SIick ZEBRA DANIO (Illness Unknown) and how to set up HOSPITAL TANK

Hello,

Background: Got 20 gallon long and 29 gallon hex, fishkeeping 6+ months. 3 days ago I noticed my smallest zebra danio was on top of the water, barely moving. I examined him and it looks like his underside is swollen with a small pea size swelling on his stomach area. He also has a small nodule on both sides of his body poking out of his skin (the nodules look like small zits, maybe pus). All other fish (8 danios, 8 neon tetras) are normal. He moves if I get close, reacts to other fish, but won't eat, hides next to surface under a leaf from a plant. Never had ick so don't know if this is that, or a parasite, or constipated, or a bacterial infection.

The zit things seem to come on his skin, they grow about a 1/3 mm out of his skin then falls off. I see this happening on both sides of his stomach in the same area. The 2 pics I am attaching I just took, about 10 minutes apart, you can see that the zit thing fell off within that 10 minutes (making me think its puss) and you can see how red his skin looks.

So I bought this small 1 gallon betta tank for $8 at walmart just to use as a cheap quarantine tank (money is tight right now). I separated the fish today just in case its contagious. I just added 1/2 teaspoon of aquarium salt because I do know that is good for their scales. Should I use MELAFIX ANTIBACTERIAL to the small tank, since I would assume that antibacterial would help a possible bacterial infection??? Also with a 1 gallon tank, it has no filter, just an airstone, I did transfer gravel from my 20 gallon over to it to help with BB, but how often do you usually have to change the water on a 1 gallon, no filter??? Never used such a small tank before.

Recap Questions:
1) What is this issue / illness?
2) Should I add Melafix?
3) How to maintain a small 1 gallon?

 

can't see it clearly...idk what the disease.

isn't that red?


also, a 1 gallon ONLY with filter and heater works...I think you should get a 5 or 10 as hospital tank. (things you will need)


heater

hiding spots

filter

clean water

DO NOT put any meds yet unless u are VERY sure of what it is

and your brain.(lol)

 

Yeah I am keeping an eye out for a cheap 5-10 gallon tank to use as a bigger quarantine tank, just didn't want to spend $50 right now. With the tools I have, I have my spare heater, an air-stone with a small sponge wrapped around the air-stone, a fake plant, all in the small 1 gallon.

Yes right now one side of his body is bright red, like an abrasion. I did all ready add 1ml of melafix to that tank. I felt that since its not a bad or strong medicine (they even suggest on the bottle to use it every time you add new fish for 3 days) that it can't be harmful for fish (I hope). But this issue is going on day 4 and looks worse now then it did yesterday, and the fish hasn't eaten in 4 days, that he is gonna die soon from weakness and stress, so I felt I needed to do something.

 

I would change out the meds since u still don't know what is that.

it could be internal bleeding(my wild guess don't judge) and I would keep the water clean and that all.

 

Ok thanks. I am home till Tuesday, then leaving for work till Friday so hoping to get him better before then.

Ill be doing a 50% water change on the 1 gallon each morning until then.

Curious, what causes internal bleeding?

 

sorry, idk about meds...but. I will search it up.

I will give u this info later!

 

Ugh . . . I hate not knowing what is going on, and I hate having this fish in a small tank by himself. Tell me if wrong, but isn't it better to have him quarantined vs having him with others? I have dealt with fin rot before with my angels but never had some weird looking sore before on a fish.

Well on day 5, after 1 dose of melafix, his underbelly still has those weird sores, and hasn't eaten now for 5 days.

 

well, leave him there by himself is not good...just(well if u already put it there) then don't move it back...


clean water is the most important thing.


sorry I can't help.

he's not eating? that might be dangerous...what food do u feed?

 

Will it eat peas?

 

Well he died this morning, first started swim sideways, the always facing down, till he floated to the top and died. I attached some more pics of the fish out of the water. If you have any guesses what it is to learn from incase I see it again, greatly appreciated. All I can tell is it looks like a sore, or open wound. I got no aggressive tankmates, just 7 danios, 8 neon tetras, 1 dwarf gourami, 3 albino cory cats, 5 amano shrimp in this 20 gallon long.

Pianoguy: You said that I should have left him in main tank? Curious why? I thought you should always remove sick fish in case their issue is contagious.

Fish Food: I right now feed the Glofish branded flake food (x2 a day), Algea wafer (1 per week), Shrimp sinking pellets (a few pellets every other day), freeze dried bloodworms (usually once a week). I have tried peas but only the shrimp go near them. I feel sorry for the gourami and the neons, those danios eat most of the food, I never see the gourami eat when I drop in flakes.

Thanks for help, trying to learn all I can before I go for the plunge next on a 50+ gallon.

 

those are glo fish? I never knew that!\\

possibility could come from dwarf gourami, they can be aggressive. if u see wounds, observe the gourami closely

 

Just added the gourami 2 days ago a few days after the fish got sick. Finally got this tank fully stocked, had a house warming party yesterday so I added my final fish (the gourami and cory cats) to make the tank look complete. I wish cory cats stay like baby size, so cute when young.

Yes I buy the glofish versions of the zebra danios, they behave the same way but so much prettier. I love how glofish liven up a tank, only downside is they cost $6 versus the $1.50 of a normal zebra danio.

 

Yeah, me too, sorry for your loss.