Still have problems.

[Hunter555]

Hope someone can help me..

I'm still having problems. One of my black ghost knife is really sick. His symptoms are:
* lies on the bottom on his side.
* breathes VERY rapidly and heavily (mouth WIDE open which is rare for these things).
* seems to be covered in a light white film?

Now originally I thought he was just sick from the ick problems I was having. I'm still treating the ick and the other fish all made a full recovery about 6 days ago. The black ghost knife has gotten worse and worse though.

Test as of now:
PH 6.6
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm (This used to be over 160ppm which could explain how the fish got sick in the first place).
Nitrite: 0ppm

Currently treating with white spot rememdy still and melafix (just to try to help them recover quicker.)

Any ideas?
Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Hunter555]

I was thinking the ghost knife could have velvet? Does this seem like it? Anything in particular I should look for? If so, how do I treat it?

So far I have been leaving the lights off as much as possible to try to make life difficult for parasites and also algae. I seem to be beating the algae problem through reduced light, reduced feeding and a bit of hand cleaning leaves.

[OrionGirl]

Velvet is most easily seen by examining the fish in a dark room with a flash light--the fish will have a gold dusting on them. However, most chemical anti-parasite treatments will work against either parasite. It sounds like the ghost still has an ich infection within it's gills--meaning you'll need to continue treatment for some time.

[Hunter555]

Well it certainly seems to be velvet on this ghost knife.
Poor little thing looks like he won't make it through the day. He didn't even hide when I turned the light on this morning. Just lay there gasping.

Will melafix help cure the velvet if that is the case?

[Hunter555]

Well I was right. He didn't make it.

I hope the others are going to be okay. He was one of my favourites too.

[Hunter555]

ARGH! Noooooooooooooooooo!

Now my other black ghost is lying on his side gulping for air in the middle of the tank just like the other one was yesterday morning! He is deffinately covered in a white film because I can see where half of it has scraped off his fin where it scraped against the rock he hides under.

At this rate, all I'm going to have left is randy platies!
Please help... anyone...

What am I doing wrong?

[OrionGirl]

Are you medicating? Salt/heat? Skin parasites must be treated with either a chemical treatment, or with salt and elevated temperature. Melafix won't do anything to kill off the parasite.

[Hunter555]

The temperature is sitting on 28C, there is extra salt in there, I've also been putting pemafix, melafix and white spot remedy in there for the last 2 weeks. Been doing 30% water changes every 3 days and vacuming the substrate.

The final ghost knife died tonight. :-( I'm at my wits end here. He had grown so much in the last 6 months!

[Hunter555]

So I guess I must be battling some form of mutant super fish disease that won't stop till it's killed all fish in my tank. :-(

I hope I'm not next...