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[AGA Member] disease issues in a display tank
- To: "Aquatic Gardener's Association" <aga-member@thekrib.com>
- Subject: [AGA Member] disease issues in a display tank
- From: Heather J Gladney <hgladney@comcast.net>
- Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 00:17:45 -0700
- User-agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 0.7 (Windows/20040616)
Any advice welcome.
I'm trying not to kill my plants, but I've become concerned that my
90-gallon tank has a long-running bacterial infection. It's a med-low
pH tank with a dozen bottles of DIY yeast (staggered) for CO2 injection,
Kent plant fertilizers, and high light levels.
I could use help sorting out what the problem might be, and what best to
treat it with.
In May, I added some new fish, everything seemed fine, no problems with
nitrites or pH. (The smaller cardinal tetras that I kept in the
quarantine tank to get bigger are still fine.) A heater malfunctioned
in early June, overheating the planted tank for 2 days.
Over the recent 2 weeks, I lost a half dozen fish. I started feeding
with anti-parasitic Tetra food right away, as I had it, it's labeled
against hexamita as well as parasites, and the symptoms were unclear.
The food has Sulfamethoxin, Trimethoprim, and Metronidazole.
I lost 2 SAEs, a big Colombian tetra, silvertip tetras and harlequin
rasboras, 2 blue Colisa lalia dwarf gouramis. The 3rd gourami is not
looking good.
When I started treating the tank with Hex-a-mit, it looked like two of
the gouramis had slow lesions, tb-like red bumps. One died with
lesions, the other without any outward symptoms. The remaining gourami
now has a lesion visible on either side of the anal fin and up onto his
body; a white lump at the base of a pectoral fin; and pointed
protrusions in the same pale color as his belly, exactly between the
filamentous pelvic fins.
One of the surviving SAEs now has a lump right by the hinge of the jaw,
similar to one of the rasboras that died. (On that rasbora, I found it
dead with half its lower jaw gone, with a tumorish lump at the hinge).
Some of the fish that died had nothing clearly wrong with them. Others
had open raw lumps and dropsy-looking abdomenal bulges.
When I called my vet about it, they suggested I go to one of the LFS and
ask them for help. The LFS had Hex-a-mit. I did a 20% water change,
dosed once with with Hex-a-mit, per label, in case it was hole-in-head
lesions. The next day I did another 20% water change.
Then I did some Internet research, fetched kanamycin, for tb and other
bacterial lesions, and anti-bacterial Tetra food with tetracycline HCl.
While feeding 3 times a day what they can eat with the Tetracycline
feed, I've also been doing a routine of 20 % water change, treatment,
wait a day, water change. I've just completed the second kanamycin dosage.
After the first Kanamycin treatment, the surviving gourami's open sores
looked more red and I thought smaller. But after yesterday's treatment,
the gourami has developed a very swollen abdomen, is breathing rapidly
and hiding at the back of the tank, the open sores aren't as
lumpy/protrusive but they are very red and show some signs of cottony
fungus at the centers, I'd guess Saprolegnia.
The SAE 's jaw lump has gone from looking cancerous to looking red but
less protrusive and the opening may be very slightly smaller.
I have also disinfected with Net-dip on the tools I used after the first
water change and contact with untreated water. I've been careful to
wash my hands a lot (and rinsing them) as I work on this tank.
I'm debating if the kanamycin is doing anything, if I should dose for
Saprolegnia (I'm not sure iwth what, I don't want to stress these fish
with netting them for dips), or quit while I'm ahead and euthanize the
gourami and possibly the SAE.
I'd thought of adding Epsom salts to help with the gourami's dropsy, but
I don't know how I'd pick up the other meds recommended along with it on
the Internet in time enough to do any good.
On the other hand, my Corydoras have been spawning all over the tank
glass, and there's a little 1/2 inch cory growing rapidly.
I haven't had time or luck enough to get pictures of the fish good
enough to help with diagnosis, but I might be able to get that tomorrow,
if any bod wants it.
Thanks, in advance!
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