MissMTS

I don't know how many of you remember, but I lost my angels a few months back. The first was killed by my severum. The second two didn't make it through the move. I lost my remaining three when I didn't quarantine a new angel, and the new angel was carrying angelfish/discus plague. All four of my fish perished from the disease. This happened about three months ago, and I am desperately wanting an angelfish again. The are by far one of my favorite fish, and I really miss having them.

On websites I have read that after angelfish/discus plague runs its course, you must wait six months before putting angelfish in the tank. However, after this happened I switched my tanks. I moved my planted tank (that they angels used to be in) over to my 70 gallon. I switched the substrate, and the filter on the tank is from my African cichlid tank, so none of the filter media that was used when I had the diseased angels was in the tank. The only thing that is the same is the plants and decor. Would it be safe for me to add an angel, or do you think the disease is still present in my tank? Its hard to be sure because Angels and Discus are the only fish susceptible to it.

gmen4life

man i dont know but i am sorry for your troubles i adopted a angel and i know why you like them but again sorry

MissMTS

Awww thanks. It was really hard losing them. Especially because it was my fault for not quarantining the newcomer

Tony G.

aww kate dont beat yourself up! I would hold off the angels for a couple weeks, just to be sure. Then one day, go to your LFS and get the healthies angel in the tank. add him to the tank and watch him closely ( any symptoms etc.) and if he doesnt show anything for a week ( my guess its how long it would take to notcie it) then you'd be safe to add a couple more..
Sorry you had to go through this, i know you didnt deserve it

MissMTS

Thanks Tony. Why do you say a couple of weeks? I switched the tanks months ago (after I lost my angels) and I'm not sure 2 weeks would make much of a difference. I could wait another 3 months, but I am just trying to find out if that is necessary. I don't know what the probability is that the plants and decor could still be holding the disease after this much time...

Tony G.

lol weeks, months whichever you decide. If you want to be absolutely shure, then i'd wait for the other 3 months. you could experiment with the angel like i suggested, though its not very pretty to think of it like that


i dont think your plants and deco still hold the infection within them, very hard to know..

fish_newbie

May I ask what symptoms did your fish had when they're sick?

To what I've from this article, this is the symtoms for Angelfis/Discus Plague, there are also a few similar diseases/plague as well



This seems to be the symtoms of the true Discus/Angelfish disease.
"The first thing I noticed was a general darkening of the fish, they started showing signs of stress. They would hide if possible, or go to the bottom of the tank and remain there. Some would lay on their sides somewhat.

Then in a few hours I noticed a problem with the slim coat developing, it looked like pealing snot on some areas of the skin. At that time I sicking odor of decay was noticed coming from the tank. Massive water changes helped with the stress somewhat but did not reduce the progress of the disease much. If it is really discus plague you will notice that the area under the pectoral fins will remain pretty much clear of the peeling of the slime coat.

With time the fish will lose all interest in feeding. Then other effects of disease start to appear. Fin rot is noticed as the fin edges turn whitish and become ragged. As this progress you will lose a lot of the fin to rot.

This is I believe a secondary infection of a different disease, so now you you have at least two diseases working at the same time, both are external parasites or bacteria thank goodness and will respond to treatment.

If treatment is not started quickly another disease factor may come into complicate the problem even more. Columnaris is likely to come into the picture at this point. This factors are why the plague is a wipe out disease."
By Jim E. Quarles

MissMTS

Hi,
I diagnosed the symptoms of my angelfish back when they were sick. Yes they showed many of the symptoms that you described. If you search under my user name and sick angelfish you can read the original thread. There was no secondary infection, and the rest of my fish have been perfectly healthy for months now. My question in this thread is in regards to the safety of adding new fish. Obviosly if there was columnaris or any other disease present in my tank I would not be considering adding another fish.

By the way, some of the information that you posted is from an article on another forum. You should make sure that you site your sources to make sure that you are not infringing on copyrights and so that people know where you are getting your information from.

Thanks,
Kate

fish_newbie

Hi MissMTS, sorry, I forgot to added the name of the author where i got the article from, I'll sure do it now. IMO, after a few months and all those water changes, it should be safe to add new fish into the tank. And even if the decors had disease on them, the waterchanges should remove almost all of it by now. But thats just me, wish you the best.

MissMTS

Thanks for the imput

Does anyone else have any opinions on this? I feel like it should be fine, but I don't want to do it unless, I am almost positive it will be okay.

Shawnie

Hi kate!!!!! IMO im wondering how even after a few months of no source for the disease to live, could waiting 6 months make a difference? although ive not had any experience with this, I would say after all the change outs, and cleaning and such, you are safe to go....I would also recommend either getting some angels off carol (if she has some ) as we know she raises her babies amazing, or getting bigger ones that are the body size of at least a half dollar... for some reason lately, juvies are just not lasting from the LFS around me or my buddies in maine and mass and I would hate for you to loose one and think its from that disease....(although I dont think you would still have reminants of it) good luck and I hope you have your angels soon! I agree they are so majestic and just a fish you gotta have

MissMTS

Thanks so much for the input Shawnie I didn't really see how the disease could still be there either, but I didn't want to take the risk if other people didn't think it would be okay. I'll have to PM Carol and see what kind of babies she has right now. I had no idea people were having problems with LFS angels.

Shawnie

not sure if you all are on your side of the world...but I know ive got a few friends here that have and the finnage on the juvies located around here is just not normal ..very stunted

MissMTS

Hmmm that's not good. I am assuming a lot of LFS order from the same fish farms, suppliers, whatever you want to call them. I actually lost my black angel that I got a few months ago, and that's what killed my other angel.... I wonder if it was the same thing? I bought the angelfish from the same LFS I always bought my angels from, and I have never bought an unhealthy fish from them before.

Shawnie

well you are definately an angel expert and know the difference in good and bad babies...take a look around for sure...

Regal

I remember when your platinum angels died. They were so pretty. I don't have experience with angel disease but I would think your tank would be ok now. I would try to find some that are good sized and see how they do. Small angels are much more sensitive than older ones. Just my two cents... good luck

MissMTS

Thanks Sue I would be so happy if I could find another platinum angel. I agree that the bigger ones are definitely less sensitive than the young ones. I don't think I have ever purchased an angel smaller than 2-3 inches (besides the black one that was carrying the disease that infected my other angels).

SWilkins

You know come to think of it I have not seen an angelfish around here anywhere until a couple of weeks ago and they were pitiful...I would have been afraid to put them in my Q tank. Of all of the angels I have mine either came from the auction, Carol, or a few I got from a guy in Fla. MissMTS I can personally vouch for Carol's angels they are the greatest her sunsets just set off one of my tanks. So sorry for your loss I remember reading about that. If I remember correctly Dino and Ross had gotten some Platinum angels in not long ago but don't hold me to that one although it is worth checking out.

MissMTS

I went and looked at my LFS, and all of the angels looked awful here as well. They had some juvie pearlscales that would have been stunning if their fins weren't short and rounded. I contacted Dino and Carol about angels. You are right, Dino does have some platinums, but I have to wait until payday until I place an order, lol.

Lucy

Funny (not haha) you should mention this. I went to a fish store a week or so ago and their angels didn't look well. They had a bunch of them.
I don't have any experience with angels but their fins just didn't look right. I ended up not buying any.
I was bummed cause I thought I'd find one that I could bring home with me.

Butterfly

Sounds like their crowding them in the grow out tanks.That will affect the fins every time.
Carol