# Help!



## aours (Aug 6, 2010)

I am fairly new to this and in reading through the threads it seems helpful to give some basic information about the tank before asking questions about a problem. I have a 14 gal Oceanic Biocube which I have had for about 2 months now. In it I have 2 Zebra Danios, 3 Cory Cats, 1 plec, and 4 platies (1 snow white mickey mouse (male), 1 sunburst (male), 1 bumblebee (female), 1 yellow twin bar [female]), {NOTE: The two female platies were just introduced 3 days ago}. This is a planted tank with wisteria, anubias, java fern, and another plant that the name I can't recall at the moment. The current temperature is set to 78 deg. Water chemistry seems to be OK with last test (done with Quick Dip test strips): Nitrate 20, Nitrite 0, Alkalinity 180, pH 7.8. I feed the tank Aqueon Tropical Flakes twice a day, and New Life Spectrum Thera + A 1 mm sinking pellets every other day.

OK, here is the problem. One of my platies (the snow white mickey) has stopped eating and his behavior has changed significantly. He is swimming fine but he is hovering in one spot at the back of the tank, facing the back of the tank. Other fish will swim up to him and he will sort of shew them away. He used to swim and hang around where I drop the food. Upon examining him closer, I noticed what looks like blood around his anus. It is so hard to tell but it could be fibrous looking??? I can't really find anything that matches this description anywhere online. I also can't tell if his color is faded or not. His eyes could be slightly bulging but again, I'm not really sure because it is not significant if at all. Parasite? Constipated?

Also, just this morning I noticed that one of the new platies has a tiny "cotton-like" patch on her lower lip. Uuuggghhh....

So I have read about quarantine. I don't have an established quarantine tank. Does it matter? I have an empty fish bowl. Should I just put some of the water from my tank in there and move them there? Or....Please advise. Do I need to treat the entire tank for whatever fungus the female platy has? Everything had been going along so smoothly until now .

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you!


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

DISCLAIMER :I'M NO EXPERT AND AM NEW TO THIS TOO

But, from what I read here are the few things I observe:
1. Test strips are notorious for being inaccurate. You should get the test kit where you add the water and the chemicals for more accurate readings.

2. I don't think the platy would be okay in a fish bowl. Not unless it was something you could add a heater and pump and filter to. Also, if it's not cycled yet you would want to add as much as you could from an established tank that would have the beneficial bacteria in it. Eg. gravel, decorations and fake plants maybe even the filter system.

3. Me, I would treat the whole tank for the white problem. If possible it might help to put the new sick fish in a little breeding net in the corner of the tank. I don't think that would help much but at least he would not be having direct contact with the other fish in the tank.

Are you sure that the platy with the bum problem is a male?? Could there be a little rivalry between the males for the females?? I had to take my male sailfin molly and move him to a new tank because he was picking on my dalmatian molly. They were both males and I had recently introduced a female black molly. Generally, your female to male ratio for live bearers (not sure if it changes for egg layers) should be 3 females to 1 male.


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

The new fish you added could have brought a disease with them. Initial mention of a white cotton lip, sounds like Columnaris and I would treat the whole tank for this bacterial infection. Find medications with kanamycin, erythromycin, or one (or both) of the Marycns.

Keep in mind that treating a bacteria problem means that some of your beneficial bacterial will die and you will need to re-cycle. Use carbon to remove the medication after treatment (or do water changes) then watch for spikes and do water changes as needed.


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## aours (Aug 6, 2010)

Dmaaaaax,
Thank you so much. I will treat entire tank with one of the meds you suggested. Do I need to remove the carbon filter while treating? I think I read that somewhere. If so, for how long?


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

Sorry, yes remove the carbon during treatment then you can use it after treatment is up to get rid of the medication faster. Otherwise carbon is not really needed in your tank at all.

Depending on what med you get, the treatment duration may vary and may require treating every other day for X days. Just read and follow the instructions on the med.


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hi there...just wondering, could the red spot be a worm sticking out or is it red on his scales themselves?


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## aours (Aug 6, 2010)

Niki7,
Thank you so much for your response. I have been spending so much time observing this fish and I truly don't know. What I am pretty sure of is that what I am seeing are red fibers of some kind that do not appear to be part of the fish's body. It looks as though these fibers are attached to something that is obstructing the anus. He still isn't eating even though I did purchase some freeze dried blood worms to try to add variety to the diet. I had only been feeding tropical fish food flakes and I read that constipation could occur from no variation in the diet. I am so unsure of what to do. I don't have another tank set up for treatment. Should I put a parasite treatment in the tank? I hate to lose a fish


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Is there anything with red fibers in the thank that might have gotten caught on him or that he might have eaten?? Or was in the pet store tank with him, if he is new??


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## aours (Aug 6, 2010)

Amie,
There is nothing red or fibrous in the tank. The only thing close are the orange/red flakes in the flake food. But the "fibers" on the fish are bright red. Fed the fish this AM and although he came to the food, did not eat. How long can a fish go without eating? Should I go purchase a second tank and start it up to move him? The two fins on either side of the gonopodium (pelvic fins??), he holds one of them clenched to his body. I am beginning to think I have to treat for a parasite. I am just so concerned about putting anything in the tank.


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

I googled it and looks like in might be anchor worm. The website says to treat it with parasite guard. I wouldn`move him to a new tank at this point. Treat the whole tank.


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

I would highly suspect camallanus worms (nematodes). Search this site for them, there are pics and treatment options. NursePlaty had a real good thread about them with treatment info. Can be tough to get rid of but give it a shot and vac your gravel really well.

Anchor worms aren't really bright red like callamanus, as I understand it. Good luck.


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

Google said their heads can appear red.


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## aours (Aug 6, 2010)

Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your help and information. For some reason during my research I didn't come across any of this info. I think this fish definitely has a parasite which, from the description I read, is probably camallanus. How in the world he got this is a mystery to me. Maybe had it all along and just didn't appear til now??? I started treatment yesterday with Tetra Parasite Guard. I hope it works. Thanks again to all who responded to this. It's nice to know there are so many people with a lot of knowledge who are willing to help!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you have a spare container or tank, it would be better to move the fish to that tank and treat it there. Fish can go about 2wks without food.


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