I am at a loss

[Diane C]

I lost my golden Dojo yesterday. It looked like it was very heavy around the middle etc. I also lost my male betta a couple weeks ago, and 2 weeks before that I lost my female betta. All 3 of these fish had the same symptons. Very bloated around the middle. They all looked like they were pregnant, but of course they weren't. I still have 2 Dojo's left, plus a couple male guppies, and 3 platties, pluse some babies, which are either guppies or platties. I am thinking there is some kind of a parasite or disease that is spreading slowly through the tank. I have been doing my water changes and I vacuumn the gravel as well. I went to Dr Foster Smith's site and have been looking at a general medication to put in the water. I was thinking of ordering one called Clout. It says it is a very strong medication for parasites and protozoan infestations. Would this be something good to add to the tank? What about the food that is medicated, should I order something like that to feed the rest of my fish. I would appreciate any kind of advice you can give me. I don't know which way to go with this. I would hate to lose a fish a week, especially my precious Dojo's

Thank you,

Diane

[soul-hugger]

I'm sorry about the loss of your loach and fish. I have three dojos and they are my favourite too.

I 'm not sure about that medication you mentioned, because I have never heard of it before. But I can tell you that loaches are very sensitive to medications and you should read up on them before administering. There are places you can go on this site to read up on loaches and medicine. I'm sorry I don't know how to post a link I hope that all goes well for you and that you can find out what was wrong with the little guys. The other option besides parasites that can make fish bloated is a swim bladder disorder. Maybe you could read up on this too...

soul-hugger

[Diane C]

Thank you for the reply. I will do some searching. Gosh I don't want to make a big mistake and do more harm than good to my other Dojo's and other fish also, however, I sure don't want to do nothing and have one die every week. I hate not knowing what to do.

Thanks again,

Diane

[Diana]

Do not use Clout for Loaches. It is too strong.

The bloating and irregular spacing of the deaths does suggest parasites. The fish food with parasite medicine would be good.

Other reasons for fish to look swollen:

Eggs (or fry, in the case of livebearers): symmetrical bulge, generally in the abdomen. Other fish may respond to the breeding hormones and either argue with each other, or chase the female with the eggs or fry. Female Platies or Guppies may look swollen with fry, but are actually sick with Mycobacteriosis or intestinal parasites. A female live bearer who looks pregnant but never delivers is probably sick.

Overeating a meal: Symmetrical swelling farther forward of the abdomen. Swelling goes away as the meal is digested. Gouramis (greedy fish!) often show this sort of swelling.

Constipation: Symmetrical swelling about the same place as eggs or fry. Fish may hover around the bottom, not swim with the other fish. You can reduce the chance of this happening by feeding as mixed a diet as you can, including fresh or lightly cooked vegetables especially peas, (pop the peas out of their skins) and other roughage such as Daphnia.

Tumor or other such growth: Asymmetrical, and may be anywhere on the fish, including in the abdominal cavity, but is usually more swollen on one side than the other, depending on where the growth is. Rare for more than one fish to have such a growth, and to lose 3+ fish so close to each other suggests the problem is not likely to be this.

Internal parasites: Spread from fish to fish, and grow at different rates depending on the health and immune system of the fish. Some fish tend to pick up a lot of them, and die sooner, other fish seem somewhat immune, and the parasites they pick up do not kill the host so fast. Irregular deaths scattered over time, with swollen belly really sounds like internal parasites. Other symptoms: The fish may eat a lot and look skinny, or might avoid eating. You might see the parasites hanging out of the anus of the fish (Camalanus- I have probably misspelled it) Try Levamisol as the active ingredient to kill some sorts of internal parasites, and boost the immune system of the fish. Other parasite meds might be needed; Levamisol does not kill all the internal parasites.

Dropsy: May be abdominal swelling, when there is excess fluid in the abdominal cavity, or it can be in each cell, and you would see the scales standing away from the fish like a pine cone (especially if you look down on the fish).
Dropsy is a side effect of several possible problems. The fish cannot get rid of the extra water that is entering its system. Treating the underlying problem may help, or else the fish may be too far gone to save. The problem is that the initial issue might be a bacterial infection, or viral, or other problem. Hard to treat if you do not know what to treat for. Adding Epsom salt to the water can help the fish to handle the excess water, though it does nothing about the original problem.

Mycobacteriosis: When you lose several fish over a scattered length of time you might suspect that they have Mycobacteriosis. It will weaken their immune system and allow other diseases or parasites to kill the fish.

[Diane C]

Thanks Diana for the info. Gosh this is almost like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially for a newbee. I will definitely try the food for parasites. The clout I willl leave alone. I don't want to do any more damage to the fish. I can probably buy the Levamisol. I think you mentioned yesterday you can buy it at a feed store, which happens to also be our local fish store. Is there any place you can go online and order this, that is just for aquariums? I would be at a loss of how much to put in my tank, unless it has specific instructions of how much to use for an aquarium. I guess I am a big chicken to use something I know nothing about.

Mycobacteriosis, what do you do about this problem? Is there a medication that can be given?

I appreicate all of your help. I love my fish and I hate to think that I might lose them, especially if there was something I could do to prevent it or keep them healthy.

Thanks again,

Diane

[Diana]

I got Levamisol in large tablets labeled as a sheep wormer. There is an article here by Shari about how to use it.

Here is some info about Mycobacteriosis.
It is common among aquarium fish, it appears to be spreading. There is no cure. One of these links tells about Diana Walstad's experience. She seems to have stopped the spread by using an ultraviolet sterilizer on her tanks. To clean tools or equipment that may be contaminated rubbing alcohol seems to be best.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM055
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... hp?t=16750