# Wasting disease



## seaecho

I know a number of people have faced this problem. A fish starts getting thinner and thinner, yet still eats, until he's nothing but a skeleton, then he dies weeks or maybe months later. I've had this happen with fish in the past. I know some people call it "skinny" disease. Is it really a disease in itself, or a parasite? I've tried antiobiotics (even the big guns like Furan and Kanaplex) and Prazi-pro, Fenben and Metro. When a fish is wasting like this, it seems these meds don't help at all, and I always end up losing the fish. I have endlers right now in a 10 gallon, and maybe 3 out of 20 are looking like they are getting it. Clamped fins and skinny. I've had endler losses, because I have both male and female endlers, and the numbers are not increasing, so I know some fish are dying. I do see babies from time to time, but it seems the females are most susceptible to "wasting." How many of you have problems with this, and how do you handle it?


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## vreugy

Contact "inkmaker". He saved my pristella's from wasting disease. I don't remember the product name he sent me, but it sure did the job. I still have the prisellas and they are doing just fine. Actually spawned with one baby surviving. The sooner you start treatment, the sooner they will be cured.


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## coralbandit

Levamisole HCI is what Inkmaker(Charles supplies).It is the bomb for camalanus(you should learn about this disease.It is an internal parasite.
IF that doesn't match up then I'll just say columnaris!My swordtails went through same thing,with 1 dying every 3-4 weeks or so.No real symptoms,just clamping fins,getting skinny and eventuall a curved back.Once the sword showed an issue they usaully didn't last 5 days.
Sorry you're having trouble,hope this helps.
Here's a link to Charles;
Tropical Fish Information


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## seaecho

Thank you. I've already had a go-around with Camalanus (or however it's spelled) and these fish don't show any signs of it. No red "bristles" coming out of anus. Also, I think I've had columnaris in the past. This is what I fear most. Levamisole is for treating parasites, but what if this isn't parasites? It wouldn't touch columnaris, since columnaris isn't a parasite. I think I end up killing sick fish because I try medications, trying to find the right one for their affliction, and I just end up stressing them out more, ending in their death. Sometimes I feel like just doing nothing--just big water changes, and hoping for the best. I hate seeing them suffer, in any case. Thanks again!


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## majerah1

Levamisole will treat wasting disease, which is an internal nematodal parasite.


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## coralbandit

With so many different strains of columnaris I used Potassium Permaganate to treat my swords.I feel it worked well,but is not the easiest to use product(I do like it though).
I also euthanised any fish that showed symptoms,as this was in my breeding tanks.I haven't sold a swordtail since!I'm pretty sure it is gone,but with a 1 year + lifespan columnaris can be the end of a whole tank!


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## vreugy

Good for you about not selling any swords until sure. If more breeders thought this way, we wouldn't have so many diseases to worry about.


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## jrman83

I've had that issue over the years and no med really seems to work on smaller fish like live-bearers, which is the only place I have had the issue. I changed food multiple times, used many meds, including the HCI, and nothing seemed to work (the HCI will wipe out many plants species, so watch it).

I finally settled in on mixing multiple types of food, and although my problem hasn't left me, it has gone down significantly. I got Ken's flake food and combine, Immune Booster, Spirulina Garlic, Metrondazole/Garlic, and Guppy flake together. I measure on a gram scale and usually about 40% Metro/Garlic, 30% Guppy, 20% Immune, and 10% Spirulina/Garlic. I measure all out, push into a ziploc bag and crush to small flakes, pour into a sealed tupperware type container and shake it all up good. Still playing with the mixture but it has had a really good affect over the last 15 months of doing this. I have only lost 4-5 fish since doing it from wasting disease. Not sure if the diet has been the key but I go by what I see.


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## seaecho

Thanks for the input, jrman! I have thought about ordering from Ken's. Right now I'm using the NLS flakes. I've heard a lot of good things about Ken's as well. I never even knew there was an immune booster in food form for fish!


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