prairielilly

Hi,

I got two more cherry barbs (1m/1f)this past Saturday and put them in my 5g for QT. They were pretty active at the store, colour a little drab but that's hardly new. So the troublem is I'm pretty sure they're sick and I think I know what they have but would like a second opinion: they don't eat, they don't swim about (just sort of hover in the plants), they both have really poor colour and seem to have a whitish cast/coating over their bodies. No visible parasites, no excessively red gills (my healthy cherrys' gills are always a little red, normal), no damage, no flicking/flashing/scratching. They're not eating and therefore not pooing so I don't know if they have internal parasites. The male is red (cherry!) but seems to have some darker areas mid-body on one side.

I tested the water last night: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.

I went through a link I found on this board from a fish pharmaceutical company that is quite wonderful for helping to diagnose your fish. I think they have columnaris or another gram-negative bacterial infection, and I was thinking I'd stop at the LFS on the way home today and get some tetracycline.

Thoughts??

agabr123

hmm....if they haven't been eating then your diagnosis is probably right, it could be internal parasites but i'd try the tetracycline first....i'll have to do some more research and see what i can find

prairielilly

Did some more research - the more I read the more convinced I become they have columnaris (heavy breathing/rapid gilling, greyish patches on head, swollen eyes...poor little guys). I've found a lot that says Maracyn is better than tetracycline for this. These sources are also recommending aquarium salt and lowering the temp to 74 (not sure I agree with the cold tank - wouldn't that just stress the fish?) It seems that at regular aquarium temp of 78 the bacteria multiplies faster than the antibiotic can kill it. They also seem to be prone to secondary infections after the columnaris treatment and virtually nothing is effective against these (wow that's dismal news). Starting to wonder if anything can beat this stuff??

Has anyone treated this successfully

AlyeskaGirl

You lower the temp slowly. I had a bacterial outbreak in my tank and raised temp to 82, but was told that the bacteria/fungas like the warm, lowered it down to 72 but did it in two days. No signs of stress.

I've never experienced the white coating on fish before....but I was doing some research to try and help you......could be a bacterial infection or parasitic and secondary infections can occur because once a fish gets one thing it's an open door for others.

http://www.jbl.de/onlinehospitaluk/p...=2&GalleryId=2

prairielilly

AlyeskaGirl: Was yours columnaris? worked out ok? Did you have any issues with secondary infections?

AlyeskaGirl

No, I had fin-rot which a second infection of white cottony on their fins and a third infection was cloudy eyes. I treated with API E.M. Erythromycin a anti-bacterial.

prairielilly

that sounds awful, your poor fish. These little guys may be in their QT a very long time... (they were supposed to be qt'd 2 wks then go into the show tank. No way I'm chancing infecting my show tank. Poor little guys).

First time I've ever had an issue with any fish from that lfs. Nuts.

AlyeskaGirl

yes, it was awful! I lost most of my fish overnight! I am having to cycle my tank all over again. and have 3 Angelfish, Silver Dollar and 5 tetras that are in a quarantine tank still. That's the fish I left. Having to get some new meds to try on 1 of my Angels. His/her right eye still has fungus on it. It's frustrating!

Here's a link from JBL online hospital, is that what it looks like on your fish?

http://www.jbl.de/onlinehospitaluk/p...ickedPic=041_b

prairielilly

Not really...I remember wondering on sunday why my new cherry barb male was pink. He also seems to have a greyish colouration on his head, and some darker red spots/streaks on his body on one side. The female is a little reddish but that may just be her natural colouring. They both breathe really hard and fast and they don't move around much. They'll snatch some food if it happens to drift by them but won't go up to the surface for it. I just thought they were freaked out by the move at first. Then I started thinking of how in december I had a fish with big red spot on his side and he died, I think that was septicemia. The link I went through said pale colouratin and corner hiding and heavy breathing may be columnaris. Nuts. I have to leave now I'm going to buy the Maracyn, hopefully doesn't break the bank...

prairielilly

The 5g and its two cherry barbs just got a 90% wc, an airstone added, temperature lowered a degree or two, some stress coat, a tablespoon of aquarium salt and dose #1 of Maracyn ($9! not too bad). The fish seem happier already, might be because I also have the light off atm (they don't seem to like the bright light). I also think they like the airstone.

I can't decide if the male's greyish colouration on his head is abnormal or not (only owned so many cherry barbs). I'm just going to go ahead with this regime and hope for the best.

Thanks Christine for your help! I really hope your fish get better and back into their main tank soon!