some medication they said might work I forget the name, it's used with racing pigeons. No luck. Lost everything, sterilized everything, and began again from scratch.

[DonMD]

How long does it take them to kick the buckets once they get it?

It's a gradual wasting, first one fish, then another, slow and sure. Very depressing. The moral of this story is quarantine. Separate room, separate equipment, wash and disinfect hands, then if the new fish survive a few weeks, introduce one of your existing stock and wait and watch for at least 2 months.

[MadMatt]

I'm just wondering, I got one fish in qt that seems to be wasting away, been 3 months, I finally got her to eat but still doesn't eat enough. My wife says its depressed and keeps demanding me to put it in one of larger discus community tank and I keep refusing for the very reason, if this fish isn't well then I ain't putting it with others to get sick as well.
As a last resort I have cranked the heat to 94° and left it there for the last two weeks the fish seems to be doing alot better so I suppose I can rule out any bacterial infections as your speaking of.
At the current waisting away course this fish is on, it may take about 6-8months to waist totally away, I'm hoping she starts putting on weight, because she is eating better now (the last week).
Should I still be worried?
We cross contaminate alot I think.
I don't have any other Discus waisting away, they all eat like pigs (except this one), and all thick as a 14oz steak.
Just a few Gill things (but I'm told I'm just OCD about that).
Should I still be worried if I haven't added a new fish in 7 months?


It's a gradual wasting, first one fish, then another, slow and sure. Very depressing. The moral of this story is quarantine. Separate room, separate equipment, wash and disinfect hands, then if the new fish survive a few weeks, introduce one of your existing stock and wait and watch for at least 2 months.