Rainbow still sick?

[joel.uejio]

2 of my 3 red rainbows seem to be fully recovered from my recent bout with ich, but one still seems to be having problems. Here are the symptoms I observe:

• Color is still off -- kind of pale and yellow (the other reds have become a nice healthy red on top and bottom)
• Seems to be having some buoyancy issues -- slowly rises unless he actively swims down
• Keeps going to the surface to take air -- almost like a gourami
• Gets chased by the other bows -- like they don't want his badness around

Is he still infected with ich?
Or, is he just slower to recover?
Should I perform some kind of treatment now or wait and see if he gets better?

Thanks!
Joel

 

[LeahK]

Hmmm, ich can damage gill tissue, which may explain why he's gasping for air, but the buoyancy issues are weird. It could be a bacterial infection in his swim bladder--ich can make fish susceptible to secondary infections. Or he could just be weakened from the ich, and thus not swimming very strongly.
Wish I could be of more help! Do you observe any more white spots?

 

[joel.uejio]

Some of the bows have spots, but I'm actually having trouble telling if it's ich or just shinier-than-average scales. I'll take a closer look next time I have good light and take some pics.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[joel.uejio]

Today , it looks like he's doing better, but has started taking air again. Not having any buoyancy issues, but maybe that comes after he's taken too much air.

Here's the best pic I could get for now (he's the one in the front). The shiny spots near his head look like they're just scales to me, so maybe he's only still recovering from the previous trauma:



This is how he looked a few weeks back when he was really hurting (all black, on the right):



So, I should probably just keep things clean and see how it goes, yes?

(Now off to start another new fish illness thread )

 

[LeahK]

Wow, he's a pretty scary color in that second pic.
And, I agree with what you said, I'd keep things clean and watch out for more spots. Let's hope the color was just from stress. And that no more spots show up. Good luck!

 

[joel.uejio]

Getting worse now..

Things seemed to be holding for a while, but now getting worse I'm afraid to say...

Pics of the big red rainbow. Good eye:


Bad eye:


Sorry for the bad pics, best I could do. Basically the bad eye has a cloudy film over it, with some white spots. There's also a brownish bulge at the bottom (yuk). He was actually bit in the eye a long time back, so I'm thinking maybe the wound got infected (maybe the ich I had) and he now has an ichy-eye.

In addition to his eye getting worse, it also looks like one of the other reds is also getting a cloudy eye. It's not as apparent, but I think the same thing may be happening.....

I've done 50% WC's today and yesterday. My last water params were NH3=0, NO2=0, NO3=10. UGH!!! So, here's what I'm thinking (with QUESTIONS):

Q1: Don't want to QT these guys b/c they were miserable last time I put them in QT. Anything I can do to make QT (10g) less distressing?

Q2: Should I treat with Melafix and Pimafix?

Q3a: Should I treat with salt and heat?
Q3b: If so, what kind of salt?

Help please!

 

[joel.uejio]

Q1: Don't want to QT these guys b/c they were miserable last time I put them in QT. Anything I can do to make QT (10g) less distressing?

Q2: Should I treat with Melafix and Pimafix?

Q3a: Should I treat with salt and heat?
Q3b: If so, what kind of salt?

Bump for some help? I haven't made any changes yet, but will probably do either Q2 or Q3 tonight...I've also read that EPSOM salt is helpful for the pop-eye condition...[ Q4: Thoughts on EPSOM salt?]

Thanks!

 

[Reframer]

epsom salt might help with boyancy problem, but since he has pop eye/cloudy eye I am thinking it is bacterial at this point. I would get out some anitbiotics and put him in QT. I have never had melafix work with bacterial infections, only for prevention with a wound IMO. IF they are no white salt like spots, then assume there is no ich. How did you treat the ich?

QT in a quiet place with lots of fake plants to hide behind.

 

[joel.uejio]

I treated the ich with half-strength dosing of API Super Ich Cure (1/2 strength b/c I was worried about my catfish).

I guess I'll put the 2 sick bows in QT with fake plants and begin treatment. Do you have an anti-bacterial agent you would recommend apart from Melafix?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[mel_20_20]

I'm thinking aeromonas bacterial infection. Maracyn is probably the best bet. It is erythromycin. The cheapest would be if you could get a script for that, but otherwise Maracyn is readily available.