I will explain.

[goozy]

I know lots of people here also are members of the aqualink so this may sound familar to some of you. Three reasons why I joined this forum: One, the more opionions, the better. Two, Aqualink's website is down and I don't know if there are any new replies to my post. I applogize but I am desparate. Three, well.........
i have a 37 gallon tank with a rena filstar xp2 filter. In it were 3 new guinea red rainbows, a purple stripe gudgeon, a chocolate pleco, an orange chromide a swordtail and a sailfin molly. The fish had really good appetites so I fed them a lot, too much, I guess. I didn't realize but the filter was sucking up all the uneated food and it rotted inside causing a nitrogen spike. The fish became stressed and an really terrible outbreak of ick followed. I added some maracide out of desparation. It was too late, the rainbows died. This all happened in two days time. I did three water changes of about 20%, this morning was the third.
The only fish that seems to be having a problem now is the gudgeon. He is scaping on the bottom at times and his gills are wide open sometimes. He also breaths real heavy. His fins are clamped and he is listless. I am scared to add more meds but I think he is infected with ick in his gills. I don't know what to do.
I am sort of new to this hobby. If everything goes well I have no problem maintaining a healthy tank but if things start going wrong I am not exactly sure how to handle it. I am looking for help and advice, nothing else.
thanks.

 

[rjl420]

we're going to need more info to help you. how long has the tank been set up? have you cycled this tank? what are your latest readings for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and pH?

for starters, I can tell you that some of your fish prefer brackish water, at least the chromide, and molly (is the gudgeon brckish also?) but then the rainbows and pleco are not. is this a brackish tank? if so, what is the salinity? the more info you can give, the better we'll be able to help you.

edit: OH! and welcome to AC!

 

[goozy]

Hi!

this particular tank has been running for about six months. It was an upgrade from a 20 gallon tank that I set up last novermber. I fishlessly cycled it and used a lot of the same ornaments and gravel from the 20 gallon. I've been putting in about 6 table spoons of salt but I didn't check the salinity, ever. I know I should. The salt dosen't seem to bother the pleco (who is about 8 inches long now) and the rainbows were doing fantastically until this happened. I had them for about 2 1/2 months. The gudgeon likes salt but it's not necessary.

I checked the ammonia and nitrites this morning and they were both zero, The ph is 7.4, I just checked the nitrate and it's between 0 and 5 ppm.

The gudgeon is swimming now but his fins and clamped and he seems weak and scared.

 

[rjl420]

it sounds like you've got most of your bases covered, but finding out a reading of your salinity would only be helpful, keep in mind that it doesn't evaporate, so if you were adding salt during topoffs, you may have too much salt. (freshwater salt or marine salt?). in either case, 6 table spoons of salt for 20 gallons doesn't sound like its VERY high in salinity.

what kind of time frame does the med work on, 3 day periods? and do you have ACTIVATED carbon in your filter? I wouldn't recomend trying 2 different meds at the same time, but you could raise the heat to about 84*, as it will speed up the ick life cycle. I'm combating an ick outbreak as well in my 90 gallon planted tank right now (I know, I should have QT the fish), on my 4th day of treatment with a little salt (scaleless fish) and heat, it always seems to look worse before it gets better, so hang in there.

 

[goozy]

here's the thing....

All the fish (rainbows) that showed signs of ick died. One day they were hanging at the top, the next day they were covered then this morning they died. The molly, swordtail, chromide and pleco never got anything but the gudgeon started breathing real heavy and became real listless. I called a really good lfs and he told me not to add any more meds. This is a five day medication and I only added one dose. I am so confused!! This gudgeon is my very favorite fish and I would do anything to save him. Oh. the tank is 37 gallons and I'm adding 6 tablespoons of freshwater salt when I do a water change. I never usually top of the water without changing some first. I do water changes weekly, 15 -20%. So do you think this fish actually has ick but it's not visable??

 

[125gJoe]

Important Temp Thing

Originally posted by goozy
...... I did three water changes of about 20%, this morning was the third. .....

Just something to take into serious consideration when doing water changes --- is to Make Sure the "new" water is the same temperature as the aquarium water. If not, you stress your fish and can almost depend on having an ick outbreak. Many people do not realize this. A 2 degree change can stress fish. The greater the variance of temperatures - the worse.

 

[goozy]

thanks.

I let the water stand around , I guess that's ok in the summer but mabe not so great in the winter and maybe this had something to do with the origin of the outbreak as well
I just don't know what to do about my gudgeon. It's true that he can still have ick and not have white spots showing, Right? It can affect his gills, right? This could be why he's breathing heavy, Right?? Sorry to be a basket case but I am really worried about him.

 

[redwing]

Just wanted to say hi and glad you posted here. I belong to several forums too. Sounds like you are geting good advice and so keep working on the tank problems.

 

[goozy]

thanks for the welcome.

this looks like the busiest forum so far.
I am just about ready to loose my mind over this problem. the gudgeon is still just really listless. He eats a little blood worms if I direct them towards him but now the chromide has one of his pectoral fins pinned to his side when he's swimming. more often then not. he was unaffected by this until now. I am really worried.