Non Discus help!!!

[ronrca]

Im fighting some kind of disease in my 90G that looks like bloat. Its really weird because the fish just bloat! No other signs just a huge belly and it only affects certain fish. No changes in behaviour! I already lost 12 rasboras, 4 dwarf rainbows and 6 angola barbs. Couple days ago I notice a oto with huge belly. It only affects 1 fish at a time. This has been occuring off and on for about 1 year! It started with the rasboras that I received over a year ago. Over the course of a few months, one rasbora after the other would 'bloat' and couple days later 'float'. Then the rainbows, then the barbs. Now an oto! The cardinals are unaffect and the discus which have been in the tank a long time (lets say around 2 years). I have been hoping that it would 'burn out' or die out! I only added new fish after 4 weeks without seeing any symptons but it keeps coming back!

The tank:
- 90G planted (just never mind with the bare bottomed stuff! LOL)
-Temperature 88F (can not lower due to lighting)
-Ph 7.2, Gh-120, kh-120, Ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate-5
-C02 pressurized system
-Feed once a day a mixture of flake foods
-anything I missed?

Maintanence:
Once a week a 30-50% water change! The gravel gets vacuumed vigorously.

??? ??? ??? ??? ???

[brewmaster15]

Hi Ron,
It sounds like you have a bacteria established in your tank.

Hard to tell exactly. But something that is a repetitive problem like this one probably isn't going to go away on its own.

My suggestion.. next time you have a case of it. Pull the fish and place in a hospitol tank with the light on 24 hours(keeps the bloated fish active) treat with Oxytetracycline or kanamycin sulfate and see if it helps.


Also... have you tried Epsom salt in the tank when there was bloat> its safe to use in most planted tanks, at a dose of 1 teaspoon /10 gals. Plants will use the magnesium sulfate.

-al

[ronrca]

Thanks Al! I'll try the salt method tonight! Will the Epson salt take care of the bacteria in the tank? I'll try finding the oto and attempt the hospital treatment!

[brewmaster15]

Hi Ron,
The epsom will only help with the bloat if its the result of a blockage. Its basically a laxative, short term fix. If this bacterial. meds will be needed too.

I think you can get those meds from MOPs. If they work on the hopitol tank fish.. then you can treat the whole tank.

-al