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I know I've already got a (old) thread in the hospital forum, but the problem has changed and I think it's time for me to start from the beginning.

I have an Eclipse Five Gallon Corner with one mature female guppy, two almost mature guppies, male and female, and one female platy.

Ammonia: 0
NitrAtes: 45
NitrItes: 0
pH: 7.6-7.7 (I know this is probably a tad high, and I am trying to lower it very slowly, especially since the fish are ill)

I use Mardel test strips, and while there seems to be debate over their accuracy in the forums sometimes, they're only remotely hard to read for GH and KH.

About two weeks ago, my platy developed some holes in her fins. After my first two attempts at treatment with Aquarium Products Anti-fungus, I asked some questions and started using melafix.

This seemed to promptly heal my platy, while a male guppy developed fin rot and about a week later died. (He was deformed, though, and perhaps any illness at all was enough to kill him)

Before the male guppy died, however, I noticed my quite large female guppy, nicknamed Bubba, getting larger. She hadn't had babies in quite some time, so I assumed she was pregnant. Two days ago she began to pinecone on her underside, and now the rest of her body. There seems to be a pinkish lump (blood?) at her vent.

And, to put the icing on the cake, my platy's fin rot seems to be back, even some on his pectoral fin(I don't know if thats the name), while both have begun to shimmy and clamp their fins.

What can I do to help my fish?

How often do you perform water changes? How are you going about lowering the PH?
I think you're bordering on overstocking that tank, and considering how high the nitrAtes are that is likely to have something to do with your constant battles.

I know not all of us can have large tanks (75gallons and up) I'm one of them, but the way I view 5 gallon tanks is that they need to be able to recieve 100% water changes weekly. That could be all @once which is often stressful, or a bit daily.

Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this .


^_^
[hr width='40%']"Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness
I need to calculate,what creates my own madness...
and I am waiting for disaster"

I knew that smaller tanks required more maintenance, but I didn't realize that much.

I do 2-3 30% changes a week. I think my more recent problems stemmed from the melafix, actually... :/ It says to dose for seven days and then perform a 25% water change. I wasn't sure if I should wait that long, but I also didn't want to mess with the medications directions.

So...I'll run my idea by you. Keep treating the dropsy with maracyn 2, along with melafix, but definitely keep up the water change schedule. (Or rather, up it)

Your case reminds me when I had the 10g tank. I had LOTS of problems, even i was about to quit from having fishes.

One of the recurrent problems of small tanks are lack of water changes. Usually the food introduced acts like a contaminant because the small amount of water (and low bacteria levels) can't process the rotting food and that becomes a recurrent problem over time.

Since I got my 55g, none of those problems have appeared. I even have introduced unhealthy fish with some diseases and whether they die quickly or survive for looooong time. Fishes that have make it, have lasted until now.

Overpopulation takes all the positive points of a tank into a nightmare. Expert aquarists are capable of having fishes in smaller tanks but anyway its not a good idea in terms of the time you spend doing maintenance because it should bve more frequent on this kind of tanks.

Get at least a 20g and a good filter with ample bacterial support and you're done. Your problems would be over if you had a larger tank.

I don't know if we should all be pointing at the tank size as the culprit. Her bioload is at max, I agree, but as long as she adds no more fish, I don't see a huge problem.

The nitrates are pretty high. Keep it around 20 and lower for tropical fish (even less for marine). The frequency of water changes is good, just take out more water from now on. Water quality is usually the culprit for fin rot (and most other diseases).

As for Bubba. She's definitely got dropsy. The lump as her vent sounds like constipation. You know the drill: De-shelled pea.

Last edited by smantzer at 21-Feb-2005 18:37

I don't plan on adding any more fish, and my baby guppy (The greedy little cannibal) Has eaten all the new babies thusfar.

As far as finrot, I know the parameters have to be better, but my platy is also a nervous fellow. If surprised, he'll dart around and occasionally flip into the gravel, and I'm thinking that may be part of the problem, since his new 'rot is a hole in his fin, instead of eaten edges.
However, the damaged pectoral fin seems red.

I'll get right to the pea-feeding.

I would also love a bigger tank, but the moneys got to come from somewhere. My parents are nice enough to cover medicines and perhaps the occasional fish, but the tank, filter, hood, gravel, decor etc. Would all be from me.
If someone knows a great deal where I can get everything I need for under 100-some dollars...

Mog,

I agree with the comments on tank size. The smaller the tank, the more delicate the environment. Errors are more easily absorbed in larger containers... like a 20G or 55G.

Watch the want ads in the paper and follow-up on rummage sales. A friend's son purchased a stand with two 30G tanks, fluorescent fixtures and HOB filters for $60. He had to use some elbow grease to clean the tanks but all he needed to add were heaters!

Last edited by bob wesolowski at 21-Feb-2005 22:42

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Another question!The Platy's fins are on the mend, and he seems just fine. My water changes have increased, so nitrates are on their way down. (About 35-40)

Bubba's dropsy has worsened, and it looks like a few scales are coming loose. She seems to be healthy though, as far as a fish with dropsy can, and she comes to the front of the tank whenever she sees me.

The problem is, now that she's so big, she's slow. And next to the big ol' platy and my two quick immature guppies, she has a hard time getting to the flake food before they do. The only thing she can manage to get to is sinking algae wafers, but she also spends most of her time at the top.

How can I make sure she gets enough to eat?

True dropsy is, as far as I remember relitivly uncureable. I believe it's cause by bacterial issues. If you can get a fry net, place her in that and feed an anti-bacterial food. In the early stages peas are often suggested as it'll help with the symptoms of constipation, however if you've been feeding and not seeing results it may be time to move on to something stronger before euthanization.

^_^
[hr width='40%']"There’s an emptiness inside her. And she’d do anything to fill it in.
And though it’s red blood bleeding from her now. It's more like cold blue ice in her heart.
She feels like kicking out all the windows. And setting fire to this life."

I cannot offer any better advice that what has already been given. But I WILL sympathize with you. I am going through something similar right now with a very well established 72g. (My thread is about ich treatment for clown loaches). So sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope things get better for you real soon. I am going on two weeks with this disease (Whatever it might be) in my tank, no improvement. Good luck to you

Thanks everybody, support/help has all been great.

Unfortunately, Bubba passed away this afternoon.
The thing that worried me was a slightly curved spine and hemmorrhaging at her vent and in her tail a bit.

Other than that, the other fish are doing fine and the Platy's fins are healed. I don't plan to add any more fish than are already in there, and my water changes are bigger.

(Nitrates are slowly going down, they're at 35 now)

Sorry 'bout Bubba, dude. That is a real bummer. I can sooo relate. Hang in there, it WILL get better My sympathies

Mary:#(:#(

Thanks Mary. *hug* I know what's going on with your ich problems. I wish I could help, but I know -nothing- about ich.