persistent TB problems?

J

jazzbass

AC Members
Nov 28, 2005
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NW Washington State
I have a heavily planted 25 gallon tank. I have lost a number of fish over several months to TB. I've lost 2 platys, 1 neon, 2 serpaes. Currently, I have 4 rummynose tetras that have opaque spots on their bodies. They are starting to develop cysts or tumors of some sort. They swim fine and eat fine. They just look weird. The previous fish that I lost all suffered from wasting and spinal curvation, which I assume is a manifestation of fish TB. My suspicion is that the tank itself is infected, but the other occupants seem to be fine.

I do 35-50% water changes every 5-6 days, Eclipse biowheel system, no chemical filtration. It is very heavily planted, so dismantling it would be a huge loss. I just dosed the tank today with Seachem Neoplex.

I would state water parameters, but I don't have them at the moment. It is quite a feat to play chemistry with two small children running around.

Any suggestions as to what I should do? Is it a lost cause? Am I going to have to dismantle and sterilize everything? :help:
 
When was the last time you tested the water, and what were the parameters? Do you have a QT/hospital tank to move the sick fish to?
 
I can't find my log book at the moment. It's been a couple of months *cringes*.... And no, I don't have a QT tank. I've been thinking about setting one up. I'm mostly wondering if it is a tank problem or a livestock problem.

Parameters that I remember were 6.6 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate
 
jazzbass said:
I have a heavily planted 25 gallon tank. I have lost a number of fish over several months to TB. I've lost 2 platys, 1 neon, 2 serpaes. Currently, I have 4 rummynose tetras that have opaque spots on their bodies. They are starting to develop cysts or tumors of some sort. They swim fine and eat fine. They just look weird. The previous fish that I lost all suffered from wasting and spinal curvation, which I assume is a manifestation of fish TB. My suspicion is that the tank itself is infected, but the other occupants seem to be fine.
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This most definitely sounds like a description of fish TB. The curvature of the spine pretty much clinches it.
You really do need to post water parameters for us, tho.

I do 35-50% water changes every 5-6 days, Eclipse biowheel system, no chemical filtration. It is very heavily planted, so dismantling it would be a huge loss. I just dosed the tank today with Seachem Neoplex.
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Assuming your water parameters check out and nothing is wrong there:

I doubt you want to tear down and start over and I have no idea how you treated it the first time, but this is what I would do if it were me. Call it last ditch attempt to avoid starting over:

Remove ALL of the infected fish to a QT and start treating with erythamicin. If you can, use two QT tanks and put all of the infected fish in one, and the unaffected fish in the other. Any fish that start with symptoms, put them in the treatment QT as well. Try to keep the healthy fish unstressed as much as possible.

Prepare three buckets. In one mix a 10% bleach/water solution. In the second one water of the same temperature plus at least two capfuls of a good dechlorinator -- I recommend Prime or Amquel+. The third bucket, same as the second one.

Take out the plants. Take them one at a time and soak them in the bleach for at least 2 minutes. Take the plant out of the bleach and immediately put it in the dechlorinated water in bucket #2. Swish the plant around good and get all the bleach out. Take the plant and put it in bucket #3. Repeat for all the plants.

Leave the plants in overnight. Heavily vacuum the substrate. Replant in the morning. Do not put any fish in unless you are *sure* they are TB free.

You might lose a few plants and it might not work, but its a shot.

IMHO the only other option you have is to tear down, bleach and replace everything and start over.

Many of the people who keep rainbows suspect that Mycobacteria marinum can be brought in on your plants. IMHO that's enough for me to bleach dip everything I get since I have tanks of rainbowfish.


Hope that helps
Roan
 
Sorry, but there is no cure recognized for TB in fish, so I agree with TMQP. Clove oil the fish and bleach the heck or better still OxiClean the tank. When you have disseminated TB, it is not going to clear.
 
I know what you mean Roan. I started to type a reply that was more straightforward before changing it. I do think RTR is right though, if it really is TB then there aren't really any other options.
 
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