Panaque very ill, help please

[Oscar300]

Hi guys:hi:

So my gold line is not a happy fish, looks very ill and im afraid im going to loose him. This morning my xingu and blue eye are going along the same lines so im a little stressed......

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40-60
PH 7.6-8ish

He started hanging at the top of the tank with lights off (never did this before) so I increased airiation, the tank is now awash with air. Then after a day or two small white marks, roundish, not protuding started to appear but not mega noticable. Then he started to loose his colour, now the colour loss is going extreme and his tail and pectorals are going red in colour on the boney parts (where the chew chew grows on the pecs). Also is shedding slime a little.

I have carried out a largish water change 172lt (600ltish tank after wood) then started dosing mela and primafix, been 3 days now.

Because of the redness starting to show and the other symptoms im thinking Gill flukes? Although he still has his big belly.

I recently added a new fish without QT, 2 year old dat from a private collection. I put him in 2 weeks ago ish, I had no room to QT as he was/is to big.

So, I do have Flubenol 15 to hand and im on the verge of using it but I need to know if I can use it with mela/pima mix in the tank or should I do a big water change before hand?

Any help is appreciated, white pin pric*s are appearing on xingu.

 

[bre]

Sean, really really sad to hear you're having probs with your panaques

I'll be straight forward and say I have no idea. I'm not thinking straight tonight, been a big day and got a migraine, so I'm off to bed once I reply here. (Been moving way too many tanks and fish around :wb
I just really wish I could think straight and give you a good answer.

I've never dealt with Flubenol so it's hard for me to give you a good answer.
have a read here about melafix and pimafix. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/add_info.cfm?pCatId=11269


I hope they all get better for you very soon.

 

[Oscar300]

Cheers Bre, the mela/pima is a good broad med so its allways worth a start with them but it must be somthing a bit more serious. Feel better x.

 

[scatz]

i had something very similar with my L330 a few months back, i put it down to internal bacteria (the reddening and loss of colour)), i treated with intrpet no.9 and he's as right as rain now.
anyway you can get the nitrates down? 40-60 is a little high for now as you'll want crystal clean water to aid the royals.

hope they get through this mate

 

[Doodles]

Def agree about getting the nitrates down.

Is he flashing at all?

Also with gill flukes the breathing rate can get faster

 

[Oscar300]

No flashing at all, I will do a water change again tonight. I have high tap nitrates but prime helps alot. I will try intrpet no.9, the more I look around the more im not convinced its gill flukes. Thanks for the suport folks.

 

[Jo Crane]

The redness indicates a bacterial infection hopefully you will get them treated fast enough bacterial infections take a grip rapidly best of luck

 

[macvsog23]

I would reduce the nitrates ASAP.

As already stated this is bordering on deadly.

Can you get some RO Water? This may help.

The fix it twins are about the only meds I ever use.

Sadly this is the ever present danger with larger fish in a tank.
As big fish = large mass

Once some thing is wrong its going to get out of control very fast.

One example is the spread of infection in ghettos as opposed to small isolated community.

I have made the mistake of keeping bigger fish in groups and always the end result is this sort of rapid infection spread.

I believe bigger fish although they may be stronger in general, have the disadvantage of being able to withstand an infection with out showing the stress. Thus once the infection is spotted its to late.
Sorry to hear of this situation I do myself love the Royals but after several failed attempts would never attempt it again .

 

[Oscar300]

Well....

Just got in from work and LFS armed with no9 and had a good look at the tank. There are sign's of what im sure is white spot on my papa and a couple on my oscar, just tiny grains and very few and far between. Still doesnt look like your typical white spot on Gold line but he is extreamly armoured so I think thats whats thrown me. I think the redening is visibale because his colour loss is so extream.

Im currently draining the tank down for a nice water change and I will treat with king british. Im angry at myself for not spotting white spot sooner but its hard to explain, wheres me camera...

 

[Oscar300]

Waste of time the camera, to much air going on.

 

[Doodles]

Good luck Sean

 

[FF MkII]

Yeah man, fingers crossed for ya.

 

[Skilldeft]

Good luck bud, its far fom over, your fish are a hard bunch.

 

[garfieldnfish]

If it is white spot, increase the tank temps, add aquarium salt and Rid Ich by Kordon, that stuff works great and is safe for plecos. When I used it, I literally saw the spots drop off the plecos.

 

[scatz]

any news sean?

 

[bre]

any news sean?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[Oscar300]

Sorry folks been a busy bloke,

Papa has no more spots, nor does oscar. Gold line is still on the glass, not eaten in a week but his red fins are gone and he is looking mildly better. Xingu was eating last night, good sign eh. He was on the glass this morning fanning like mad with good sized white spots on his pectorals, looked raised like little peaks:dk:.

Tested water late last night all looks good. Tank is now at 30.1c but I have not added any salt, not very sure with it:dk:I have never added salt to my tanks before.

The fish are not out of the woods yet but its looking better. Will take a bit more time. Im on the second treatment King british WSE (WS3? Not got it infront of me), its great full strength stuff, I was worried about my big BGK but he is looking OK.

Thanks for the support folks:hi:

 

[Doodles]

Thanks for the update

Ich can get in and around the gill area which could explain the Gold Line's behaviour.

 

[garfieldnfish]

Use aquarium salt not saltwater/ocean salt and not table salt either. Aquarium salt if used as directed will not hurt any freshwater fish but will kill the ich parasite in it free swimming state. Raising the temps speeds up the life cycle of the bug and together with the meds should take care of any ich problem.

 

[Oscar300]

What dose should I use? I do have some salt donated by a koi mad friend but not sure, what gram per litre?

The fish look loads better today, gold line and xingu ate a little last night. Gold lines colour is nearly back, papa has no spots. Both still on the glass though so I know theres still an issue.

It has been interesting as when GL got sick, blue eye decided that he was king of the tank spanking the world and causing mayhem.

When I first set the tank up with all these large panaque it was hard work getting them to all eat and be healthy with minimal aggression between them all. I have moved many fish about to get a good balance, not been easy! move a pice of wood, loose a cave and mayhem erupts lol As we all know a stressed fish is more likely to become ill so its even more so important.

they get another treatment at 5pm today, fingers crossed :hi: