Fish TB, Please, nead advise!

[sillyputty]

What would you do if you found out you had fish TB in your tank?

I am 95% certain I have had at least 2 cases of fish TB in my tank. I am wondering what to do next.

The tank is a 37 gallon and I have 5 mollies, 4 neons, 3 lemon tetras, and one swordtail.

I have read everything from don't worry (but use precautions), not very contagious to extremely contagious, not transferable to humans to easily transfers via open wounds or cuts, watch for further symptoms to tear down and disinfect with bleach and alcohol.

Frankly I don't know what to think. I have had the tank since Thanksgiving and have worked so hard with it. I closely watch the water parameters, clean and do water changes once a week, ect.... It was fine then I started adding new fish and have had nothing but trouble since the beginning of January. I have posted the problems in other threads, and not all issues were likely TB but now I think the most serious thing here is the TB. Tearing down this 37 tall would be a big pain! But I have two young children in my house. Sounds like the biggest thing is you get it is that you have to take antibiotics for a long time but ....

 

[aquanewb]

I am hardly an expert but everything I have read tells me that it is very contagious (through wounds in human skin etc) and that it is a mortal disease that will eventually kill everything..... I wish that you could buy a disease tester that could tell you what is in the tank.....

BTW what are the symptoms you are experiancing?

Good luck, I am interested in what you end up doing, please keep us informed.

 

[sillyputty]

The symptoms of the swordfish (2) were fin fungus, ragged fins, sudden bent spine (could not eat from the surface they were so bent over) change in color, paleness, near the end lethargy, hiding, shimmy, wasting sunken stomach, body. At that point I euthanized them, about 2 weeks apart.

 

[OrionGirl]

Remove and euthanize any fish left in the tank. Keep this up if new ones develop symptoms--do not add any fish to the tank until you've gone at least 2 months with no new fish getting sick. Take precautions when working in the tank--TB is contagious to humans, but only if you give it the chance to get in. Treatment consists of many months of high-grade antibiotics that will cause secondary reactions, and the potential for surgery to remove encusting growths from the afflicted limb. Do not rate this as mild--it is serious and painful. But--you can prevent it. I had marine TB kill a large lion fish, and no other fish contracted the ailment, despite being in the same system through out the entire course of his illness, including fins falling off in the tank.

 

[LMOUTHBASS]

Hi,
not an expert at this but it is one disease that seems hard to get info on cause not a lot of people know much about it - but i remember reading in a fish magazine once where someone wrote in asking about tb - the columnist said it is highly contagious and is a bacterila infection that moves quickly and will pretty much kill everything in the tank - one symptom was a crooked or bent spines and i believe loss of appetite - it kills quickly


I also remember reading someone had written in about his experience he had with fishy tb - he did a water change and later on the next day or whenever a cut on his hand became infected - he had to go to the hospital - no one could figure out what it was but it got really bad and he was hospitalized for quite some time - finally the traced it back to the ater change and the tank - he got very sick from it - so keep your hands out of the water especially if you have cuts or anything - wear gloves if you need to change water - why do you think you have fish tb? I bet you could send a water sample to a lab to confirm although you'll hjave to do some research to see what labs can do this - maybe if you contact your local vet they can send it out?


post back with more info - symptoms etc

 

[FishKeeper-16]

I hate to say this but I would kill all the fish that have tb because it is highly contagious to humans and you don't want to risk your health or your families health because it can be very dangerous.

 

[sillyputty]

Well, at this point there are not other fish showing any symptoms. If any show even the slightest symptoms I will probably not wait too long to euthanize them. The question is do I go ahead and euthanize them all, having been exposed, ( I understand they can be carriers and not show symptoms) and start over.) :sad

 

[Slappy*McFish]

The question is do I go ahead and euthanize them all, having been exposed, ( I understand they can be carriers and not show symptoms) and start over.) :sad

Remove and euthanize any fish left in the tank. Keep this up if new ones develop symptoms--do not add any fish to the tank until you've gone at least 2 months with no new fish getting sick.

I would follow her advice.

 

[sillyputty]

Remove and euthanize any fish left in the tank. Keep this up if new ones develop symptoms--do not add any fish to the tank until you've gone at least 2 months with no new fish getting sick. Take precautions when working in the tank--TB is contagious to humans, but only if you give it the chance to get in. Treatment consists of many months of high-grade antibiotics that will cause secondary reactions, and the potential for surgery to remove encusting growths from the afflicted limb. Do not rate this as mild--it is serious and painful. But--you can prevent it. I had marine TB kill a large lion fish, and no other fish contracted the ailment, despite being in the same system through out the entire course of his illness, including fins falling off in the tank.

Bit confused, Do you mean any fish that have symptoms or all of them now. Then I add a few fish and watch them for 2 months?
I did just read a very good article that said the tb bacteria for marine fish and fresh water was pretty different and the fresh water type was not as bad.
http://www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[Snake Eyez]

I am somewhat skeptical about the transmission capability of fish TB to the human species. In humans the primary route of infection is by air from an infected person. The person can then develop a primary infection in the lungs, which if untreated can spread to other parts of the body. There are infections that can be transmitted from tanks to humans, but their occurance is rare. One that is common can cause a granuloma to form around the site of inoculation.

Back on topic I've had had some similar symptoms in some of my neon tetras. Whenever I see it I take them out and but them in a separate tank. I'll watch them for a few days and if symptoms get worse, then I put them in the freezer.