What is this disease?

[Glenn Woodell]

I've been losing fish for the past two months at the rate of about 1 per week.
At first I thought it was ick but it doesn't really look like that. It looks
like a white film that starts around the head and eventually includes the tips
of the fins. It resembles skin sloughing off although I know they don't have
skin per se. Eventually the fish becomes lethargic and breathing fast and by
the next day is dead. Right now my last serpae tetra is going through it and
even its eyes are looking they are about to molt.

Is this a fungus? What can I do about it and how do I treat this fish when I
only have one tank?

I have a 20 Gallon tank with live plants, one black ghost knife, three silver
dollars, one headstander, one hatchet tetra, and two large gouramis.

Any suggestions?

Glenn

[Dinky]

"Glenn Woodell" > wrote in message
news:qMO2c.46761$TT5.40383@lakeread06...
> I've been losing fish for the past two months at the rate of about 1 per
week.
> At first I thought it was ick but it doesn't really look like that. It
looks
> like a white film that starts around the head and eventually includes the
tips
> of the fins. It resembles skin sloughing off although I know they don't
have
> skin per se. Eventually the fish becomes lethargic and breathing fast and
by
> the next day is dead. Right now my last serpae tetra is going through it
and
> even its eyes are looking they are about to molt.
>
> Is this a fungus? What can I do about it and how do I treat this fish when
I
> only have one tank?

Since it's apparently affecting all your fish, treating the whole tank is
advisable. First, to me this sounds like a water quality issue. We need some
info.

Tell us:
1: How old is the tank? Is it cycled?
2: Temp?
3: Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite levels?
4: What is your water change schedule, and have you been keeping to it?
5: What is your filtration system? Do you maintain it well?
read: http://faq.thekrib.com/disease.html

Billy

[Glenn Woodell]

In article et>,
says...
>
>
>Since it's apparently affecting all your fish, treating the whole tank is
>advisable. First, to me this sounds like a water quality issue. We need some
>info.
>
>Tell us:
>1: How old is the tank? Is it cycled?

Yes. Over 2 years.

>2: Temp?

82


>3: Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite levels?

Using the Mardel test strips, my Nitrate is a little high (time for a water
change anyway) at about 100-150. It's been like this for almsot the entire 2
years. Probably because I've had a pretty highly populated tank but not any
more. For much of the first two years I've enjoyed a beautiful tank that
always looks clean and although the nitrates have always been on the high side
it has flourished. My algae has increased due to losing my algae eaters.

My nitrites are perfectly safe at about zero.

Don't know about amonia levels. Shouldn't the nitrates reflect that?

>4: What is your water change schedule, and have you been keeping to it?

50% water change every month or two. Every month for the past 3 months since
this started.

>5: What is your filtration system? Do you maintain it well?

I have a hang-over-the-tank type of system, (Topfin from Petsmart) that I
change every month as well.

>read: http://faq.thekrib.com/disease.html

Done. I didn't find anyhting there that resembled what I have going on. :(

Glenn

[Paulo]

I will change 25% water once a week.....and also i will use some fungus
medicine as well.
What kind of service are u doing to your filter?

--
Paulo
"Glenn Woodell" > wrote in message
news:25Q2c.47025$TT5.41699@lakeread06...
> In article et>,
> says...
> >
> >
> >Since it's apparently affecting all your fish, treating the whole tank is
> >advisable. First, to me this sounds like a water quality issue. We need
some
> >info.
> >
> >Tell us:
> >1: How old is the tank? Is it cycled?
>
> Yes. Over 2 years.
>
> >2: Temp?
>
> 82
>
>
> >3: Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite levels?
>
> Using the Mardel test strips, my Nitrate is a little high (time for a
water
> change anyway) at about 100-150. It's been like this for almsot the entire
2
> years. Probably because I've had a pretty highly populated tank but not
any
> more. For much of the first two years I've enjoyed a beautiful tank that
> always looks clean and although the nitrates have always been on the high
side
> it has flourished. My algae has increased due to losing my algae eaters.
>
> My nitrites are perfectly safe at about zero.
>
> Don't know about amonia levels. Shouldn't the nitrates reflect that?
>
> >4: What is your water change schedule, and have you been keeping to it?
>
> 50% water change every month or two. Every month for the past 3 months
since
> this started.
>
> >5: What is your filtration system? Do you maintain it well?
>
> I have a hang-over-the-tank type of system, (Topfin from Petsmart) that I
> change every month as well.
>
> >read: http://faq.thekrib.com/disease.html
>
> Done. I didn't find anyhting there that resembled what I have going on.
:(
>
> Glenn
>

[blove]

your nitrates are way too high, they should be about 0ppm-40ppm. you should
be doing weekly waterchanges of 15-20 percent to control them . i believe
what you are going through is old tank syndrome, here is a site on it
http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html


"Glenn Woodell" > wrote in message
news:25Q2c.47025$TT5.41699@lakeread06...
> In article et>,
> says...
> >
> >
> >Since it's apparently affecting all your fish, treating the whole tank is
> >advisable. First, to me this sounds like a water quality issue. We need
some
> >info.
> >
> >Tell us:
> >1: How old is the tank? Is it cycled?
>
> Yes. Over 2 years.
>
> >2: Temp?
>
> 82
>
>
> >3: Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite levels?
>
> Using the Mardel test strips, my Nitrate is a little high (time for a
water
> change anyway) at about 100-150. It's been like this for almsot the entire
2
> years. Probably because I've had a pretty highly populated tank but not
any
> more. For much of the first two years I've enjoyed a beautiful tank that
> always looks clean and although the nitrates have always been on the high
side
> it has flourished. My algae has increased due to losing my algae eaters.
>
> My nitrites are perfectly safe at about zero.
>
> Don't know about amonia levels. Shouldn't the nitrates reflect that?
>
> >4: What is your water change schedule, and have you been keeping to it?
>
> 50% water change every month or two. Every month for the past 3 months
since
> this started.
>
> >5: What is your filtration system? Do you maintain it well?
>
> I have a hang-over-the-tank type of system, (Topfin from Petsmart) that I
> change every month as well.
>
> >read: http://faq.thekrib.com/disease.html
>
> Done. I didn't find anyhting there that resembled what I have going on.
:(
>
> Glenn
>

[Glenn Woodell]

In article >,
says...
>
>your nitrates are way too high, they should be about 0ppm-40ppm. you should
>be doing weekly waterchanges of 15-20 percent to control them . i believe
>what you are going through is old tank syndrome, here is a site on it
>http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

I think you may be right. I'll try this tomorrow. Thanks.

Glenn

[Glenn Woodell]

In article >,
says...
>
>I will change 25% water once a week.....and also i will use some fungus
>medicine as well.
>What kind of service are u doing to your filter?

Nothing other than replacing the element and the activated charcoal. Should I
be doing more?

Glenn

[Paulo]

I think you should try to keep most of the good bacteria that grow in the
mesh. About carbon, i heard it is not really needed

--
Paulo
"Glenn Woodell" > wrote in message
news:xCR2c.47309$TT5.19509@lakeread06...
> In article >,

> says...
> >
> >I will change 25% water once a week.....and also i will use some fungus
> >medicine as well.
> >What kind of service are u doing to your filter?
>
> Nothing other than replacing the element and the activated charcoal.
Should I
> be doing more?
>
> Glenn
>

[Glenn Woodell]

In article <qMO2c.46761$TT5.40383@lakeread06>, says...
>
>I've been losing fish for the past two months at the rate of about 1 per
week.

Looks like it may be some sort of bacteria. I started the first treatment of
Marecyn this afternoon but my black ghost knife is suffering. My serpae tetra
was in the same condition yesterday but it looks like he is recovering. The
BGK however looks pretty bad and is my favorite fish of all.

Right now I have transferred him to a half gallon bowl with fresh water in the
hopes that he might recover. How long might he survive in there with no
aeration or circulation? Is there anything else I might be able to do for him
to help him recover?

The 20 gallon tank still had a headstander, three silver dollars, and two
medium guoramis that all look fine, plus the serpe tetra that's recovering.

Any ideas to help me save my BGK?

Glenn