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Please help. My angel is all covered in white slime like substance. Clamped fins, loss of appetite, seems to be angry all the time. What do I do. I have a 10g tank.

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thank you
Dan

[span class="edited"][Edited by 2004-07-13 16:11][/span]

Welcome...

A couple of things... you should normally post his sort of question in the hospital forum, you'll get a better and faster response regarding fish illness... not to worry, i made this same mistake when i first joined this forum to!

When you make a post regarding a sick fish, it is always best to post your pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Most fish diseases seem to be related to the quality of your water... hence the importance of doing regular water testing and being able to post what your water conditions are.

Next, it sounds like our fish has Tuberculosis. Check using this link: http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/disease/tb.asp]http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/disease/tb.asp[/link] also have a look at [link=http://www.angelfire.com/blues/fish_problems/TUBERCULOSIS.html

You're in the US, so i'd suggest you get your hands on a medicine called Maracyn-Two. Most of the US ppl using this forum swear by the stuff. To treat you tanks, remove you're active carbon from the filters. Strong antibiotics like this will destroy your tank cycle (the good bacteria in the tank) so it is important to do regular 30% water changes every 3 days until you're finished treating. Monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels on a daily basis, and increase the regularity of water changes should the levels spike. I'd say if they do spike, increase to 10% water change every day. If you're unsure what you're tank parameters should be... post the here and someone will let you know! Move the sick fish to a quaratine tank (QT) so the risk of any other fish becoming infected is reduced. If you don't have a spare tank, you can use those big plastic storage tubs they sell at walmart and the like. Just give them a good rinse... and fill with water treated with somethink like Ammo-Lock or another water ager. There's no need to add gravel or plants to the QT, just a place for your fish to hide and rest... maybe something from their old tank they seem to like or sleep near... just to make them more at home. Keep direct light away from the QT tank, and put your fish in a quiet spot. Fish recover better when stress is reduced, just like people. Here's a link to Maracyn-Two information: http://puffernet.tripod.com/maracyn-two.html.

Start treating with the Maracyn in both tanks, as the main tank might already have been infected even if the other fish don't show signs yet.

Any more questions... just post them and someone will answwer you ASAP!

Good luck

Looks more like a columnaris infection. If it is Columnaris, which often looks like fuzz or even an offwhite to grey slime, it will require regular Maracyn, not Maracyn-2. I would dose both together, which is allowed per the instructions. The two together would cover any secondary infections which often come along for the ride.

Before we begin medicating, please answer all of these questions as best you can (copy/paste) so we can help you better.

What size tank is this?

How many fish are in it (please list all of stock)and provide rough size of larger fish?

How long has it been running?

Do you have the ability to test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH? These are parameters that we typically look at when fish are sick because their environment can either make them sick or make it difficult for them to get better. If you have any of these values, please post them ASAP. Otherwise, if you take a bag of water to the fish store, most will test these for free. Insist on writing down the values so we can see what they are.

How often do you perform water changes and gravel vacs?

Is this fish newer or have any new fish been added?

Before we put medicine in this tank, we need to understand parameters. Otherwise, they can be made worse. If water quality is out of whack, some water changes may help. However, it would be wise to keep on hand both Maracyn and Maracyn-2. These can be used together for severe infections.

Is the fish scraping himself on anything?

Are any other fish sick? If so, explain.

It would be wise to transfer this fish to another container, even if it is a clean rubbermaid bin that has never been exposed to chemicals or soaps. Rinse it well. If you have a spare airstone, airline and preferrably a check valve, it will help contain the sickness to just him. If he should die during the night, the other fish will do what is natural - eat him. This increases their risk of catching whatever it is 100-fold. Fish should be transferred with as much of their own tank water as possible without depleting more than 25-30% of original tank. Original tank should be refilled with same temp, conditioned (to remove chlorine/chloramine) water. New container should be filled slowly with same temp water over a couple of hours to minimize shock. A fake plant helps the fish to feel secure and minimizes shock, as would a cave of some type. Keep in the warmest room possible if you don't have a spare heater. Remember a lid.

If you don't have a spare container and must medicate the tank, I strongly suggest starting with a series of partial water changes beginning tonight. Remove 20% and replace with same temp water that has already been conditioned. If you don't have aged water, then you may want to minimize it to two 10% changes daily for a while.

Welcome and hope to see you around fishprofiles.com

[span class="edited"][Edited by Cory_Di 2004-07-13 19:09][/span]