tengallonhat

I thought Goldie was getting better, as her fins seemed to be healing, but after reading another post about fish TB, I realized Goldie also had fish TB.

When I first got her she was normally shaped, nice full belly, and later I thought she was pregnant with a dark gravid spot. Then the other female started nipping at her, and tore up her pectoral fin, took a chunk out of her top fin and tail.

Then I noticed her back was arching, it started out gradual, and I didn't notice it at first. After the fin nipping her lost her dark gravid spot, and the misshapen back was more pronounced, but still I had to check the pictures I took when I first got her to make sure. Then she started getting thinner, she ate, but the last few days she was definately getting thinner. And from the top view, her back also formed at "S" curve. I remembered what the other thread about fish TB said, and euthanized her last night.

Since this is highly contagious, do I just euthanize the other 2 fish I have, and dump my aquarium, or is there hope!?

I'm on a limited budget, and it took me 3 months to save for a ten gallon set up, with all the supplies and accessories. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS NOW?

platyfish

There is definitely hope! Do your other fish show any signs of sickness?
Some pictures would also be of great help.

Good luck!

Furallicah

Well...There is hope....but TB is extreamly bad. Keep a very close eye on the rest of your fish. I dont know how to treat TB, but if yoru other fish show signs of it you might have to put them down....im sorry...

Furallicah

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...er_FishTB.html

I was researching TB...I fount this site...thought you should see it. You can make your own decission from there...

tengallonhat

Thanks, no the other fish do not show signs yet, but I thought it might be better to spare them a ugly death if they were for sure going to get it, just by it being in the tank.

Thanks for the article Chris - I was on another site too, and know the dangers to myself ...and unfornately I had already mouth-siphoned the tank before I know what I was dealing with...(it's no worse than swimming in a lake - right?) I have no skin breaks that I know of, but very dry flaky skin...

This article says disinfecting the tank and supplies with bleach is recommended before restocking, the other thread I found here (that I can't find now) says won't do any good... another site said that a tank that had fish TB in it was UV sterized, in storage for 10 ten years, then used dry for reptiles, and the retiles got it...

What to believe Error on the side of caution and just chuck everything Wait and see if the other fish get sick, then chuck everything Disinfect with bleach, and try again Wait to see if I get some horrible disease weeks or months down the line
This is a lot for a newbie to handle, and I'm very discouraged!

Furallicah

Well I wouldnt disinfect it with bleach. Tell me is it a glass tank?

Morgan

Sorry about your loss. I never heard of fish TB. I just read an article on it. I tried getting syphoning started the other day with my mouth. NEVER AGAIN.

tengallonhat

It's a glass tank. But that shouldn't matter - IF bleach kills the TB - thoroughly rinsing and letting the tank completely air dry, before adding any water, prevents any harmful effects of the bleach - which I know is bad for the fish... but if bleach isn't going to kill the TB there's no point in bothering...

Meenu

I think it's 1 part bleach to 19 parts water. Try searching "bleach" in the forum's search engine - then you'll be able to confirm how to use it in a tank in case you decide to do it.

tengallonhat

Thanks Meenu, I found the thread, and another dealing with fish TB - just going to rest in The Lord and pray, at this point, and see what His answers are... I just hate to have spend all that money on an aquarium set up, only to have it completely ruined/useless in less than 2 months by some fish disease! I won't bother spending the money to set up another one, can't afford that - at least for right now... I knew fishkeeping was an expensive hobby, I just didn't realize there was such terrible stuff out there, and how expensive it could be. I've been taking care of the fish tank at work for over 6 months, enjoying it, and was ready to have one at home.

My bosses late wife won a goldfish at the county fair - and they had it for 20, TWENTY, years! They tried other fish for awhile, w/o much luck, then another employee had a cichild in there that outgrew the tank. I bought some platies for the tank, and they have done well and has had 2 batches of babies. But all this at home is just too much. God will have my answers, He always does

Meenu

I hope it works out for you.

tengallonhat

Thanks Meenu, God always works out for me. Can't say I always immediately appreciate all of His answers, but usually in 20/20 hindsight... God knows best, and His answers are always perfect according to His plan - not my plan...

tengallonhat

well, so far the last Platy, and the cory cat seem fine. But it could take 2-4 weeks to develop in them as well. I've checked out other fish diseases and have not found anything else that makes the back deformed like that - but other threads say that some diseases do - what else could it have been if not fish TB? Any suggestions? At this point I plan to wait a month and see if either fish gets sick - then go from there.

aquarist48

Hello. I have moved your thread to the Fresh Water/Fish Disease section of the forum.
Thanks!
Ken

tengallonhat

ok - thanks Ken, maybe I'll get an answer - what else could cause spine deformities other than fish TB? or maybe I need to start a new thread to get an answer if this is too long and no body is reading it all...

Meenu

Some other causes, I believe, are poor nutrition (maybe from before you got the fish), genetics, whirling disease... I don't know what else.

tengallonhat

Thanks Meenu, but there were no deformities when I got her at the end of Nov. the arched back, like an upside down check mark, was noticeable after she got nipped up, but maybe started before then. After the nipping I treated w/Lifeguard. then the "S" curve from the top view was very noticeable in a matter of days. then she started getting very thin, which is when I euthanized her.

If it was poor nutrition, from before I got her, wouldn't that have been corrected by then? I also started feeding them freeze dried bloomworms, after the nipping, instead of just flakes. She appeared to have been eating the whole time... even after the nipping, when she was have a hard time swimming, I'd give her a bit more extra food once she made it to the top.

I'll check out "whirling disease"...

Meenu

I have no clue if this had anything to do with the spine deformity, but any time you feed freeze-dried foods, you should presoak them in tank water, or even better, some garlic juice. when they hydrate, they expand. You want that expansion happening outside the fish's body, so they don't get bloated. Garlic is a good natural immune booster.

tengallonhat

ok, thanks Meenu, did not realize I should presoak the freeze dried worms, the bottle says to just sprinkle in the tank. I always take a small pinch and crush it between my fingers first, the worms are pretty powdery.

I checked out whirling diease, that seems doubtful. But the fish that nipped her had problems swimming sometimes, and didn't have nipped fins. I thought maybe she was "flirting" with the males... There wasn't any twirling or flipping around, however, and she didn't show any signs of illness. The only problem Goldie had swimming was because of nipped fins. I just want this to be something other than fish TB... I think it's safe to say that the other fish was sick, somehow, when I got her, and nipped up Goldie and made her sick. But with what is the question.

tengallonhat

well, it's been 20 days since I suspected fish TB, and the other 2 fish are fine. And I expect they will be! I still intend to wait to get more fish just to be safe. And it's been so cold here, no need to stress the fish farther on the ride home because of the cold weather... But God has spared me, and my tank, and that's all that counts! I'm sure Freckles will be glad for a playmate, since the Cory Catfish isn't much of a companion for a Platy

newface002

if your fish has TB the only solution is well....dispose of your fish
as the reason is it is highly contagious DON'T EVEN GO NEAR A FISH KNOWN TO HAVE THIS DISEASE. for the fact of safety because humans could catch it (YES YOU CAN DIE FROM IT)

stertilise EVERYTHING that the fish comes in contact of

and there are a few ways for fish to die peacefully instead of dying in slow pain

aquarist48

Hello TenGallonHat
I'm glad to hear that your fish are doing well and that there hasn't been any more losses.
Ken

tengallonhat

Newface002, Thanks, but did you read the whole post? And I have read up on fish TB from several sources. YES Humans can catch this awful diease, but they don't usually die from it! If left totally untreated, perhaps - the key is to tell the Dr what you've been exposed to, so proper treatment can get underway as soon as possible. The incubation period, since this is a slow growing bacteria, is 2 -4 weeks. It's been over 3 weeks and the 2 fish I have left show NO signs of any disease I think I'm pretty much in the clear! At least now I know what to look for, and my fish are healthy, but I still think it's wise to wait so that is what I plan to do - if they get sick in week 4 or 5, then I'll have NO choice but to euthanize the other fish and throw out the tank and all supplies - NOT serilize, since serilization isn't effective against fish TB. BUT I believe God has spared me and my fish/tank, and I praise Him! And I'll be getting my next fish from the LFS instead of Wal-Mart - which is way worse than the LFS!

And thank you Ken - all seems well, and I'll just finish waiting it out, and who knows, we might just get a warm spell when the time is right to get some females for Freckles

tengallonhat

All is well, a friend gave me an insulated bag, (normally for food) but it's first use was to go to the LFS and get Freckles 2 new females friends. Another gold and orange Sunset, like Goldie, and an interesting/odd blue w/light orange tail. Geetoo & Bluebell have adjusted well to their new home, and Freckles is very happy for the companionship! Since Freckles is a Salt & Pepper with red head & tail, any fry he & Bluebell have should be equally interesting/odd.