Albino sharks in my aquarium are dying............?

Question

Albino sharks in my aquarium are dying with blood red patches on mouth, and scales slightly separated from the body. After seeing the red patch (I don't know if it is a wound...) sharks stop taking food and hide in shadow. They die there within 2 days with the above said symptoms. I have 5 pairs of 5 inch long beautiful albino sharks left after loosing 3 because of this disease. I separated the diseased ones and tried treatment with Oxy tetracycline, but failed. I don't know, it is a pathogenic or nutritional disorder.....Please help me at the earliest...

Answer 1

There are really three possible problems here. Bacterial, parasitic or sporozoan.

The odds of this being bacterial after a full treatment with Oxytetracycline is fairly slim, but still possible. The bacteria could be resistant to this drug.

Parasitic infestation would be something like costia and could easily cause the symptoms you describe. This is easily treatable as well.

A sporozoan infestation would be very difficult to treat but you an attempt a treatment as without any treatment eventually it will probably kill all of your fish.

I would suggest you treat the tank with Nifurpirinol (Furanace, Furan-2, or Furazolidone Powder by brands and common names) or metronidazole (Flagyl is the most common brand name) as these are effective against bacterial infections and offer some help with Sporozoa as well.

To treat for the parasite potential I would suggest a good copper based medication. It will work along with either of the two above medications without interfering with each other.

Treat as directed on the package and I would suggest you treat a full 2 weeks

Hope this helps and feel free to email me if I can help further.

MM

Answer 2

sounds like a water problem! buy a thermometer and check the temperature is between 60 and 75, buy test strips and make sure the water isn't too hard/soft, the pH is good, and you don't have alot of nitrate/nitrite (from fish waste and uneaten food dissolving)

if you cleaned your tank with any soap or scrubbed the glass with any soaps, it could be putting a film in the water and killing all your fish.

if you used tap water to fill your tank, it was a death sentence, and i recoommed getting rid of any fish currently in there and putting them in a big bowl of spring water until you can fix the tank.

Answer 3

With your description, it sound like bloat. Are the sharks popping out.

Answer 4

The spilt fins are probibly because of bad water condtions