Help Diagnosing Fish Illness?

Question

I have a red platy who was just introduced to a fairly new fish tank (water has been cycling for a week w/ just 2 guppies in it).

I introduced 6 new platies, but one platy displayed the following symptoms:
-Loss of movement
-Occasional erratic movements.
-White patches on head, neck, mouth, above eyes, on gills.
-Dwelling at top corner surface of tank.

I quarantined him, what now?

Answer 1

all brands of medications boil down to ingredients. Enthromycin, tetracycline, terramycin...these are all anti-bacterial treatments found in Mardel brands, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Kordon...

Anything with sulfides is used to treat fungal infections.

Malachite green and Victoria green coupled with either metahline blue or formaldehyde is used to treat parasites.

If the patches are raised, salt like bumps, then it is parasitic. Any ich treatment will treat external parasites. Dosing with a tablespoon of salt per five gallons will thicken the slime coat of the fish, preventing further infestation. Raising the temperature in the tank will quicken the life cycle of the parasite. Treating with meds will kill any eggs or larva. Look for the active ingredients malachite green, Victoria green, methaline blue (also used to treat bacterial infections) and formaldehyde.

If the patches are crater like, maybe looking red or irritated, then it is bacterial. A broad spectrum antibiotic such as tetracycline (usually found in doses of 250 mg per 10 gallons) will suffice. I would use the ain’t-biotic for the quarantine tank. Treat the main tank with a more gentle medication such as melafix to prevent bacterial issues with other fish.

If that patches are fuzzy, then it is fugal. Treat with triple sulfa in the quarantine tank. Treat with pima-fix (found next to the mela-fix) in the main tank to prevent fungal infections.

The reason why your fish got sick is because of stress. When the fish is stress out by moving into a new home, his immune system goes down. All fish tanks have traces of most of these common bacterial and fungal infections, even parasites such as ich. When you couple a new tank with fluctuating water quality with new fish, it is more likely to bring out those diseases. Treat both tanks with the appropriate medications, salt, and increased temperature. When all you fish are healthy and your water quality has held stable for about a week at 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, and 0ppm nitrate, then you can add more fish.

To find the active ingredient, just flip over the box or bottle. It will be listed on the package. Write down what all the meds do for when you go to the store. Mela fix and Pima fix are medication brand names made by aquarium pharmaceuticals. They can be found at any pet store and wal-mart. PetSmart will carry all medications that you would need, as well as pet co.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Does it look like somebody sprinkled powdered metal on him? If so, it's called freshwater velvet. Give him an APPROPRIATE dose of malachite green. Either that, or add a teaspoon of aquarium salt to the water for every gallon of water in there. If you use either of these, it's usually a good idea to set up a hospital tank with a sponge filter (no carbon) If not, it's probably because you've only been feeding him bloodworms. Fish have nutritional needs, too! Try adding some flake food or cucumber to his diet.

Answer 3

Nitrite poisoning, because your tank is still cycling. Takes longer then a week to cycle, more like 4-6 weeks.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/nitritepoison.htm

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

EDIT: Do not treat your water with antibiotics. Just do small daily water changes till it's done cycling. This will prolong the cycling a little bit, but it's the safest bet for the fish. That's the only thing you can do, or take the fish back to the store until the tank's done cycling.

Answer 4

The platy may have been bitten by the guppies.
Infection from all kinds will attact the fish.
Separate the fish and use anti- fungi - bacteria solution as recommended on the bottle.
Do not feed the fish during treatment.

Fish Get Well

Answer 5

All of your fish most like are infected. Your fish have velvet from the sounds of it. First of all, raise your water temp to 80 to 82 degrees. Next, check your ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to see where you are at in your cycling.
Add 1 tbspn of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water to your tank.
Finally, you need a broad spectrum antibiotic or anti fungal agent. The little Wal Mart specials are not the best choice really but if that is all you can get...they'll have to work.
Something like Marcyn or tetracycline will be best (they make these for fish and can be gotten at a pet store).

Answer 6

Please describe the white patches.

Are they bumps? How big, grain of salt, pinhead?
Are they holes?
Are they cottony looking?
Do they occur any where else on his body?

How long did you have the fish before you noticed the illness?

How long has he been sick?

Please add this info to the question and hopefully we can help. Without this any diagnosis is a wild guess at best.

Answer 7

Columnaris or fungus + possible water toxicity. Treat with mardel maracyn plus and get a test kit for your water

Answer 8

I think probably your whole tank is infected.