Help Please! Whats wrong with these fish?

HI all. I have tried to research it using the disease chart, but still am not sure what is wrong. See, a few weeks ago hubby brought home some platys...one ended up getting a bulging eye and died. Since then I had one guppy die with red under its belly, another die with red on its gills, and now I have a female swordtail and red tip shark with bulging eyes. Their activity is obvious that something is wrong. Is that Corneybacteriosis? This is my first time with a problem and I don't know what to do. I don't want my other fish to die! I don't even have a place to put these fish, like a quarantene tank. Any advice anyone? Is it wrong to put them in a deep bowl with some bubbles for now? I just want to save my fish. I read your supposed to treat just the sick fish, but what if the rest will get it as well?

thanks

Angie

 

Angie,
First off, tell us how big your tank is, and how long you've had it set up. Next, we need you to post your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings. While we are waiting for your answers, my suggestion would be to do a 50% water change for now. Fresh water does wonders for sick fish, and may reduce some of the stress they are experiencing right now. Write back soon!

 

I forgot to mention the red tip has white stuff around his eye

the tank is a 20 gallon, and its been up for around 2 or 3 months.

I have test strips, and I will go test, and I think the water change is a great idea

I'll be back when I am done with that, and thanks for your help so far.

Angie

 

I have strips, so I have to compare color...it looks like the nitrate is between the 40 and the 80, it doesn't look quite dark enough for the 80, but darker than the 40. The nitrite is between 0 and 0.5, hardness looks between 120 and 250, it looks closer to the 120, but has an orange look to it like the 250. the alkaqlinity is blue, and my color options are green..don't kno what's up with that, and finally the ph is 7.2. I think these strips are hard to read, what do you use?

Anyways, I see there are some high counts so I am off to a water change. ANy advice on saving my fish would be awesome.

Angie

 

Click on my link at the bottom of my signature called "beginner articles".  It sounds like your tank is not cycled.  A water change is definitely a good start.  Are you treating the water with a conditioner before adding it to the tank?  Also, those test strips are expensive and commonly inaccurate.  Go to the PetSmart website and find the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test kit.  Print the page that shows the kit and the price, and take it to your local PetSmart.  They should honor the online price, and you will get the kit for less than half the price!  That kit is what we usually recommend here because it's economical and accurate.  

Your nitrates are too high. They should be 20 or less. The water change should help with that a lot. We need to know your ammonia level also. When you go to PetSmart, get some Amquel plus (make sure it's the plus kind). You need to use this as your water conditioner while your tank is going through this to help reduce the stress on your fish. You are probably gonna be doing a lot of water changes, so get the bigger bottle (it keeps for a long time). Just hang in there. Some of your fish don't do well in a tank that's not cycled, so don't get too upset if you have more casualties. Hopefully you won't, but just be ready for it.

 

I do think my tank is cycled, I have had levels high and did water changes and they were back low, so I think it has gone through its cycle.

I just did the water change, and your rightm these strips suck. I will go print that off, because 50% is my kinda talk..lol

yes I am putting water conditioner in, 1 ml per gallon. I also added salt for the mollies. I have not had any problems until hubby brought home those fish that died....it was the first time I had ever seen any white on the eye or any bulging. What can I do to save my fish besides change the water?

my strips apparantly don't have ammonia levels

Angie

 

Sounds like some sort of fungus infection... Did you check the sick fish article ?? ---> https://www.fishlore.com/Articles/SickFish.htm

 

If your test strips are correct, then your tank is at least going through a minI cycle.  A cycled tank has no ammonia, no nitrites, and noticeable nitrates.  My guess is that you have ammonia also.  The water change will help a lot for now.   What kind of water conditioner are you using?  Many municipal water supplies contain chlorine and chloramines.  If your water contains both, make sure your conditioner treats for both.  The amquel plus treats both.  

 

I did read that artice. The beginner article you mentioned was the very first thing I read when I first came here. Its a great article. I did read through the diseases, but I wasn't sure what it is. The one fish has bulging eyes and her mouth looks whiter, and its kinda staying open. The mouth to me seems like its having trouble opening and closing it, or just doesn't want to..I have no clue. The shark has white stuff around his eye and is acting slower and sick.

I am using top fin water conditioner

 

It has to be some sort of infection... Of course your water may be an issue as well but I would look for some sort of AntI Biotic or Fungus medication. Jungle makes a fizz tab that worked well for me.. It covered a few different issues and fixed my fish right up.

 

It sounds like your fish have fungus. The water changes will help, but you will probably have to medicate. I have read some folks have had great results with the Jungle fungus tablets.

 

well, tennessee, my female swordtail is about dead. It looks like it can't swim, and its on the ground...I wish there was somethign I can do...but I don't have any fungus anything, and the closest fish store is in chattanooga which is 30 minutes away and closed. I feel really sad. Now, if its a disease, will my other fish be next? Do I treat the whole tank or the specific fish? Poor tennessee

Angie

 

It sounds like you have a number of fish illnesses going on in that tank, probably all stemming from a common fungus origin as Gunnie suggested. Do you have any fish meds there? even a basic one like aquarisol?

We have the Fungus Clear tablets and they are good, but dye things like aquarium decor and silicon seals blue and I'm pretty sure they un-cycle a tank. Also, as you've lost fish already to this, I'd recommend a stronger med at this point: TriSulfa - it will look like this . It won't break the cycle or dye anything. Treat the whole tank.

I take it that you have an air stone in the tank? How old is it and is it releasing a good flow of small bubbles or a lesser flow of big bubbles? If you can put tennessee in a small bowl with air bubbles, it might make her more comfortable and hopefully either way she'll hold on until you can get the TriSulfa into their systems. Is her breathing very rapid or very slow?

I wish you the best of luck with them and hope that no more fish will be lost.