Sick Fish .. Need Help

[ashaysathe]

Hello

I need to first identify if its indeed a sick fish. Posting some of the pictures. I am trying to get clearer pictures but cannot. I hope these pictures will help.

[aquagal]

What are the symptoms?

[ashaysathe]

From the thread above..

The first photo is a Super Angel with light blue w/ striation/ This one hides a lot eats as well. But always "closed" kind of

The second photo is 3R2 (the one in the middle - u can see its sibbling at the back). This one kind of floats moves around too but I have noticed those bars and black tings on upper fins since yesterday plus loosing its orange color.

May there is stress or something or they are in general stressed. Today is second week since I had them. May be this is a "false alarm" from me or may be is the right word paranoia.. dunno..

Can you'll help me figure out?

[ashaysathe]

Thanks Aquagal..

Just posted the symptoms

[aquagal]

I am not an expert, so you should wait to see if someone more experienced weighs in, but what you describe does not sound that alarming. Shipping is traumatic on the fish and they may just be settling in and getting used to your water. I have had my share of sick fish and the symptoms are usually unmistakable...not eating, white or yellow poop, flashing, clamped gills, etc. If you don't have any visible symptoms and want to be extra cautious, you might want to increase your WC schedule and make sure all parameters are o.k.

sherry

[pcsb23]

First thing to do is test the main water params, ammonia, nitrite, temp and ph. Next increaase w/c's making sure the new water has been dechlor'd and is at the right temp.

Post the results of the tests and the basic info about your tank and w/c routine etc.

[ashaysathe]

My note has a full potential of it being a "learning curve episode" but I need to make sure I steer my thoughts in right channel.. better safe than sorry.
So here are the details:
1. Water Changes - once a day every day (yesterday completed 2 weeks being home). Water is always directly from the tap and always nearly as similar temp as what in the tank. I add about 3-4 cap full of Amqul + per reco on the bottle.
2. PH - around 7.2 to 7.4 non digital measuring using the color chart so making the best guess.
3. Amonia, Nitrate, Nitrite all lowest in the chart
4. Feeding almost 4-5 times a day - FBW, Flakes, FBS (fish not a big eaters of it) and Spectrun pellets - have noticed them eating it.

Attached are the more photos from today (changed the background from blue to white)

1st photo is all 12 outside
3rd and the 4th photo are the fish whom I have my concerns for
The 3rd photo is the Super Angel mostly all by himself, eats (sometimes), hides in the plant most of the time. Sometimes I have seen his eye being like "bush baby eyes"
The 3R2 in the 4th photo, is kind of a "zero gravity" fish. I have not noticed any profuce breathing or deformation anywhere on any of the bodies.
Yet again - it may not be a concern - its just may be that these guys are not yet adjusted to my home with kids and everything - Tank is in my office opposite to the computer - I guess its a race - kids not being kids (not move around) or fish being fish (start to move around) ... If u know what I mean :D

[ashaysathe]

I am almost loosing my super blue angel in the 3rd photo. He for now is in a seperate QT tank w/ Furan-2 application. He is almost loosing his balance. Sad.. but true..

Now the task remains, how do I make sure my main tank is free of any troubles? How do I stop the ball from going down hill and to make sure this is an episode in an isolation. Any suggestions? Should I treat my whole tank with antibiotic, what should I do? Any ideas?

[Graham]

It's hard to tell you to use a chem or an antibiotic if we don't really know what's wrong. You're using an antibiotic based on what?

Are the fish flashing, breathing hard, shedding excess mucus, are the eyes cloudy, fins clamped...........

[ashaysathe]

Yes U are right. I should have posted the details. They are as under:
1. I noticed 2 fish one hiding clmap fins and other hanging slight head down in the middle of the tank. None of these actively eating
2. The 1st sick fish that was hiding was 90 deg facing down yesterday. So i took him out in a QT and treated it with Furan-2. I lost him today.
3. The other sick fish is kind if still 45 deg pointing down, not eating has lot less stress bars and is still in the main tank
4. Just now (their first feedding of the day) i fed FBW. Most of the fish are actively eating
5. The second sick fish, the one in the main tank, is not eating and is doing like a "1 cm back and forth" movement 45 deg head down.
6. As a pre-req: My water params are normal, temp 86.5. w/c 50% once a day. None of the fish have clamped fins, cloudy eyes, they do not show any obvious rot. When I do water changes, I take it right out of the tap and add Amquel plus to it.
7. The only thing is, the tank is on the main floor in my home and with kids running always, they might be under constant stress. Stress affectes everybody, I am sure Discus no different. I hope they can adjust.

My question is:

In best judgement should I treating the entire tank to avoid any further damage? How and when do I make that call? What medicine should I use?


I hope I am giving all the details needed to make a best judgement. Please let me know incase I need to give any details. Any help is appreciated.

[Graham]

While it's still hard to say what you've got; I think I'd treat the whole tank with Quick Cure or another product with Formailn and Malachite Green in it.

Bacteria doesn't kill real fast where as parasites can.

G

[ashaysathe]

Thanks Kenney for the help offered on everything. As you adviced I have raised the water tempreature to 90.

Graham - Based on what you mentioned, I am assuming these medications are for parasites, am I right? I will get Quick Cure today and observe my fish.

I will observe closely and keep you'll posted.

[ashaysathe]

So here is the final status -
1. After losing a blue angel, was able to pull out 3R2 in time.
2. Today is the 4th day of his Kenamycin in QT tank.
3. Main tank seems fine everybody eats well. I noticed doing 50% water change was not quite enough. I did 75 to 80 % 3 times and all these time I could see noticeable difference in the behavior
4. Feeding is still 4 times a day but trying to reach that fine line between right feeding and over feeding.
5. Today marks the 3rd week completion in my house. Skittishness is about 60% gone. Growth on fish is good but I can see some fish have been having slight larger eye to their bodies so will try to catch up.
6. May be I need more filteration.. those sponge filters. Dunno.. will try something.

Thanks all on the forum for the help. Special thanks to Al and Kenney.