My Fish has an unkown disease! It has claimed 2 victims already! Can someone please help me? FISH ARE DYING!?

Question

Help! Ive posted about this before on another question page and no one could help me. About 6 months ago, a male molly of mine got an odd spot on his belly. It looked much like a fungus so i promptly treated the tank. Symptoms didn't improve. The spot continued to get larger over the next view days. It was located under the pectoral fin and to the right on his right side. The spot didn't get much larger, but the strange part wasit began to get deeper. It began to eat away through the scales, the skin, and later i could even see his bones. I had had him seperated by now so i knew that no fish was picking at a fight wound. I was about to euthanize him when no one could help me but when i got home from school, his organs had com out of the hole. It is believed that this disease took my Ghost Knife Fish about a month ago and now a male swordtail has it. I do not recall on the Ghost Knife Fish but i think it was always on the right side. Please someone help me! Ive tryed everything!! =(

Well miss whatever ur name is that was the first answer to this, I obviously care enough about my fish to ask. I raised this fish since i had his mother. Yeah i know its just a fish and im not gonna go cryin over it but im definitly going to care!

Im afraid a few of my wonderful answerers don't understand, the molly situation happened 6 months ago, he died 6 months ago.

And Ps, Thank you all for the wonderful answers!! I understnad it all and i hope that he will be alright.

Answer 1

This sounds like a serious bacteria infection. Normally such sores are caused by Aeromonas or Pseudomonas bacterial infections. You need to treat this in a very aggressive manner with some hard hitting antibiotics. Oxy-Tet (Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride) is a good treatment as is Furanace ( Nifurpirinol ). These may be available from a pet store in your area or you may need to contact a vet for assistance in getting them. You can also order them online. I would strongly suggest you treat both the water and the fish food. For either medication, use 500 mg per 10 gallons to treat the tank. To make a medicated food, dissolve 100 mg in one liter of water and soak a dry food in the solution. Use whatever dry foods your fish may be used to eating or that you think they will eat such as pellets, freeze dried bloodworms, etc. They may refuse the food at first, but stick with it. I would also suggest that you use a small amount of your medication solution in a separate bowl to soak the food each time so that you don't get food into the main batch. This way you can use form that batch for many feedings. Store the solution in a cool dark place or even in the refrigerator in a dark colored container.

Treat the tank and the food for at least 10 days, 14 would not be a bad idea at all. Raising the temperature on the tank to 84-86F will also speed up and improve the results of the treatment process.

Be aware that both of these medications carry a carcinogen warning so don't get them on your skin or in open wounds if at all possible. If you do, wash the area well to prevent possible contamination.

This treatment may not cure your infected fish, but will help prevent the problem from killing another fish in the tank.

If I can help further please feel free to email me.

MM

Answer 2

I sympathize with your situation and I understand what you're going through. I do not know if you are able to interpret everything that have been proposed here, but so far most of the advise given are good.

If you have a pet shop that can give you an (cheap/free) expert opinion then take a water sample and the fish to the person pronto.

Otherwise my first advise would be for you to change 50% water twice a week for the next two week. Ensure pH and temp is same (tank and tap) before your do a 50% change, else do 30% alternate days for 2 weeks. This will keep your water quality good which improves the health of the fish and help him fight the infection.

Next, magicman is right, the symptom you mention describe a serious bacterial infection, you really need a strong anti-bacterial medication to solve this problem. As I believe your molly is in a very bad state, to be truthful, I doubt he can be save but hopefully with the knowledge you have now, and if it ever strike again, you'll be ready.

I can't emphasize more but if and when problems occurs in our fish tank, 95% of the time is due to poor water quality. The first remedy you should always do is to do a couple of water changes, that usually nip the problem at it's bud.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

It sounds to me like drastic measures are in order. What size tank is this? I very rarely recommend emptying an entire tank as it destroys the biological filter but this may well be something that isn't going to be wiped out easily. Of course if this is a tank bigger than 10 gallons that wouldn't be a great solution. If the tank is large then you may do well buying a u/v sterilizer. They will destroy many parasites and other contaminates that may be causing your issue. If it's a 10 gallon or smaller tank then I would consider going to the local pet store and having the water tested for everything you can think of first just to be sure you're not missing something in the water quality. Afterward I would buy some reverse osmosis (r/o) water from the pet store if they sell it..or distilled water from the food store and completely restart the tank. While you're doing this, isolate the fish showing any signs of the illness and keep them from the healthier ones. Wait a day or two before putting the healthier ones in the new tank. At this point it may just be a situation where you have to sacrifice the few to save the many.
Also, be sure to take one of the ill fish to a trusted pet store (not Petsmart..but one with experienced fish people!) and see if they can diagnose the problem and recommend treatment. You could also take a picture of it and post it here as well as send it to www.drsfosterandsmith.com 's live fish supplier website to see if the can help avoid the more drastic measures above.
Good luck!

Answer 4

i don't know if this helps you but it sounds like you have a fungus infection on your fish,i have tropical and marine fish ,i have 2 separate tanks,i had a similar problem not so long ago,and i went to my local aquatic centre with my fish that were ill and they gave me the right medication to treat the fungus,it had got so bad that one of my fish had developed a hole in its side in less than half an hour,
i was told to treat the hole tank with an anti fungus doing a 25 percent water change first then adding the anti fungus medication,then doing another water change 7 days later and treating again,also i was told to turn the temperature in the tank to 28 c to kill off the fungus.
its really important that you put the right amount of anti fungus in the tank,i asked in the aquatic shop,about how much i should use and i was told 5 cap fulls,to 115 litres which is my tank size,
it worked for me and the fish is OK now,if you really ant help ask at a local aquatic centre believe me had i not taken my fish to them,i could of lost all of them,
i hope this helps and hope you get it sorted

Answer 5

I know that's terrible. Unfortunately I can't help, but I agree that if you bag him, and take him in someone else could help. Dont' take him to walmart or anything, but you have some nice fish so I think you'd know better. Take him to an actual fish store, and if you don't have one specializing in fish, usually the people at Pets mart have someone knowledgeable, ask for the person in charge of the fish department, not just joe blow fish tank cleaner. Best of luck.

Answer 6

I suspect you have a parisite in your tank. You might try adding aquarium salt to the tank at the maximum amount suggested on the box. You might want to add the salt gradualy. Mollies and swords prefer salt in the water and are much healther with it. You also should go to the krib http://www.thekrib.com/ and read it and maybe post the question there.

Answer 7

Try putting Sea Salt into your tank...I understand it is a freshwater tank and putting Sea Salt into does not sound correct but........Sea Salt has amazing benefits when added in SMALL AMOUNTS.....it puts oxygen into the water, it adds to the Slime-coat of fish, making it easier for fish to fight disease, wounds, ick, bloat, just about anything that is making them sick. My female Angelfish had a very bad outbreak, overnight, of ick.....my co-worker brought in and put in my tank a small rock of Sea Salt and the next morning it was if she never was sick, I was AMAZED!!! Try it, it won't hurt your fish it will only help.

Answer 8

DO NOT BAG HIM
This could make his organs come out more. This must make you verry stressed. Look in you're Yellow Pages for Aquariums call them and describe this situation to them and i am sure they will help.
Good luck

SAmala

Answer 9

What do you mean that I remember that your cat and fish just died?! How would I know?! And moreover, why do you think I care?! God I hate people who go onto yahoo answers to crap about their personal life! You know what? GET A F\/CKING ROCK! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY KNOW WAY EVEN WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PET SKILLS TO GIVE A ROCK F\/CKING LEUKEMIA!

Answer 10

Take photos if possible and take them to the nearest aquarium asap, explain what is happening and they should be able to give you some advice.