Starting over

Why2zee

Why2zee

AC Members
Oct 10, 2006
26
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0
Tulsa, OK
Sad to report that after putting up a good fight against dropsy, Fat Boy, passed away early yesterday morning. He had shown great improvement after the series of antibiotic injections, eating and active, mostly back to being normal. During the day Monday he went totally upside down, that night he began shedding scales, an hour later he was gone. :tombstone:

Both my Redcap Orandas are now deceased, and being the only fish I had, my tank is now quiet and sadly empty.

Before getting any new fish, I am quessing the tank and all components need a good cleanup to get rid of any residual disease that could be lurking in the gravel, ornaments, and filter. I've checked the forum, found bits and pieces, but wondered if anyone has a sticky list of best practices to do this. I'm not in a rush, willing to start cycling from scratch.

Tank is 29gal bowfront, meaning acrylic is involved. Aquaclear 70 filter,
Rena Air 300 air pump, bubble wand, bubble stone. Medium grade gravel substrate, a faux driftwood ornament that is hollow, a Roman column ornament that is solid, and 4 artificial plants, 3 plastic, one silk. My thoughts are that everything needs to be sanitized/sterilized, including air lines.

Am I way off base?

Also on hand...a brand new and never used 10 gal that says it is glass but don't think so, and the small 5 gallon acrylic I was using for a hospital tank.
One of the 2 I will set up as a quarantine tank.
 
Is the silk plant specifically for aquarium use? If not, remove it.

Antibiotic injections? Where did you get advice to do such a thing?

If you are going to go with goldfish again, I'd suggest getting another Aquaclear 70 or replacing the 70 with a 110. Goldfish are messy.

I would only use tap water to sanitize everything. Some people will advise using bleach. I stay away from it. Washing thoroughly with chlorinated tap water should take care of any bacteria that exists. You can also run the tank without dechlorinating it for a few days to be extra safe.

Use the 10 as the hospital tank. 5 is too small.
 
Dropsy is a mean, mean disease. It's almost impossible to cure once you see the symptoms.

I can't imagine where you were able to find a fish vet or where you got the injections from, but they were your best bet. Injections are much more common with koi, but most people don't realize that with larger goldfish, it's a more effective treatment than medicating the water. It's possible that the dosage wasn't right (if the fish was small enough to fit in a 29g, he's small enough that the dosage would be really hard to get right) or that you simply caught it too late.

Depending on the size/type of goldfish you get, you'll most likely be alright with the 29 for a long time, as long as you go with a fancy. Another oranda would be very happy in there. Your setup sounds fine.

As far as sanitizing everything, from what I understand, dropsy can't hang around unless there are fish. However, it might be a good idea to sanitize the tank just in case I'm wrong.
When I sanitize, I do use bleach. I think it's safer to be sure you've killed all the creepy crawlies than hope it just washes away.
Fill a 5g bucket with water, add one tablespoon bleach. Take a sponge and wipe everything down. Rinse out the tank with some of the bleach water. Dip your plants and your ornaments in. Wipe down the filter, inside and out. Then rinse like your life depends on it. Rinse everything at least twice, add twice the recommended amount of dechlorinator to the water for your final rinse, replace the filter cartridge, and setup the tank to cycle again with a couple of minnows or "feeder" guppies.

I'd use the 10 for quarantine too, just because it's easier to maintain with such a messy fish as a goldfish. Fewer water changes necessary, more room for the fish too.

Good luck!
 
Well now, lemmee see...

for Nola Pete...comments well taken, and a bit about me. I'm a sucker for most critters, draw the line at spiders and snakes. A snake got past my 2 big dogs...a rescued beagle and my beautiful Akita dog while they were busy trying to see what was for dinner. It was down the A/C floor vent faster than I could scream. Called the landlord to find out if the A/C duct work was unified..sometimes there can be more than one, serving different parts of the house. It was a unified version. When asked how big the snake was, I just said "huh"? To me, snakes are not described by size. They are SNAKES! While the landlord was laughing his butt off, his wife came over and fitted every vent with nylon net.

Once I adopt any other critter, it's my obligation to make their life as good as it can be. Was about to put FatBoy down when another forum member told me the last chance was antibiotic injections. I figured I should give Fat Boy every chance in the world...even if possibilities are almost zero. Called my regular vet and he referred me to another local vet who treats "exotics", including goldfish. He also treats turtles, bats, and SPIDERS (tarantulas) and SNAKES! I was there in 30 minutes, Fat Boy got a full check up, a biopsy, and the 1st of 3 antibiotic shots, followed by 2 more at 3 day intervals. He improved dramatically for several days, the pineconing was going away, he was eating out of my fingers and cruising around his bubble wands. Then he got another zit that ruptured, and you can't do another round of the antibiotics that quick.

He was a $3 gift from my daughter for my b'day, and besides the investment in a real tank, pumps, the vet costs were $150. Most people in Oklahoma think fish are something you fry for dinner, in this case he was part of my household, cost was just not a consideration.

A couple of good things came out of the experience. One being I found a fishy doc. And the fishy doc also used the treatment as an opportunity to teach the vet techs how to weigh little fishies, calculate dosages, and how to give the injections.

Yes, the silk plant was for aquarium use. I tore down and cleaned everything just in case. That part is finished, now I am getting ready to reload and start a fishless cycle. While puttering away, I found a couple who operate a small fishy business as hobby a few days a week. They are just down the street and love to talk and teach about fish :-0
 
couple of ps's...for flaringshutter,

found the fish vet through my regular vet, and found him to be very knowledgable and caring, even if he does also treat snakes and tarantulas. For anyone in the vicinity of Tulsa, OK...the place is called Village Vet Animal Clinic, the fish doc is Dr. Wilkerson.

My little RedCaps brought me a lot of happy moments and hilarious laughter, and it saddens me to think their demise was related to my own ignorance. I am considering a much larger tank, at least 55 gal, for a few Orandas, and use the 29g for some type of community tank once I find the right things to put in it.

MTS strikes !!
 
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