Help diagnosing problem

[stargurl]

Tank: 45 gallon
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
pH: 7.4
Water changes: 20% at least every-other week
Inhabitants: 1 african butterflyfish, 1 gold barb, 1 black neon, 1 neon tetra, 1 blood parrot, 1 pleco, 1 spotted raphael, 1 striped raphael, 1 clown loach. No new fish have been added recently (more than six months). I have, however, fish waiting in quarantine to be added to this tank.

Symptoms:
Noticed cloudy (milky looking) eye on striped raphael two days ago.
Observed same eye symptom on clown loach yesterday. Loach also has tail which appears milky white at edge, some tears in edge. Tail does not appear bloody or to be shrinking (yet, at least).

Fish are eating and active, no out of the ordinary behaviour observed.

I suspect a bacterial infection, but am unsure of diagnosis and how to proceed.

 

[Orbitorly]

Hello, for your first question about the milky eye, sounds like cloudy eye to me and I have nutting to say about that since I dont know anything about it.

Your clown loach on the other hand. Sounds like he has fin rot. Sings :An attack of fin rot may be preceded by abnormal red streaks in the fins caused by congestion of the blood vessels (fin congestion).

Cause: Several bacteria species - Aeromonas, liquefaciens, formicans, Pesudomonas and flexibacter.

Treatment: Bath immersion of the affected fish in a solution of salt ( provided the species is salt-tolerant) I realy dont how much salt to put for a loach - sorry

Hope that helps...

 

[OrionGirl]

I suspect that stress is a big part of the problem in your tank. You have a bunch (gold barb, black neon, neon tetra, clown loach)of single fish from species that need to be in groups. The result is stressed out fish. This means 3 things...One, all of the stressed fish will have suppressed immune functions (making them prone to infections and diseases they'd otherwise overcome). Two, stressed fish release chemicals into the water, which other fish detect and react to--becoming stressed themselves. Studies show that minnows that are stressed release these chemicals into the water, and fish exposed to the same water--but not the stressor--will become stressed. So, point 3--all of your fish are stressed.

I would say you have a bacterial infection. Maracyn is a good choice for treatment. Make sure to follow the directions for scaleless fish. I would do a large water change (20% daily for 5 days) and then treat. If it gets worse quickly, start treating and keep doing the water changes--this means you'll need to use more medicine.

Hopefully, those fish you have in quarantine will create some schools for the loners you have. Otherwise, you're bound to see this pop up again.

 

[stargurl]

OrionGirl: I am aware of the needs of gregarious and schooling fish. I, however, was not the one who stocked the tank, nor is the tank my own. The origins, ownership, and stocking of the tank are best left for another discussion.

What I am concerned about is the health of the two fish who are showing signs of illness.

I went to the local Big Al's, armed with digital photos of the sick fish.

Diagnosis, as suspected, is bacterial infection.
Treatment: Raise temperature to 86, put tank it total black-out conditions. Dose Furan-2, one caplet a day for 5 days, 1/3 water change before each dose. After the fifth day, dose every-other day until all capsules are used.

 

[Pisces]

Whoever owns the tank should be aware that a pH of 7.4 is a bit high for keeping the African Butterfly and the Clown Loach, both prefer acidic water of 6.0-6.5. This high pH could be contributing to the illness in the Clown.
I have to agree with OrionGirl that the tank owner needs to be adding more of those shoaling species to the tank in order to lessen the stress levels in the tank or illnesses will be a constant battle. The fish simply will not calm down and act naturally until they have the security of being in a group of their own species.

I hope the treatment works, good luck!

 

[jemmabubbles]

try going to the pet shop and getting some "interpet" anti internal bacteria treatment, or fungus and finrot, or disease safe, you probably got a parsite in your tank, don't introduce new fish until old ones are better, try feeding live blood worms, they help a fishes immune system. good luck

add StressZyme too, that should help replace the slime on their scales, and i agree with the shoal idea above, more of their own kind will lessen the stress, and happier fish are healthier fish, stress is the biggest catalyst for disease, it lowers thier immune system, and they get sick.

 

[Orbitorly]

add StressZyme too

Last time I used StressZyme I had a cloudy water problem for over a month in my healthy 55 gallon.