What to do?

[midazolam]

DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish/when and how they started

Chronic problem. I have 8 juvies (3 inches or less) in a 40 breeder. I have one that has always displayed stress bars and been "a loner" and hung out by himself near the heater. He hasn't eaten well until recently. He now eats very well, but still shows stress bars. Today I noticed his tail fin appears ragged. I think he got stressed and picked up some bacteria or just got bullied. He now behaves well, is part of the pack, and feeds well, but has the ragged looking tail fins.

2. Symptoms
Chronic Stress bars, about a week of poor feeding (cured by using live black worms which have gotten him back to consistent feeding), and now ragged, frayed looking tail fin.

3. What medications/ treatments that you have already tried and results. Include dosages and duration of treatment.

None. Considering adding salt to aid in fin healing?

Tank/Water

4. Tank size and age, number and size of fish

40 breeder, running for a month and cycled with BioSpira. 6, 3 inchers, 1 2.75 incher (the fish in question), and 1 2.5 incher (the runt)


5. Water change regime/ how long has tank been running/ bare bottom or gravel/ do you age your water?

60% about 5 days a week. I aim for daily WC but on some days only vacuum the tank and change out 10-20% of the water. Bare bottom. Water aged and heated 24 hours at least and entire tank treated with Prime during water changes.



6 Parameters and water source;

- temp 86
- ph 7.8
- ammonia reading 0
- nitrite reading 0
- nitrate reading 0
municipal water (pH 8.2, no nitrogens)

7. Any new fish/plants added recently
None

Thanks guys :)

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
can you post some pics? Sometimes a ragged tail fin is from nipping...others from disease... on the fish in question how do the other fins look?

al

[midazolam]

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/jnmccombs/DSC00268.jpg

He's also got a small nick on the back of his dorsal fin. I can put him in QT but he finally started being part of the heard so I'm concerned I might stress him out more if I move him.

[Elite Aquaria]

midazolam,

I am no expert when it comes to disease issues. From what I can see it looks like some form of bacterial infection. It may be coming from over feeding. Looks like the bottom of your tank has a lot of excess food and debris. A couple of plecos will take care of that issue. I would just clean the bottom of the tank and add some salt for a few days.

[midazolam]

midazolam,

I am no expert when it comes to disease issues. From what I can see it looks like some form of bacterial infection. It may be coming from over feeding. Looks like the bottom of your tank has a lot of excess food and debris. A couple of plecos will take care of that issue. I would just clean the bottom of the tank and add some salt for a few days.

Cool, that sounds reasonable. The tank is actually very clean, usually. That pic was taken prior to vacuuming after I'd been out of town for 2 days. I have a scrubber on a stick that I use before vacuuming and water changes. And for some reason my two biggest fish blow all the debris into a ring around the sponge filter, my wife enjoys watching them do it. I guess they are trying to help me out :)

This guy spent about a week hanging out near the heater. Any chance those could be burns from the heater?

[brewmaster15]

Looks alot like fin nipping, and maybe a slight case of bacterial infection....I would not worry too much at this point.... If they don't heal in a few days or the affected area gets bigger...or you see red streak and reddish margin then be concerned..

I'd just keep the water pristine and keep an eye out for tank bullies at this point.... tails heal pretty quick.

hth,
al

[midazolam]

Looks alot like fin nipping, and maybe a slight case of bacterial infection....I would not worry too much at this point.... If they don't heal in a few days or the affected area gets bigger...or you see red streak and reddish margin then be concerned..

I'd just keep the water pristine and keep an eye out for tank bullies at this point.... tails heal pretty quick.

hth,
al

Thanks guys!

[midazolam]

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/jnmccombs/DSC00271.jpg

Hey guys, he's looking worse. And its spreading to his other fins. Its crazy because he's just now starting to be part of "the pack" and he is eating better than I think he ever has. I hate to take him out of the tank and risk getting him more stressed and cause him more problems when he goes back in. Should I try medicated food? Treat the entire tank? All parameters are the same except the tank has been getting daily 50-60% WC's since the original post. I can up the water changes if needed.

Supplies I have on hand: erythromycin, and Jungle "Fungus Cure" and methylene blue. Can purchase anything.