I first wrote this on the cichlid forum, but I guess it's supposed to go here.
I currently have a 55gal. tank with three peacock cichlids ( used to be five ), a 10gal. fry tank ( currently occupied! ), and a 10gal. hospital/quarantine tank.
For about four months, the 55gal. was doing well. I had been trying to breed peacock cichlids, and was having a little trouble, but other than that, the tank was fine. When I think it all started, I had just bought a new peacock ( from a tank with a sick fish:duh
and figured out that it was already pregnant. I put her in my fry tank and after three days, she gave birth. Since I didn't want her to eat any of the fry, I moved her immediately into my main tank:duh: with four other peacocks: two males and two females. She was very stressed, and at first ate little, then nothing at all. I wanted to isolate her, but I didn't have a quarantine tank at the time, so I just hoped that she'd be all right. Well, she wasn't, and ended up disappearing. I thought I checked everywhere for her, but couldn't find her.
After that, I noticed that the nitrates were really going up, so I thought that it was the pleco who was pooping everywhere. I took him back to the lfs, and did a water change when I got back.
The next day, I noticed that the lower lip of one of my male peacocks had turned grey. I knew it was a disease, but I didn't know what. I decided another water change wouldn't hurt, so I did a 50% that night, and when I did another the next night, I finally found that missing fish. It was long dead, and had areas covered with a brown growth. I scooped it out, and set aside the net I used; I didn't want to spread disease with a dirty net. The fish was floating in crevasse formed by the rocks in the tank, but the gap was closed by another rock, so I didn't see it there. When I moved the rocks to see where it had been decaying, I saw that the whole area was covered by a dense growth of some kind of brown substance. I didn't know what it was, so I siphoned it all out.
The next morning, I find that one of my two remaining females, as well as one of the males, had been infected with Ich, and that the male with the grey lip had gotten worse: the disease had spread to underneath the jaw. I researched it, and found that it matched both Flexibacter Columnaris and fungal infection. I didn't which one it was, so I went to the lfs, and he told me to use Pimafix. I ended up buying both Pimafix and Melafix, and started treatment with the Melafix.
Five days later, the infection is worse, and I can clearly see that it is Columnaris; the infection spread to the upper lip, both sides of his face, as well as the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, and there are now red sores near his lips. I gave up on the Melafix and started the Pimafix, and since the Ich was getting worse, I tried adding Kordon Ich Attack as well. I figured the infection could spread to the other fish, so I set up the hospital/quarantine tank, and put him in there today. Now, he has a case of velvet, and I noticed that one of the females also has it. The really concerning thing though, is that the second female just became pregnant, and I have no other tank to isolate her in to protect her from the diseases. When she gets further into the pregnancy, her immune system is going to be down and she could easily be infected! :cry:
In the quarantine tank, the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels are pristine,and in the 55gal. the nitrate is about 30ppm, with the nitrite and ammonia a 0ppm. It's a little high, but I didn't want to do a water change before the treatment was over. Is this a concern?
Any advice whatsoever would be really appreciated. If you need anymore information, just ask. Thanks in advance.
Also, what's a good way to sterilize equipment for the tanks, such as nets and siphons?
I currently have a 55gal. tank with three peacock cichlids ( used to be five ), a 10gal. fry tank ( currently occupied! ), and a 10gal. hospital/quarantine tank.
For about four months, the 55gal. was doing well. I had been trying to breed peacock cichlids, and was having a little trouble, but other than that, the tank was fine. When I think it all started, I had just bought a new peacock ( from a tank with a sick fish:duh
and figured out that it was already pregnant. I put her in my fry tank and after three days, she gave birth. Since I didn't want her to eat any of the fry, I moved her immediately into my main tank:duh: with four other peacocks: two males and two females. She was very stressed, and at first ate little, then nothing at all. I wanted to isolate her, but I didn't have a quarantine tank at the time, so I just hoped that she'd be all right. Well, she wasn't, and ended up disappearing. I thought I checked everywhere for her, but couldn't find her.After that, I noticed that the nitrates were really going up, so I thought that it was the pleco who was pooping everywhere. I took him back to the lfs, and did a water change when I got back.
The next day, I noticed that the lower lip of one of my male peacocks had turned grey. I knew it was a disease, but I didn't know what. I decided another water change wouldn't hurt, so I did a 50% that night, and when I did another the next night, I finally found that missing fish. It was long dead, and had areas covered with a brown growth. I scooped it out, and set aside the net I used; I didn't want to spread disease with a dirty net. The fish was floating in crevasse formed by the rocks in the tank, but the gap was closed by another rock, so I didn't see it there. When I moved the rocks to see where it had been decaying, I saw that the whole area was covered by a dense growth of some kind of brown substance. I didn't know what it was, so I siphoned it all out.
The next morning, I find that one of my two remaining females, as well as one of the males, had been infected with Ich, and that the male with the grey lip had gotten worse: the disease had spread to underneath the jaw. I researched it, and found that it matched both Flexibacter Columnaris and fungal infection. I didn't which one it was, so I went to the lfs, and he told me to use Pimafix. I ended up buying both Pimafix and Melafix, and started treatment with the Melafix.
Five days later, the infection is worse, and I can clearly see that it is Columnaris; the infection spread to the upper lip, both sides of his face, as well as the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, and there are now red sores near his lips. I gave up on the Melafix and started the Pimafix, and since the Ich was getting worse, I tried adding Kordon Ich Attack as well. I figured the infection could spread to the other fish, so I set up the hospital/quarantine tank, and put him in there today. Now, he has a case of velvet, and I noticed that one of the females also has it. The really concerning thing though, is that the second female just became pregnant, and I have no other tank to isolate her in to protect her from the diseases. When she gets further into the pregnancy, her immune system is going to be down and she could easily be infected! :cry:
In the quarantine tank, the nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels are pristine,and in the 55gal. the nitrate is about 30ppm, with the nitrite and ammonia a 0ppm. It's a little high, but I didn't want to do a water change before the treatment was over. Is this a concern?
Any advice whatsoever would be really appreciated. If you need anymore information, just ask. Thanks in advance.
Also, what's a good way to sterilize equipment for the tanks, such as nets and siphons?
