Norman's Life Hangs In The Balance

[Dischris]

I have been treating my tank with Metro in the water and in the food. 2 of my moderately sick fish have improved mucho. My sickest fish, Norman or Norm for short(he is a normal looking discus...i know...friggin hilarious...:jester:) Anyway, I am noticing stringy stuff hanging off his fins and white things on his side about the size of the period symbol on your keyboard and sometimes smaller. This seems like a combo of parasite/fungus? It seems to disappear after a couple hours and come back. I see the stringy stuff floating around when I do my WC's. He has become more active than he was before the metro but still hides most of the time. He eats more(not much compared to the others just pecks at food). He is still skinny. His color has improved - he is light 1/3 of the time. I have a black back fish tank so maybe he's trying to hide back there. I have no QT/hospital tank to put him in. Should I just put him to sleep to save my others from prolonged sickness in the tank? I feel bad. :(

[Eddie]

Nope, don't kill him. Fill out the disease questionnaire in this section and we can go from there. Just copy and past the questionnaire and answer the questions.

We'll get him and you through it ;)

Time is critical

Eddie

[Dischris]

Problem

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

Norman: around 4 weeks ago I noticed him hiding in the back, looking dark, not eating. Noticed headstanding like right before I began the metro.

2nd fish: around 3.5 weeks ago I noticed white poop. then appetite started decreasing and hiding more

3rd fish: noticed what looked like a nostril but was underneath nostrils and 3 times larger...then appetite slightly decreased




2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/ white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds)

Current symptoms: Norm is turning dark, barely eating, occasional clamped fins, bump near lateral line- not white. specks of white on his sides and stringy stuff with some flecks on it coming from his side and fins




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

3 weeks ago, I began treating with melafix (dosage as recomended on bottle) for around 2 weeks. This made norman begin to peck at BH, nothing else. This did not fix the white poop issue with other fish. Then when I noticed the hole on my other discus's face I did more research (put all symptoms of fishes together and realized the problem) and began metronidazole treatment at first only in water every other day . I began with 1500mg in water to not shock fish(1day), skipped a day then 2000mg,skipped a day, 2000mg, skipped a day, now I am treating with 2500mg(began 4 days ago) everyday in water. I began feeding the metro 5 days ago in BH mix with vitamin supplement. This made normans energy increase and his color begin to come back. There is no more white poop and the other fishes appetites are about back to normal (about 85%)



Tank/Water

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

I have a 60gallon hexagon tank
two 4.5" discus
two 3.5" discus
two 3" discus
one 3" anglefish(body length fins not included)
one 2" clown loach
one 1.5" clown pleco
two 1.5" gudgeon peacock gobies
5 tetras
1 fancy guppy
1 1.5" cory
1 3.5-4" zigzag eel

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

*Tank has been running 9-10 months
*I used to have a normal amount of gravel on bottom(2"), now since using metro I have reduced it to 1/2" or less of gravel just to cover bottom for eel.
*I was doing weekly 35% WC's...usually. Now I do 50% WC's Daily (I've learned a lot in my few days since joining this forum)

6 Parameters and water source;

- temp _ 90F

- ph __ 7.4

- ammonia reading _ 0ppm

- nitrite reading _ 0ppm

- nitrate reading _ 5ppm

- well water ____

- municipal water _ Tap

7. Any new fish/plants added recently

Clown pleco added a week ago.

[Eddie]

So it sounds to me that you may have introduced an external parasite. If the fish have recovered since using the metro, I would probably stop since you said you've been using it for 4 days. Its usually best to keep the temp high for a week after treatment but you don't have the option.

The new pleco may be the culprit for introducing the parasite, you should have QT'd him.


You need to get some Quick Cure or Kordon Rid Ich+. These 2 are a Formalin & Malachite Green combination. DO NOT PUT THIS IN YOUR TANK YET. You will need to bring temperature down to 82F and add aeration to the tank. Even if you have some already, add more, it will help.

Now your decision will be to stop the metro, bring your temp down and treat for external parasites using one of the meds I suggested. Do not bring your temp down too fast, it will stress your fish out. Do this over the course of a few days. This will also allow your fish to rest off the meds before you start the F&MG.

;)

You see, thats what I love about the questionnaire,it gives all the important facts.

One other thing I forgot to mention, make sure you are doing as big of WCs as possible over the course of the next few days. The clean water may just help control whatever parasite it is thats bugging old Norm.


Cheers

[Dischris]

Thank you sir! I appreciate your time. How do I aerate the water?

[Eddie]

Thank you sir! I appreciate your time. How do I aerate the water?

With an airstone...;)

Eddie

[Dischris]

I don't have an airstone BUT I do have an air pump that I got for a 20 gallon tank. Can I just hook it up and put the tube right in the tank? I just paid $600 for this semesters classes and books

[Eddie]

You could but if you can get an airstone, they are like 1 dollar. I'd buy it for you if I could.

:D

[Dischris]

Wow, that's cheap. I can afford that.

[Eddie]

Thought so....

Good luck with the treatment.


Eddie

[Dischris]

I forgot to mention, I am noticing some slimy stuff, and what appear to be a couple of dryish white patches on a couple of the fish. Any ideas?

[Eddie]

Have you started with the QC?

[Dischris]

Not yet...I am getting paid and going straight to the fish store in three days. I've continued the Metro because Norms color is much better and he was out and about today. He seems to be shedding the ichish looking stuff and slime off after about a day but then it slowly comes back. I believe his immune system is doing it's best to keep it in check so I figure that it was best to continue the metro just to make sure that the initial problem is completely taken care of. I wish I could have started the QC already. I did read info about QC on the net and the dosage says 1 drop per gallon, but for tetras 1 drop per 2 gallons. I think I'm gonna just see if my tetras can hang in there. Otherwise they have to go in the 10 gallon with my male betta. I will then probably have to treat that tank too....frustrating but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Eddie]

Not yet...I am getting paid and going straight to the fish store in three days. I've continued the Metro because Norms color is much better and he was out and about today. He seems to be shedding the ichish looking stuff and slime off after about a day but then it slowly comes back. I believe his immune system is doing it's best to keep it in check so I figure that it was best to continue the metro just to make sure that the initial problem is completely taken care of. I wish I could have started the QC already. I did read info about QC on the net and the dosage says 1 drop per gallon, but for tetras 1 drop per 2 gallons. I think I'm gonna just see if my tetras can hang in there. Otherwise they have to go in the 10 gallon with my male betta. I will then probably have to treat that tank too....frustrating but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Keep us updated. Sounds like it's getting a little better so far. Good clean water everyday can only help.

Good luck,
Eddie

[Dischris]

OK...so Norm was eating a little and moving around today. BUT I noticed that his fins have started to be eaten away. Before he had one classic HITHD "bite" looking chunk out of his fin but now the fins getting worse. I'm at a cross roads. I'm contemplating having Norm tacos tonight for dinner. AAAAHHHH!!!!!! lol

[Eddie]

OK...so Norm was eating a little and moving around today. BUT I noticed that his fins have started to be eaten away. Before he had one classic HITHD "bite" looking chunk out of his fin but now the fins getting worse. I'm at a cross roads. I'm contemplating having Norm tacos tonight for dinner. AAAAHHHH!!!!!! lol

Yeah....don't think that norm would be very tasty. Especially after the medication. I think there is a little warning on the label that says...not recommended for consumable fish. LOL

Try to up the WCs or the WC quantity. It may help.

Eddie

[Dischris]

Thanks for all of your help Eddie. I made a decision to do what was best for the rest of my "children". I have 5 other healthy discus. I had to think about what was best for the group as a whole. Anyway,the poor guy had been through hell. Too bad I didn't find this forum sooner. I put him in the freezer about 30 minutes ago.

R.I.P. Norm! :angel:

[Eddie]

Thanks for all of your help Eddie. I made a decision to do what was best for the rest of my "children". I have 5 other healthy discus. I had to think about what was best for the group as a whole. Anyway,the poor guy had been through hell. Too bad I didn't find this forum sooner. I put him in the freezer about 30 minutes ago.

R.I.P. Norm! :angel:


Sorry to hear about Norm, he was probably a good guy. :(

Eddie