New Tiger Barbs have parasites, treating them now

New tank running since Dec 27th
I have used Cycle in it to remove ammonia
36 Gallons
6 Tiger Barbs
AC HOB filtration
PH 8
Ammonia spike today between 0 and .25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm


Hey everyone,
My poor little tiger barbs that I just got January 2nd have a parasite of some sort. Two of the little guys are wasting away and as a result the other 4 are picking on them and nipping fins off. So I went out and got API General Cure which treats internal parasites. Just now I witnessed one of the healthy ones shoot out some white stringy feces like the sick ones. So i'm guessing that the rest would have started wasting away soon too. For treatment I used 3 full packets and another half, I also removed my carbon filter for the treatment period. The fish seem happy to see the powder in the tank immediately and are eating it. Below are some pictures of my fish, the water looks hazy from the medicine. I really hope this API General Cure brings these fish back to health. Does anyone else have suggestions that could help my little Barbs back to health?

Wasting away fish below
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2nd wasting away, not as bad but has been nipped
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Healthy fish with stringy feces below
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2nd fish in photos just died a moment ago RIP fishy. I hope the really skinny ones makes it through the night.

 

I have been using medicated food from Angels Plus. They have de-worming food, anti-parasitic flakes, and anti-protozoan flakes. The bags are huge and the fish do pretty well with them.

 

I have been using medicated food from Angels Plus. They have de-worming food, anti-parasitic flakes, and anti-protozoan flakes. The bags are huge and the fish do pretty well with them.

You use medicated food as the only food? Doesn't that lower the effectiveness?

 

Do *not* medicate any more. You can't save them--you don't even know what they have. Take them all back and get your money. Don't buy any more fish from them. Their tanks are all suspect.

 

Yeah, I think I will take them back...this is very disheartening. It's going to be a ton of money i've wasted now. So if I get rid of these guys I assume I have to remove every bit of water and start all over? Everything i've done is basically for nothing correct?

 

I'm so sorry. What a mess. Make a point of complaining to the manager. Really, they sold you meds instead of offering to take the fish back? If it's a large chain, go to their customer service people.

Ask around to find out where serious fish lovers in your area actually buy their fish. You could ask people here to send you a private message about where they go if they live in your neck of the woods.

Sigh. Yes, I would do a tear down. It is your call, but these guys could have a very scary parasite. Really. They're dying. I know, I know, I can be paranoid (as I write, hundreds of little fishy eyes are watching me), but I've been ultra burned, and somebody messaged me today about a truly awful parasite.

Empty out everything. Spray all non-porous surfaces with 70% isopropyl alcohol, including the filter. Let sit about 15 minutes. Then rinse. Run a chlorine bleach solution through the whole thing. Toss out all live plants in a plastic trash bag or else compost where you don't have run off. You can salvage gravel by rinsing very well after the bleach treatment, leaving to drip for a while in a colander, and then spreading out to dry (I've used our guest shower).

Hang in there. It was better for this to happen at the start than after having a tank up for years and then getting blown out of the water by a new fish that made it through QT. Been there, done that.

 

I'd break the whole thing down. Fill a spray bottle with at least 70% rubbing alcohol (91% is better) and spray any decor items you think can be disinfected. All others will have to be thrown away. Remove all substrate and rinse the tank, then spray the whole thing down with alcohol.

Let everything dry, then rinse it all again until you're sure there's no trace of alcohol left. Then you'll have to get new filter media as well, which, unfortunately, means another cycle.

Sorry, I know this seems harsh, but it'll help ensure your new fish stay healthy.

 

Yeah this is quite a mess indeed. It was a local fish store and two of my friends have fish from them but they have saltwater tanks. To be honest I went out and bought the meds at Petsmart just to try and save them but I guess returning them is probably better. I'll tear the tank down and clean it how you two have instructed. Fortunately I have lots of bleach and alcohol around the house. I really hope they are open tomorrow, I have a feeling they are closed on Tuesdays if I remember correctly.

 

Might be worth a call to find out That way you can speak to the manager on the phone at least, if not in person.

 

Good morning,

So hate that you are having this issue. I know it isn't easy.

For future reference, you can feed your fish New Life Spectrum (NLS) Thera +A to your fish. This food contains a non-medicated, anti-parasite ingredient and I use it daily as a staple for my fish, along with other foods and treats:



You may be able to find it at your local pet store, if not, I've ordered from Ken's many times over the years and I've always been satisfied with the items I've received. (not my site). Select the size pellet that best suits the size of your fish. Make sure it has the Thera +A on the label. Some of these foods also contain Garlic which will help to boost the fishes immune system too.

Hopefully the place you purchased the fish from will make things right.

Best wishes!

Ken

 

Some aquarists treat new fish in a QT prophylactically. Seachem ParaGuard is a good one that covers a lot of the more prevalent things found in LFS tanks. Along with that is Kordon Fish Protector (does way too many things to even list and is gentle enough to use with every water change), and GarlicGuard with Vitachem (1 or 2 drops of each on the food). Those 4 items with an air pump and air stone is a great starting point for a QT when you bring home new fish.

 

I'll definitely look into a food that has a natural antI parasite for the next fish. Unfortunately looks like my LFS is closed today so I will have to go on friday since I work the next two days (network tech, 12 hour shifts.) My very skinny fish passed away this morning. I did expect that little one to pass anyway but still had hope. Fortunately my water parameters have not gone nuts without my filter in. Moreover the 4 remaining fish still have a good appetite and they ate their daily fish flake meal.

One thing i'd like to know is if any of you think that the way their tanks are setup are going to spread parasites. It kind of looks like a shared water system but I really don't know with my limited knowledge. Attached is a picture from their FB page, I won't say what store because I don't believe in trashing a local store. I just kind of want to get an idea of what you guys think about how their water delivery looks to you more informed fish folks.

 

Major pet stores run their tanks on group sumps, for the most part. All of the tanks on each row are most likely run by the same filter and therefore share water constantly.

The problem is that they most likely get all or the majority of their fish from the same breeder, and you have no way of knowing what happens at the breeding farm.

 

Unfortunately most LFS chains have all their tanks on a shared water system, so if one single fish comes in with ICH then every fish in the store within that shared system will be infected.

This is the number one reason to always add new fish to a quarantine tank. A lot of aquarists treat prophylactically even if the fish appear to be healthy. I generally medicate all new fish before they go into the main display tanks. However, I'm learning that with fish that are extremely sensitive it's best to just watch them for signs if illness rather than treat right away. 30 days is the general rule of thumb for quarantine.

 

Fortunately my water parameters have not gone nuts without my filter in.

Why did you remove the filter? You should have been okay to remove just the carbon and leave the floss in place...

 

Why did you remove the filter? You should have been okay to remove just the carbon and leave the floss in place...

I think aHumanBeing meant to say the filter cartridge or media. I often just say filter for short and then confuse people.

Yes, buying from stores is always fraught with danger because the fish come from various breeders who might be having issues that they don't know of, they all go into shared filtration, and then random employees are sticking their hands in there. It just goes on and on. I'm hyperventilating even as we speak.

Lotsa, lotsa beautiful fish out there, but I just don't buy them anymore. I'd much rather find people who have some in their home tanks and buy from or trade with them. That way, I'm getting fish who have been loved and well taken care of. Life's not perfect, and so even these fish can have issues, but I can communicate with the other person and we can figure out together what's going on and how to treat them. Nice thing about Fishlore is that you can find so many kinds of fish and other aquarium animals that it is possible to get ones that aren't even in stores around you.

 

Why did you remove the filter? You should have been okay to remove just the carbon and leave the floss in place...

My particular HOB only has a AC. It's an Aqueon power 30, there isn't anything else in there. Should I put another filter media in HOB unit for the time being or put something else in?

 

My particular HOB only has a AC. It's an Aqueon power 30, there isn't anything else in there. Should I put another filter media in HOB unit for the time being or put something else in?

Might not hurt to put some floss in there. With no media your tank will probably go into a minI (or even full) cycle. Having some media may help it to actually cycle (give the BB a home). I have 1 HOB that uses a combined AC cartridge, I stuff a large piece of floss in there also to help maintain the cycle when I change cartridges. This would also allow me to remove the cartridge to medicate and not lose the cycle.

 

Mine looks the same way bit is eating and acting normally. I'm running a UV for wishful thinking hoping it will help. The juveniles always pecking at her poop chute. The male always dances and shimmies in front of her. I don't get it.
(Sorry for posting on your thread)

 

LFS won't take the fish back, now another isn't eating. So I guess i'm stuck with these fish until they all die off from pecking each other to death and parasites. I can't add any more fish and the less fish I have the more they beat each other up.

Also I have done the 2nd dose of API general cure since I have these fish anyway. I've also added a gallon and a half of prime treated water since my tank needed topped off.




edit*
I called the store to talk to them. Tomorrow I will go in and speak to them face to face and probably with an employee who actually cares. I can understand them not wanting dying fish. But the employee I spoke to just doesn't seem to give two craps. He recommended salt for the tank which as I understand is not for Tiger Barbs.

 

You can treat Tiger Barbs with API Aquarium Salt. My first fish were Barbs that came contaminated with ICH. Since I had shrimp in the tank I could not use medication, so I used the heat and salt treatment. Just don't use medication while raising the temps as this can be dangerous to the fish (ICH meds and heat both lower the oxygen level in the water).

 

My game of Fish Survivor continues. I'm down to 3 barbs, all medication has been completed. I've done the 20% water change treated with prime this time. I've also picked up some API Tropical Premium Pellets for community fish. I had to get it asap from a store (no time to order) since one fish wasn't eating and this got him to eat since it has garlic in the food.

But now my little barbs decided to take a chunk out of one of the others. Now one of the little guy has a nasty red mark on it's side. I'm not sure what to do about this sore on his side since I just did the parasite treatment. I'm still iffy about adding salt to the tank, it just doesn't seem natural for these little barbs.

Hopefully these 3 will make it and I can add more barbs into the tiny school lol. But if the tank dies out I'll change everything out. It's just too bad I can't add any fish until these guys are cured.

 

edit*
I called the store to talk to them. Tomorrow I will go in and speak to them face to face and probably with an employee who actually cares. I can understand them not wanting dying fish. But the employee I spoke to just doesn't seem to give two craps. He recommended salt for the tank which as I understand is not for Tiger Barbs.

Definitely go in there and talk to someone in management. Write a timeline of events and attach your receipts, make copies, and tell them you're contacting customer service for the parent company.

 

But now my little barbs decided to take a chunk out of one of the others. Now one of the little guy has a nasty red mark on it's side. I'm not sure what to do about this sore on his side since I just did the parasite treatment. I'm still iffy about adding salt to the tank, it just doesn't seem natural for these little barbs.

Aquarium salt will be just fine with Barbs. Some Tetra and scaleless fish are the ones to be concerned with. Although if that sore is anything more than an abrasion, that salt will sting. I recommend Methylene Blue fish baths for him/her, otherwise that sore will get nasty really fast. Keep your water chemistry pristine, and do them a bit more frequently than normal till all of this passes.

 

Aquarium salt will be just fine with Barbs. Some Tetra and scaleless fish are the ones to be concerned with. Although if that sore is anything more than an abrasion, that salt will sting. I recommend Methylene Blue fish baths for him/her, otherwise that sore will get nasty really fast. Keep your water chemistry pristine, and do them a bit more frequently than normal till all of this passes.

yeah I can imagine salt on a wound for a fish hurts just as much for them as us. I'll hold off on the salt for now but I'll look into Methylene Blue. I did just do a water change (using prime) since i'm going though a minI cycle unfortunately (new filter media.) My nitrites spiked up, but anyway i've got another thread going on for that.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, hopefully this fill debacle will sort itself out soon.

 

The one with the sore of the 3 remaining fish has dropsy now, it is pineconing and I'll be euthanizing it tonight.

With that being said I guess this is related to the sore he had. But now I'm betting my tank is even worse off. Maybe time to treat for bacterial invasions or something.

 

Didn't euthanize the fish because no where had clove oil So I chose the expensive route and bought a hospital tank. 5.5 Gallon kit with HOB filter, hood, lamp, net. Then I bought a 25Watt heater and an air stone. I came back home and a 2nd fish (AGHHHHHH) was having trouble swimming. I setup the new tank using water from the main tank treated with prime earlier in the day for my nitrite spike. I then put the two ill fish in the hospital tank and added primafix and melafix and some TSS since they both have messed up fins and aren't doing well. I'm aware that prime shouldn't be used with TSS but they need some bacteria since it's a new tank. I also added some aquarium salt to help them cope with lower oxygen with this less adequate HOB filter.

As for the main tank I did a 50% change using prime. I have been doing 5 gallon changes daily. The one lone fish in the tank is doing very well but looks bored.

*Sigh*

*edit- Tiger Barb with Dropsy passed about 2 hours ago, I saw him take his last wiggle and said goodbye.

 

Definitely go in there and talk to someone in management. Write a timeline of events and attach your receipts, make copies, and tell them you're contacting customer service for the parent company.

+1

 

Update: my lone Tiger barb is doing fantastic in the 36 gallon all by it's lonesome for now. We have named it "You, with the fin" because it was the only one who didn't get bitten. I assume it was the one doing the biting. Today my nitrites got as high as possible from everything that went on, 5.0 ppm. I did an emergency Seachem Prime with 3 1/2 cap fulls. The cap fulls brought my nitires right down to almost nothing in 6 hours. My nitrates are still orange, and ammonia is non existant. My new cycle from after all this debacle is almost done I think. I won't be getting any more fish for a while though.

As for the hospital tank it was bleached, washed with water and prime and set out to dry in front of a fan. all the Bleach smell is gone and the Prime pretty much neutralized the bleach smell right away. I'll rewash (no bleach) and set it up when the time comes to get more fish. But for now I will just take care of "You, with the fin" as best I can.

I'll probably bug the LFS a little bit if I go there again but i've cooled down since and it's not that big of a deal. I'm sad that I lost the fish but learned a lot. Also I purchased many medicines and chemicals that I will need later on.

 

This wasting disease seems all too common. I had it in my tank and had excellent results with API General Cure; however, after it's all over, the affected fish seem to have lasting issues. One still doesn't have a well developed stomach and the other still gasps for air after eating (stomach never healed?)

If you just got them, can you take them back to the LFS?

 

This wasting disease seems all too common. I had it in my tank and had excellent results with API General Cure; however, after it's all over, the affected fish seem to have lasting issues. One still doesn't have a well developed stomach and the other still gasps for air after eating (stomach never healed?)

Small derail, apologies to the OP... Brandon, that API General Cure appears to be for external parasites or other external issues, and from what you're describing your fish have something internal going on. The members here may be able to help you narrow down what's happening if you wanted to begin a new thread. That is, if you haven't cleared all that up.

 

HI there, yes, I started a thread when it happened. The General Cure said that it cured wasting disease and other internal parasites, and it was the only thing my LFS (petsmart) had. It did the trick but the two fish that were affected seem to have lasting issues, though I can't be sure.

One Barb breathes heavy after eating, though could just be the fact that she inhales food!

One Bolivian Ram is still skinny, though he eats very well. He is the smallest of the three and gets picked on a-lot.

So, I'm not sure....I'm thinking these are residual after-effects of having the disease