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Front Page · Everything · News · Ask Guppylog · Diaries
Update on the Columnaris, and a few follow-up questions.

Health and Medicine
By lomelindi
from the Lomelindi department, Section Diaries
Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 01:42:27 PM PST
Tags: (all tags)
I didn't want to upset anyone by putting this incorrectly on the front page, so...

-Update on the cottonmouth drama
-Questions about a whole lot of flashing, and ?'s about solutions that won't mess up the chemistry of my tank again
-Possible swim bladder troubles?
-Possibility of reintroducing fry?



Firstly, I want to say thank-you to everyone who helped me with my columnaris outbreak.  It seems all clear.

And.. before I get started, the details of my situation are here.

http://www.guppylog.com/story/2005/7/13/43625/9418

As I've got what seems to be a different problem here, I figured it was appropriate to post another log.

Now, all the adult guppies are flashing quite a bit.  I can't see anything wrong with their scales.

The male is acting and looks fine otherwise, and two of the females, though periodically clamp-finned, seem to be alright.

The third female, however, has been spending all of her time in a top corner of the tank, swimming sort of into the current moved by the bubblestream of a stone...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/lolonque/dory.jpg

Not a great shot, but hopefully it illustrates what I mean.  My immediate thoughts were that she was A) scratching herself somehow on the bubbles, or B) Not getting enough oxygen.  I also notice that what I assume is her swim bladder (or at least, some sort of air bubble in her body) is quite a bit larger than the others'.  It seems to push against her spine, almost.  She rarely stops this activity except to eat.

The ammonia is still high.  I'm working on that, because the earlier medicating screwed up my cycle.  I'm trying to control it until things get better.  I also keep hoping that the problems with the fish will go away with that.

I'm planning a big water change tommorrow... hopefully that as well will help.

The salt levels are the highest I'm willing to submit my pleco to, but I'll add more once I do the water change.

So my questions, patient readers...

1) Is there any way to medicate the fish for this flashing that doesn't involve messing up the tank's cycle yet again?  Medicated food?  A salt bath, maybe?  The latter I'm still not completely clear on how to go about doing.

2) I really want to put the few fry back into the main tank... am I correct in being worried that it's still not safe to?

< pregnant fish | I think I figured out >
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Update on the Columnaris, and a few follow-up questions. | 2 comments (2 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Glad the columnaris has cleared up! The (none / 0) (#1)
by unclescott on Mon Jul 18, 2005 at 10:27:25 PM PST

survivors should have a little bit of immunity to it if it is all gone.

If there are still questions about the tank, don't reintroduce fry. By the way, are those fry small enough to be eaten by fish who aren't used to them? (Guess that is a question and a rhetorical question.)

How much air do you have running in your tank? Those are an extraordinary number of bubbles! When you go to change water, is there a way you could skim those bubbles off? If yours was a salt water tank, I would suggest that they are extra protein from fish wastes and or uneaten food. If the bubbles are just staying there, they could block the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange more than you would like.

Have you changed water recently? While, if you or I are doing partial water changes regularly, 25% is a lot better than 10%. However if the tank has been left along for a couple of weeks with the medicating, maybe a 10% and a 15% change a couple of days later would be easier on the fish. Next week do a 25% change. :)

Do you have a filter with activated carbon in it? Change it. That will help with medicine removal and should also remove some of the substances contributing to the bubbles. In the best of times activated carbon is used up within two weeks. When there is more going on, it may have been used up as a chemical filter before that.

The female fin clamping could be a response to water quality. After a partial water change, look to see if they are still clamping and if they have a whole bunch of tiny, tiny dots on them. That could be the very contageous velvet. It is treatable, if that is what it is, and treatment wouldn't destroy the filter cycle. But boy would I be glad your fry aren't in there.

If they continue scratching or flashing, look to see what is one their sides. If there are critters or worms which are distiguishable, they could be tiny crustaceans or parasitic worms. Those can be treated with an anthelmintic. That sort of med is usually found in an anti-parasite treatment. If they are just treated with the anthelmintic, the nitrogen cycle will not be bothered. If it is a combination with an anti-biotic, yes the nitrogen cycle will again be clobbered.

Look in the Immediate Help section under Camallanus for mention of various anthelmintics and medicines including them.

If the females look better after the first partial water changes but are still flashing a little, they may be responding to the nitrogenous wastes in the water (which are more of a problem until the nitrogen cycle is re-established). A quick fix is to add, maybe .5 to 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon (NOT tablesalt). That will help the fish endure a certain amount of nitrite poisoning and cause the skin to produce a little more protective mucus or skin slime. Don't add more salt with subsequent water changes unless there is still some (but hopefully a reduced level) of itching. If that continues and there are no identifiable "things" on their sides, maybe add 2.5 teaspoonsof salt for every three gallons of water you replace.

Long term, salt is not a part of a guppy's natural environment. Long term, partial water changes are. ;)

All the best!
u.s.



As a side note (none / 0) (#2)
by angelhologram on Tue Jul 19, 2005 at 08:10:29 AM PST

  If anyone remembers I had the same flashing problem continue after the columnaris cleared up on my fish, so it may be that ick/ich and columnaris go hand in hand. Malachite Green and salt worked for this.
*BEFORE you buy fish make sure you understand what "Cycling" a tank means <- quoted from miskaral* ~Trying to make a difference one fish at a time~
[ Parent ]


Update on the Columnaris, and a few follow-up questions. | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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