Wasting Fish, spitting out food (does this sound like Tb)?

WaterBaby

WaterBaby

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Sep 23, 2002
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I have lost several fish in the course of about 6-8 months and the symptoms seem to be the same thing. The first thing I notice is that they are getting progressivly thinner. When I observe their eating habits, I notice that they will attempt to eat their food, and then spit it out. They all develop a crooked spine. One had a lump on the side of its head. One by one I have taken them out and euthanized them.

When I first noticed it happening with my long finned danios (I have only 1 left) a few months ago, I posted a thread about this. I chalked it up to being something genetic.

But then I started losing my blood finned tetras the same way. All of these fish I bought at the same time. I already had Scissortails and Lemon Tetras in the tank. These fish have remained symptom free. I noticed another blood fin this morning starting to get a crooked spine. When I went to feed them, he acted very hungry, ate, and then spit it out. Needless to say, I had to remove him also.

Does this sound like Tb to you, or something else?

Thanks,
Michele

20Gal long
pH 7.6-7.8
No nitrites or ammonia
Nitrates 10-20ppm
Water changes weekly (25%)

4 Scissortails
2 Lemon Tetras
1 Danio (Kinda looks like a Rainbow trout-spotted)
1 Blood fin Tetra
 
No, it sounds more like NTD or Neon Tetra Disease.
http://www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#NTD


Fish TB is very difficult to diagnose and kills very slowly. Curvature of the spine is one of the symptoms of advanced cases, but more common symptoms include ulcerations and severe skin infections that can "heal" and reappear again. Since more than one of your fish has died from this and your fish have not displayed ulcers, I would rule out TB.

http://www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#External
http://www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#TB


Roan
 
You Know Roan...... you might have something there....

Thank you for your input and links. I read them and then did some additional "googling".

I had heard of NTD, but didn't think that it could affect fish other than Neons (but they are tetras after all). This is what they may have after all. Deadly, but not as "icky and scary" as TB (to me, anyway).

So I guess it's in the tank, and I'll have to deal with the deaths as they come (or don't). No others will be added till they are all gone, and then the tank will be torn down and thoroughly disinfected..... :sad:

Yuk,,,, cycling again......

Thanks again,

Michele
 
I've been using TetraMin Tropical Crisps. It's a fairly new (maybe 2 months) container. I always buy new food approximately every 6 months or so. The old gets thrown away. I also feed frozen blood worms occasionally.

I also use spirilina (sp) flakes once in a while.

Is the food I'm using not a good brand?
 
It's fine. Vitamin deficiencies are a rare thing and usually hit people who don't feed a variety of foods or foods that do not provide adequate nutrition. Like feeding an omnivore straight bloodworms, or a herbivore only shrimp.

Roan
 
WaterBaby said:
Thank you for your input and links. I read them and then did some additional "googling".
Click to expand...
You're welcome and it's nice to see someone who does additional research to verify what they've been told. Kudos!

I had heard of NTD, but didn't think that it could affect fish other than Neons (but they are tetras after all). This is what they may have after all. Deadly, but not as "icky and scary" as TB (to me, anyway).
Click to expand...
NTD can hit any fish, tetra or no. I have rainbows, known TB carriers, so it can get pretty scary at times. I'm really anal about their water being perfect.

So I guess it's in the tank, and I'll have to deal with the deaths as they come (or don't). No others will be added till they are all gone, and then the tank will be torn down and thoroughly disinfected..... :sad:
Click to expand...
Good luck, Michele.

Roan
 
I had a similar problem over the last eight months. It also started from a sick long fin danio. same symptoms. wasting away. Very active trying to feed but spitting food out or not actually getting it in like there was no suction. Constant mouthing but not gasping, no gill movement. no noticable fluke but i treated anyway out of desparation.

I lost three cory cats, three danios, 1 white cloud, four platies and about seven rosey barbs. all the same symtoms. no curvey spine but wasted away. eventually I bumped anything that showed symptoms and am stablised at the moment.


Dunluce
 
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