Still more trouble with my newest fish!

[kaceyo]

One of the fish, that I have been treating since first purchased, has what looks like alot of mucus on one side of it's gills. The gills extend well beyond the usual and look milky white and very ruffled. The fish eats and acts normaly. I treated it, and all it's tankmates, for a particularly bad case of flukes which took a 21 day formalin treatmnt to get rid of. After that they were treated for threadworms, which may or may not be eradicated. They have been doing MUCH better lately, eating and growing like weeds, and very active. Then, as I'm doing one of two daily 50% wc's they get, I see the enlarged fluttery milky gill. What would be the best course of action? I added 2 tbsp salt p/10gal right away. I'm already doing 2 large wc's daily and keeping the tank in good condition. They get BH twice a day just before the wc and BW's mid-day with O.N. formula 2 and Tetra Bits as between meal snacks.
Please feel free to give advice on this.
Thanks,

Kacey

[pcsb23]

Kacey, does it look like cotton threads on the gill cover or in the gill?? if so its a fungal infection and salt will help, you could give it a salt bath, if they are more like the gill filaments are cloudy or whitish then it could need an anti biotic, metro I think would do it.
Paul.

[kaceyo]

Paul,
It's not on the gill cover, it's on the gill itself. It has a ragged look at the edges but I don't know if I'd call it cottony threads. Could be, my eyes aren't as good as they once were, lol. It's not even gasping or breathing rapidly realy. It looks to me more like the gill itself is very enlarged and folding over on itself at the edges like ruffles.

[Tiger Tropicals]

One of the fish, that I have been treating since first purchased, has what looks like alot of mucus on one side of it's gills. The gills extend well beyond the usual and look milky white and very ruffled. The fish eats and acts normaly. I treated it, and all it's tankmates, for a particularly bad case of flukes which took a 21 day formalin treatmnt to get rid of. After that they were treated for threadworms, which may or may not be eradicated. They have been doing MUCH better lately, eating and growing like weeds, and very active. Then, as I'm doing one of two daily 50% wc's they get, I see the enlarged fluttery milky gill. What would be the best course of action? I added 2 tbsp salt p/10gal right away. I'm already doing 2 large wc's daily and keeping the tank in good condition. They get BH twice a day just before the wc and BW's mid-day with O.N. formula 2 and Tetra Bits as between meal snacks.
Please feel free to give advice on this.
Thanks,

Kacey

it sounds like maybe triple sulphur or nitrofuazone mite help. sometimes salt can be harsh on exposed tissue. a good ten day course of a good antibiotic mite help.

Francine

[Kindredspirit]

Hey Kacey~

I am sorry to hear you are having problems with your fish. I wish I could help as you are always there to offer your advice when I am trippin and need something!


If anyone can figure it out, it would be you~

If there is anything I can do let me know~http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_2_80.gif


Marie~

[kaceyo]

Francine,
I ws thinkin antibiotics might be whats needed since they went through alot wth the flukes from hell! I had been warned to watch for secondary infection, but I like to get advice from the Med Mods before putting them through more chemicals to make sure there isn't a better option or that it's not something else.
Marie,
I know you'd help if you could. When it comes to disease and treatment I'm still very much a beginner. I don't have much experience with it and usualy when I think my fish are seriously sick it's something simple and I'm just over reacting. Problem is, the best way to learn is through experience and that means my fish have to get sick to get get it, lol.
thanks,

Kacey

[Discusgeo2]

Kacey are there Cotton-like threads grow on the operculum (gill plate) or gill filaments

If so you have a Saproglenia fungal infection and you can treat it with Forma-Green -or- Acriflavine Neutral

if not do the gill filaments appear slightly cloudy, even whitish on the surfaces?
If so your fish are affected by a Protozoan Infection
Treat with: Metronidazole and Methylene Blue.


George

[kaceyo]

Hi George,
It's definitly more like the second description. The gills look miky white and extend well beyond the edge of the gill plate. Thanks for the info, I have both meds on hand.

Kacey

[Discusgeo2]

Kacey let us know if that helps, if not I have another solution that may work.

[pcsb23]

Kacey, it does sound as though you will need antibiotics, if you've metro then thats what I would use now. Don't forget metro works best above 92f.
Fingers crossed,
Paul

[Terrybo]

Kacey - I have a discus that has permanently damaged gills as the result of a severe fluke infestation that was not treated promptly. It looks a lot like the description you have given. There is no treatment, but it does not seem to be a major handicap to him. (I didn't own him when this occured - I bought him as an adult for my planted tank).

Terry

[kaceyo]

Thanks everyone,
Hopefully this isn't permanently damaged, but if it is I'll just have to breed some of these guys to get a few perfect ones, lol. The fish that I breed myself seem to be much more resistant to diseases and parasites. It may be because they have never been through shipping from breeder to US and then again from importer to me. I'm sure that has to cause some damage.
I'll start treatment as soon as temp is up. How long do you guys take to raise temp to 92F? As fast as the heater will do it or a few degrees at a time?

Kacey

[Kindredspirit]

Marie,
usualy when I think my fish are seriously sick it's something simple and I'm just over reacting. Problem is, the best way to learn is through experience and that means my fish have to get sick to get get it, lol.
thanks,

Kacey



That is so true! I am the same way.....


Marie~http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/18/18_3_128.gif