SingingFish
- #1
Hi! Thank you in advance for your help!
I am new to the hobby although my family had fish when I was a child. I set up a 10 gallon planted tank in April, cycled it, added all male guppies in mid-May, one of which was sick and died within 3 days. I am assuming that fish brought something into the tank with it and is the source (?) of all the issues since. I know now that I added too many fish at one time (5), but I stayed on top of the water quality and change 25% of the water regularly. Slowly, one by one each of the other fish became stressed and ill. There were no outward signs off specific diseases, such as Ick, Velvet, or worms. After losing 2 more fish, I reached out to a local fish vet and after multiple exchanges of pictures and information, he was not able to identify the illness either. He recommended trying quick cure (metrodinazole and praziquantel). I was able to save the last two fish, initially, with a 10 day treatment.
Fast forward 3 weeks... fish seem healthy, playful, although the bigger of the two is bullying the smaller one. I didn't want to add new fish until I ran another course of the meds to kill any eggs. Right as I'm about to start the second course, the smaller fish becomes ill with the same symptoms.
- clamped fins
- swimming near the top or resting on the bottom
- decreased appetite
- bloated body
- white or clear feces ... lack of food
And eventually dies.
Starting the meds again did not save the fish. I ran the second course and the one remaining fish survived, but was alone and seemed to be stressed by that. I get 4 (although I had asked for 2) young guppies from a family friend's tank, so I knew that they were healthy. Now, the process has started all over again... the fish were healthy for 8 days then the littlest showed the same signs. I have lost 2 of the fish.
I reached out to the vet again and he said maybe the bacteria or parasite is resistant to the quick cure. Started API erythromycin last night. I may lose a 3rd fish (only remaining female) today and at least one of the males (the original, strong male) is hanging at the top of the tank.
HELP!?? What else should I be doing? How can I treat and save these poor fish if I can't identify the problem? It seems obvious to me that the antibiotics aren't doing the trick, so is there another parasite medicine that I can try (assuming it's not too late)?
FYI - tank levels test well every time. PH 7.6 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5
Thank you for your help!
Desperate, stressed, and sad,
SingingFish
I am new to the hobby although my family had fish when I was a child. I set up a 10 gallon planted tank in April, cycled it, added all male guppies in mid-May, one of which was sick and died within 3 days. I am assuming that fish brought something into the tank with it and is the source (?) of all the issues since. I know now that I added too many fish at one time (5), but I stayed on top of the water quality and change 25% of the water regularly. Slowly, one by one each of the other fish became stressed and ill. There were no outward signs off specific diseases, such as Ick, Velvet, or worms. After losing 2 more fish, I reached out to a local fish vet and after multiple exchanges of pictures and information, he was not able to identify the illness either. He recommended trying quick cure (metrodinazole and praziquantel). I was able to save the last two fish, initially, with a 10 day treatment.
Fast forward 3 weeks... fish seem healthy, playful, although the bigger of the two is bullying the smaller one. I didn't want to add new fish until I ran another course of the meds to kill any eggs. Right as I'm about to start the second course, the smaller fish becomes ill with the same symptoms.
- clamped fins
- swimming near the top or resting on the bottom
- decreased appetite
- bloated body
- white or clear feces ... lack of food
And eventually dies.
Starting the meds again did not save the fish. I ran the second course and the one remaining fish survived, but was alone and seemed to be stressed by that. I get 4 (although I had asked for 2) young guppies from a family friend's tank, so I knew that they were healthy. Now, the process has started all over again... the fish were healthy for 8 days then the littlest showed the same signs. I have lost 2 of the fish.
I reached out to the vet again and he said maybe the bacteria or parasite is resistant to the quick cure. Started API erythromycin last night. I may lose a 3rd fish (only remaining female) today and at least one of the males (the original, strong male) is hanging at the top of the tank.
HELP!?? What else should I be doing? How can I treat and save these poor fish if I can't identify the problem? It seems obvious to me that the antibiotics aren't doing the trick, so is there another parasite medicine that I can try (assuming it's not too late)?
FYI - tank levels test well every time. PH 7.6 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5
Thank you for your help!
Desperate, stressed, and sad,
SingingFish
