I'm hoping for some help with this problem that I can't seem to contain. I can't say for sure where it started but my two tanks have become infested with some sort of parasite. I'll try to give as much information as I can.
About a year or so ago I made the mistake of adding some apistos to one of my two tanks without quarantining. I understand parasites are a common problem with many of these fish in fish stores. The trio stopped eating and died shortly after arrival. Pretty much anything I would try to put into the tank after that including Angels and Tetras would develop horrible diseases like gaping holes in the angels and visible worms on the skin of the tetras. I finally broke that tank down and replaced everything and restocked after sterilizing.
So my first question to help pinpoint the problem is if it's possible I spread the disease to my all male malawi tank by sharing cleaning tools and a python during water changes. I would clean and change water on the same day.
This is the tank that I'm watching go down in despair. I noticed my beautifully colored and healthy red empress start to lose it's color and weight despite eating. Eventually he became a skeleton. I thought maybe for whatever reason stress was causing this. Even though he wasn't facing any aggression at all. He also became very inactive and at times looked like staying horizontal was difficult. When he finallty started spitting his food i used the bloat treatment sticky here. He did start eating better after that but continued to lose more and more weight. Looking back now it had to have been a parasite of some sort.
Then the same thing happen with another fish. I also rehomed this fish because it was getting picked on and thought maybe again that it wasn't comfortable. Then another fish started showing the same signs, and eventually died. Then another. Now I see atleast 4 fish with sunken bellys. The one that has it the worst is almost always in a cave now and is breathing heavily and losing color, and scratching a lot. And he has never been picked on.
Another of the symptoms is the activity level. My tank has a 3d background and rocks that are covered with algae. The healthy fish are constantly grazing on the algae, but once they get ill they stop.
The tank is pretty peaceful as far as all male tanks go. It is a 110 gallons, well filtered, and sensibly stocked with 15 mild haps and peacocks. I did not have any such problems with this tank the first two years it was running. It's been up for about 2.5 years now. Parametres are 0 ammonia and nitrite, nitrates around 10, ph 7.4
So far I have tried Metro both in the water and mixed with food which did nothing. As mentioned earlier, clout in a seperate quarantine tank. tSince the last fish has died and new ones are showing signs the one thing that seemed to work was api general cure.There seemed to be an instant improvement. The fish started to come to life right away. I did two back to back treatments with it just incase and with nothing to lose. The result was only temporary because they have regressed back to how they were before. I hit them with epsom salt yesterday but no change.
This is my main display tank and I've had these guys for a couple of years now and I've grown quite attached to them. I feel very helpless watching this thing spread, a fish here and there is one thing but it's spreading and these guys will all be gone and that will be end of all of my fish. I'm willing to try anything at this point. I was thinking maybe clout on the whole tank? I only have 16 tablets on hand and it's pretty much impossible for me to find nowadays. If anyone has any suggestions please share. Thanks
About a year or so ago I made the mistake of adding some apistos to one of my two tanks without quarantining. I understand parasites are a common problem with many of these fish in fish stores. The trio stopped eating and died shortly after arrival. Pretty much anything I would try to put into the tank after that including Angels and Tetras would develop horrible diseases like gaping holes in the angels and visible worms on the skin of the tetras. I finally broke that tank down and replaced everything and restocked after sterilizing.
So my first question to help pinpoint the problem is if it's possible I spread the disease to my all male malawi tank by sharing cleaning tools and a python during water changes. I would clean and change water on the same day.
This is the tank that I'm watching go down in despair. I noticed my beautifully colored and healthy red empress start to lose it's color and weight despite eating. Eventually he became a skeleton. I thought maybe for whatever reason stress was causing this. Even though he wasn't facing any aggression at all. He also became very inactive and at times looked like staying horizontal was difficult. When he finallty started spitting his food i used the bloat treatment sticky here. He did start eating better after that but continued to lose more and more weight. Looking back now it had to have been a parasite of some sort.
Then the same thing happen with another fish. I also rehomed this fish because it was getting picked on and thought maybe again that it wasn't comfortable. Then another fish started showing the same signs, and eventually died. Then another. Now I see atleast 4 fish with sunken bellys. The one that has it the worst is almost always in a cave now and is breathing heavily and losing color, and scratching a lot. And he has never been picked on.
Another of the symptoms is the activity level. My tank has a 3d background and rocks that are covered with algae. The healthy fish are constantly grazing on the algae, but once they get ill they stop.
The tank is pretty peaceful as far as all male tanks go. It is a 110 gallons, well filtered, and sensibly stocked with 15 mild haps and peacocks. I did not have any such problems with this tank the first two years it was running. It's been up for about 2.5 years now. Parametres are 0 ammonia and nitrite, nitrates around 10, ph 7.4
So far I have tried Metro both in the water and mixed with food which did nothing. As mentioned earlier, clout in a seperate quarantine tank. tSince the last fish has died and new ones are showing signs the one thing that seemed to work was api general cure.There seemed to be an instant improvement. The fish started to come to life right away. I did two back to back treatments with it just incase and with nothing to lose. The result was only temporary because they have regressed back to how they were before. I hit them with epsom salt yesterday but no change.
This is my main display tank and I've had these guys for a couple of years now and I've grown quite attached to them. I feel very helpless watching this thing spread, a fish here and there is one thing but it's spreading and these guys will all be gone and that will be end of all of my fish. I'm willing to try anything at this point. I was thinking maybe clout on the whole tank? I only have 16 tablets on hand and it's pretty much impossible for me to find nowadays. If anyone has any suggestions please share. Thanks