Harlequin Rasbora Concerns

[Hannah M]

I had 12 Harlequin Rasboras in a planted 87l (20gal?) tank. They're all fit and well except for 2 that are MUCH thinner and paler than the other 10 and staying low in the tank and hiding away from the rest of the shoal. Yesterday I lost one of the skinny guys and the other is now even more of a concern. Could it be sickness? Or just pecking order/rejection? He does come up to feed, and I have been targeting him the best I can.

 

[finnipper59]

If your skinny guys are infected with a condition known as wasting, it should be taken out and quarantined. In most cases, fish infected with this condition are difficult to treat because it can be from bacteria or parasites. If you want to treat the whole tank for both conditions without disruption of your biological system, you can use a combination of API General Cure along with API ER Erythromycin. This will clear your tank of bad bacteria and parasites without harming the good bacteria in your filtration.

I had 12 Harlequin Rasboras in a planted 87l (20gal?) tank. They're all fit and well except for 2 that are MUCH thinner and paler than the other 10 and staying low in the tank and hiding away from the rest of the shoal. Yesterday I lost one of the skinny guys and the other is now even more of a concern. Could it be sickness? Or just pecking order/rejection? He does come up to feed, and I have been targeting him the best I can.

 

[Hannah M]

Managed to get a photo of my skinny guy next to one of my healthy Harles. If it is fish TB/wasting disease, from what I know of it it's pretty 100% fatal. Obviously this guy and the last one have been in the main tank for ages as I didn't realise they were ill - how contagious is it? My other fish all look fine. (I have 10 other Harles, 11 Kuhli Loach, 1 pearl gourami and 1 dwarf gourami + 2 assassin snails.)

 

[finnipper59]

I blew up the photo as best as I could. It didn't look like wasting. He's not skinny, he's completely smaller. If he's being bullied and forced to stay isolated, he may eventually stop eating and die. Make sure to vary their diet with treat like freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp. If you ever want to give them a live treat, only use brine shrimp as they are salt water creature that can't pass disease to your freshwater tank.

 

[Whitewolf]

It happens to alot of fish. Take him out of there euthanize before it dies in the tank and the others peck at its carcass thus making them all sick.
Its part of nature, part of the environment, no cure TB is carried by many if not all fish at low levels.

 

[Hannah M]

It happens to alot of fish. Take him out of there euthanize before it dies in the tank and the others peck at its carcass thus making them all sick.
Its part of nature, part of the environment, no cure TB is carried by many if not all fish at low levels.

Any advice on how would be best to euthanize? It's not something I have considered doing before and would be very concerned to do right by the little guy.

 

[Whitewolf]

I just throw them in the trash but ppl say ice water is quick get it really cold first

 

[WanhiBetta]

Clove oil and vodka is one of the best methods to euthanize... Very cold water can do to.