Worms / Internal Parasites? - Feeling despondent

I'm feeling a little, or to be truthful, very despondent tonight.

I've lost another fish. She was fine and just all of a sudden death.

There are no outward signs of anything and I'm at a loss as to what exactly I'm fighting.

It started with some Endlers getting thin and elongated and then dying. I thought they were a bad batch and treated the tank with Polyguard. Some time after that it started attacking my Galaxy Rasboras.

I decided to treat with Probibio's Worms & Parasites last week since I did not want my other fish (all unaffected) to fall prey to the same fate - then all of a sudden some of my fish started hanging about at the surface and my favourite platy got dropsy. All was well, started feeding normally again etc. and this morning I had my latest casualty sitting on the bottom and now death - more than a week after treatment.

I really pay attention to my tanks and my fish. I sit in front of each tank on a daily basis watching their behaviour and feeding habits, ensuring all is well. I do 25% water changes every third day. I've stopped feeding frozen food altogether and I've removed all moss from my tank (it gathers dirt)

I don't know what to do and how to save my fish.

Do I just let them all die one by one if they choose to or is there something pro-active that I can do?

Please help!

 

What are your water parameters?

 

@SterlingAce - I haven't tested my water since I started up my tanks beginning of last year.

 

I would suggest you test your water asap then go from there.

 

Any odd decor in your tank? Is the substrate standard? Any driftwood?

Are cleaning chemicals used near or on the tank? Air fresheners? Heavy smoking? Insect killer sprays? Mosquito repellents?

Thinking you may have toxins in the tank. You have eliminated the chance of parasites pretty much.

Also read up and consider fish TB, in which case even you have to be cautious.

 

@iamdieter - The tank is just over a meter away from my dining room table and it does get cleaned with windolene which get's sprayed directly onto the table. It doesn't created a mist like freshener but I will monitor it closely.

I have a piece of driftwood in the tank and also a clay pot that has been in there for just over a year now. The wood is mopani and in a good condition. Do you think I should attempt to remove the pot?

I have seachem fluorite for substrate.

Fish TB is also what I managed to come up with - at least where the getting thin and distorted part comes in. There is however no loss of colour or any of the other "damage" and sores reflected in the photos on google. From what I understand however it is a very rare disease.

If there is a chance however, I'm a bit worried on the one side, I've got eczema and the skin on my hands are always broken, and on the other hand, if it were fish tb, wouldn't my hands have shown signs of it by now?

 

Hi @Dinky

I do not think it is fish tb. You need to try and remember when you first started seeing the fish acting crazy and dying. I would do a water test asap. I think some thing got in to the tank and now it has damaged the biological filtration. Do you have seachem prime? If you do add a little to the tank after a water change. If you have seachem stability this will be a good time to add as well.

See if you can take some water to a LFS and get it tested.

 

I've had problems with fresh mopani in the past,it leeched horribly and made my tank smell bad.I'm not saying it's the cause but i always had sick fish when i had it in.I've had my current fish for 5 months now without any health problems.

 

My suggestion would be to contact a vet,that's willing and able to do a swab of one of the infected fish.
He will then look under a microscope and determine what disease the fish may have.

I would suggest you go for a food allergy test.:idea:

 

Put some high grade activated carbon in your filter, see if that makes a difference, if it does you are dealing with a toxin for sure.

 

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the assistance. @DewaldC @iamdieter @DCWarHound
@dash (great special thanks to you)

All seems well in my tank again, no further deaths although I still have one skinny fish. She feeds and I'm hoping this will now be the end of my troubles. Still don't understand how a tank can run well for a year and then "suddenly"!

Does a tank have a (for lack of a better word) shelf live after which it should be stripped, cleaned and redone?

 

Glad you see the light. Two of my Discus has succumbed to dropsy this week. Treating the tank at the moment. But have a feeling one discus is going to be doing the back stroke tonight.

 

@fhmarais - I'm sorry you're in the same predicament. It's really not nice loosing a pet.

I'm wondering if water changes in this cold weather could have an effect. I really tried to heat the water properly but I guess due to the huge, frequent changes the ph was affected too much and from what I understand shock causes dropsy unless the fish had internal problems to begin with.

Best of luck on that side! Let me know if you manage to pull him/her through!

 

Good to hear your problem has been solved

 

Thanks @Dinky. Seems the the remaining 3 discus are this far happy and well. Running a 5 day treatment plan on the tank. But still feeling very sad for the loss of the other two discus.

 

@fhmarais - that truly is a sad and costly loss. I'm glad that the others are doing well. What are you treating them with?

 

@Dinky, Got some treatment called Waterlife Myxazin

I also a bit of Vit B additive (can't remember the name), feeding them larvae (bloodworms as it is also known) and thinking of firing up the shrimp breeding system for some quality food for the kids, just to make sure they get a good diet.

Also going to look into a bit of veg for them just to try and boost the immune system

 

@fhmarais - If you get that breeding system fired up, please give me a thought, I also use them to feed my betta a treat.

I will google the product, not familiar with it. I bought something from the lfs but it turned out to be an expired product...

Someone posted the other day about feeding their fish some or other mixture with garlic to boost their immune system etc. I really want to try that out as well, if I can just find the tread! Ek wil nog seachem se Nourish ook probeer.

 

The garlic I tried a few times, but some of the kids are fussy and full of poo when it comes to Veg's

Will let you know. I just need to find my one air pump and my one heater. still finding things in weird boxes every day.

Myxazin

I am looking for Nourish, but I am yet to find it. Know that Pet a Pond will order if I ask them. But better to see and feel the product.

 

I think the pet shop in Zambezi stocks it but if Pet a Pond can order us some, all the better.

Tx for the name.