Curly barbels! :(

[shazam26]

The curse of curly Q returns!
My rainbow shark Tanooki, I just noticed, has one curled barbel.
It's only started to begin. Tanooki is in with my clown loaches, and my kuhli loaches. Is it contagious do you think? I'm treating with pimafix currently, because it's the most gentle thing I can use without bothering my loaches. (Same brand as melafix only it isn't for injuries, obviously)
Am I doing the right thing? Poor Tanooki!

Also, I'm going to post photos of the clown loach I have that I suspect has Skinny. I am having a hard time finding the levasomile Keep an eye out, folkes!

[shari2]

Watch your loaches very carefully after you add pimafix. I had two yoyos and two modestas die after using it. One literally jumped out of the tank to escape it and the other two passed two days later. All of them I autopsied (very unscientifically) and found their innards positively reeked of the stuff. They did NOT like it...

If you feel you have an antibiotic issue treat with an antibiotic. Skip the pimafix would be my suggestion.

[shazam26]

Alright, I just checked my tank again- Tanooki's curled barbel is curled no more. I put a teaspoon of the pimafix in after noticing the barbel being curled without uncurling for a few hours. Now it has straightened out.

Now, I tried very hard to take pictures of the small clown I have that I think may have skinny, but I'm not by any far cry of the imagination, good at taking pictures. For whatever reason, every picture I took of the loach is blurry! I tried to fix it, but to no avail. This is ALL I have to show for my efforts, please bear with me If there's anything anyone can do to better the quality of the pictures, PLEASE let me know!
Here's the loach:


















I tried... What's the verdict? (If one can be picked out X_X)

[Martin Thoene]

What camera are you using?

Martin.

[shazam26]

A horrible old camera I got a couple years ago, a digital one.
a Kodak EasyShare CX7800

[angelfish83]

This guys so skinny you can see his organs poking through.

Also, Pimafix is completely useless for that and you'll only irritate the fish.

Honestly, pima/melafix are utterly worthless in my opinion..

[shazam26]

I'm not sure what you've seen out of the pictures, but the organs of my fish are definitely not visible And if pima/melafix are useless, how come people here have used it with success and have recommended it? I was not using pimafix to get rid of the clowns possible skinny disease, I was using it to treat the bacterial/fungal problem that was curling one of Tanooki's barbels.

[Martin Thoene]

I think that what angelfish means is that prima/melafix are less efficient in their anti-bacterial and fungal properties than antibiotics might be.

I would want to see more clearer pictures before categorically stating that your fish have skinny. You said they're small and all baby Clowns are semi-transparent so the internal organs are somewhat visible, especially to flash photography.

There appears to be some belly concavity, but with the picture quality it's too difficult to be specific.

Does that camera have a macro setting and are you using it?

Martin.

[shazam26]

Ah, I see I'm still trying to find the levasomile... all this mention of him being skinny is making me nervous He is compared to my other clown, who's quite plump- a great height as well as length. But it's older than him anyway

I'd love to get clearer photographs, I don't know what to do:(
I will try again to capture better photos in focus!

[grizzlyone]

You might try looking at some of the features. Most digitals have a "macro" mode used to capture close up objects. On olympus cameras you can activate /identify it by a "flower" symbol. There's actually a separate button on back of the camera to select/deselect it.


Kevin

[Martin Thoene]

shaz.....I've been trying to find your camera on the 'net.

A CX7800 comes up as a model of Epson Stylus printer. I can't find it as a Kodak Easyshare camera. You sure you gave me the right number? Sure it's not a CX7300?

Anyhow, it seems all the Kodak cameras have a macro setting. If you haven't used it then that's the problem. Find out how to engage it, then you ought to be able to improve the pics a lot. You'll be able to take pics a lot closer.

I just found the CX7300 has a flower icon on the camera mode wheel on top. Set it on there and you should be able to focus at around 5". Try some test shots on something static outside the tank. A coin or whatever....something with detail and review your results. That should give you an idea of minimum distance you can get good images at.

If you get pics that need some editing, post them here and I can doctor them.

Martin.

[shazam26]

Wow Martin O_O You are right on the ball!
Mind if I borrow a third of that brain power?
Yes, it is a 300, sorry and it is as you said- I'm doing a few test shots right now. Hopefully I can capture the baby clown in motion- thanks for all the help!

[Martin Thoene]

It's not brain-power, it's what someone else here calls being "The King of Google".....Their description, not mine

Waiting with baited breath......where's those tictacs?

Martin.

[brett_fishman]

i have a kodak easyshare too, its the 6.1 mp version.

all i do for fish pics is put the flash on 100% and put it in macro...if i take a full tank shot, i use the shutter settings to whatever (always seems to change) and i take the macro off..

hope that helps,
brett.

[shazam26]

Alright, thanks for the help everyone! i'm going to attempt some more photos this evening- here's hoping I'm just paranoid! Donna (the manager) kept these clowns for two months to avoid this exact problem. She doesn't sell fish with skinny unless they're treated & well again. Still, things happen, right?