cvilapla

125 gal tank
10 Australian rainbows
4 Green Cory Cats
5 Platties
5 Silver Dollars

Temp 78°F
chlorine 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate ~5 to 10 PPM (ambient amount in tap water)
pH 7.8

I have a sick rainbowfish. I am not sure what is wrong it is like the fish is in a state of shock and has been for about 3 days. The fish has lost all color and was having trouble swimming, so I did a water change and the fish was doing better,. Unfortunately it has been 2 days and the fish is still pale and still not swimming 100%. The fish also has not been schooling and has isolated itself. I am not sure if it is because it is the smallest rainbowfish in the group of 10 and is getting picked on? Any suggestions as to what could be wrong or what I can do would be greatly appreciated. The other 9 rainbowfish are okay.

alicem

It may just be a weak rainbow.
Often it is difficult to get good rainbows, unless you get them directly from an experienced breeder.
When they aren't very healthy starting out, it is hard to bring them back once they get sickly like that.

Have you contacted the place you bought them from? Will they replace it, if it is lost?
Good luck with the little guy,
alicem

pepetj

Oh my... this doesn't look good. My Melanotaenia lacustris (Turquose/Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish) as well as my Glossolepis incisus (Red-Salmon/Irian Red Rainbowfish) have experienced this same symptoms and died.

It appears to be related to bio-available dissolved oxygen and water temperature. Something seems to trigger their methabolism, they get really pale, brake away from the school, display equilibrium problems, and finally die.

This is what I would do, if you follow this do at your own risk: use a low flow waterpump (the smallest the better), attach the finest airline tubing you can find (any flexible tubing will work, doesn't matter if some spills from the sides) and try to open your fish mouth and insert the tubing. This will ensure enough oxygen to your fish. Once and if your fish recover, it will be capable of getting loose of the "oxygen line". Perform this in a breeder box (or alike) inside the main tank.

In my case this was not likely a contagious disease.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

cvilapla

It turns out it was a genetic deformity that caused it spine to bend

Shawnie

oh no im sorry ....just keep an eye on the others as Im going to assume you are using test strips to test your water as there is no ammonia reading? the signs you had in your sick fish could also be signs ammonia... test strips almost always give false readings and are not very accurate....again , im assuming this because test strips do not have an ammonia test...

cvilapla

I am actually using a test kit for my ammonia. It says that there is not ammonia. I have another fish that has a swollen anus and I am not sure if it is just constipation or something more serious. The fish isn't acting strange.

Shawnie

that doesnt mean you arent gettin a false reading for nitrites and nitrates....again im not saying thats what it is, but having a reliable test kit is always a plus when having issues an API liquid master test kit has everything you need and will do 100's of tests...all the signs in your OP could have been ammonia as well as nitrite poisoning...

try feeding your fish small thawed pieces of frozen pea to see if that helps the anal area..if its constipation, that will help allot ...good luck with them!

cvilapla

well if it is ammonia poisoning the only thing I really can do are daily changes until my nitrogen cycle is back to normal correct?

See the attached photo

Let me know how you would proceed...

Attached Images

sick fish.jpg (400.8 KB, 17 views)

Shawnie

try the pea and see if it makes a difference...also google prolapse fish to see if the pics look similar as the pic is kinda blurry..

cvilapla

no there is nothing sticking out of the fish. The fish was in the process of relieving itself. I will try the peas and see what happens.

pepetj

Melanotaenia splendida species are prone to develop deformities like that since they've been abused by irresponsible breeding (that info from a rainbowfish forum I go to). I keep 14 of them, and when I purchased them I remember I left two in the store due to this problem.

Since some cases of spine deformities could be related to tuberculosis (as far as I know), be careful and keep an eye on your fish.

The swollen rectal problem is likely constipation as you say. However, if you see an unusually white feces, it could be parasites.

Keep up the good care. Best of luck!

Pepetj
Santo Domingo