Fez Fez
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 22:30
Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #1
You might remember that I posted up a thread a couple of days ago (http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/ ... p?topic_id=22014&forum=13) about one of my fancies, who took a turn for the worse and didn't make it through the night- I thought the worst was over, but my other two have started showing the same symptoms now, and I'm really worried that they might go the same way?

It's all in the link above, but the general symptoms are:
Hiding at the back of the tank (supported in the plants)
Increased breathing/panting
Really thin, trailing/see through poop
Swimming at an angle
Severe weakness, not being able to swim/turn around
Floating on the side

The last two symptoms are what Jazz displayed before he died- the other two are showing the first four and I'm worried that they'll deteriorate as quickly as Jazz did (he was showing the first symptoms for about three days before the last two happened within a couple of hours, after which he passed away quickly).

I don't think it could be a coincidence, but the ramshorns in one of my tropical tanks took a turn for the worse at the same time and my housemate's betta is incredibly ill with the same symptoms (see thread here http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/ ... p?topic_id=22029&forum=13) and a couple of my third housemate's mollies have also been on their way out.

Nothing's changed in the tank- I bought a new bottle of water conditioner (Nutrafin Aquaplus), which is the same stuff that I always use for them, but other than that I can't think of anything new? I'm not sure if this is something to do with a change in our tapwater, or something else, but if anyone else has ever had this problem I'd really appreciate some help or suggestions!

Thanks!
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lovelylinz lovelylinz
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 22:38
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #2
I just read your other threads, did you test the tap water yet?
I think you should ask LHG to take a look.

good luck, I'll keep everything crossed for your fish!
3 things i have to tell you about fishkeeping...
Fishless cycle
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longhairedgit longhairedgit
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 22:49
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #3
Where are you living ATM? Cryptosporidium and the resultant metacarcaria that will kill fish ingesting meat from dying snails (ramshorn snails are a known early stage host for cryptosporidium) could potentially result in severe parasitism. Any tummy bugs in the family at the moment, in later stages it could be human transmittable? PS wash your hands well when dealing with your tank. A lot of folks think that crypto isnt transmittable to fish, but in fact it can be if the primary host ie, invertebrates and molluscs like snails is present in tank, it has to go to snails before it can go to a fish or mammalian host. There were a spate of infections last year when a lot of aquarists had tyo take to boiling water in some regions, though the only fisdh typically becoming ill were those housed with invertabrates and the symptoms were typically manifest a few weeks or months later than the initial reported outbreak. Anglia, galway, northamptonshire all had problems in recent years.

Spring, its that time of year, sometimes crypto comes through the tap, its chlorine resistant, though typically its not keen on chloramine. Might be worth checking with the local water authority for announcements.

If it is the problem, metronidazole or trimoprethrim sulfa should shift it.

Beyond water quality issues, snails and fish copping for it from the same disease in an aquarium is rare, rare enough to make me think crypto is at fault, but make sure you check substrate cleanliness and oxygenation and water surface disturbance levels to make sure toxic gas issues arent complicating matters.
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Fez Fez
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 23:05
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #4
Tap water readings are
PH: 7.5
Amm: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

So nothing out of the ordinary there. The same night that Jazz died I had incredibly severe intestinal cramps, and I hadn't thought that it could be related- there are ramshorns in both my goldfish and my tropical tank.

I'm living in a student house in south Hampshire- no one else in the house has had any stomach problems? Is there anything I can do if it is crypto?
longhairedgit longhairedgit
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 23:23
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #5
Start boiling water for use with aquarium, remove snails if there are any left, and metro treatments for the fish, thats about it really. Uv steriliser if money no object though I appreciate it probably will be.

Your studenty metabolism will probably cope, hardened by take away kebabs and soforth
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Fez Fez
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  • Posted on: 26/4/2009 23:30
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #6
Metro treatments? What do you mean by that?

(And yes, we students are sturdy beasts )
longhairedgit longhairedgit
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  • Posted on: 27/4/2009 0:38
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #7
Metronidazole.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metronidazole
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Fez Fez
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  • Posted on: 27/4/2009 8:40
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #8
Housemate's betta died last night and another housemate had serious stomach bug problems at the same time- I'm starting to think there might be something to this?

Where should I be searching to get hold of some of that Metronidazole stuff? How do I prescribe it to the tank?
longhairedgit longhairedgit
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  • Posted on: 27/4/2009 8:46
Re: Rapidly dying goldfish- please help! #9
POMV regulated med, needs to be got from a vet, though I believe people have found it on the net before now. Usually a liquid suspension if intended for use with aquaria, though tablets will do as long as they are water soluble, which is something you have to check as oddly enough many of the tablets arent, they need digestive juices to dissolve them. In the states they do medicated feed with it in too.
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