# Losing them steadily



## somebody (May 13, 2014)

Hi all, I'm at a loss. Dr Google and other forums are all over the map on a diagnosis. So I come to trusty ol' CF!

Tank specs:125g (6ft) w/sump going on 4 years established

Ph= 8.0 to 8.2 (normally 8.2 beyond reasonable doubt)
Amm=0
Ni=0
Na=20-40 (don't hang me I know)

Current "meds"=
1/2 dose salt 
Melafix (recommended dosage)

As I said the tank is established. Never had any problems like this. Bought a beautiful male from lfs 3 weeks ago....he dies and now boom (see pics)

Lost 1 more 2 days ago (lemon jake) thought fin rot so melafix and he was in breeder box. Dies last night and noticed during "autopsy" noticed a swollen lesion on back not red just not scales.

Wake up this morning Phenochilus Tanzania belly up by overflow. Noticed cloudy eye and no appetite yesterday. Dead. Flushed and stopped up the toilet, :lol: .

My 4 year old Yellow Tail is showing same signs as Phenochilus Tanzania and see red lesions (see pic).

Red Empress (4+ y/o) this morning has red lesions fin rot and stringy poop and no eating as well.

My Google search shows septacemia as the illness. Blood infection. Posting here for offers of aggressive treatments. On my way to petsmart to get more melafix and erythromycin. Feeding this morning is why the snow in the pics.








lemon jake







red empress camera shy







Yellow tail







Yellow tail


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Are you sure? Looks like there may be a bully in the tank.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

Got the hospital set up quick fast and in a hurry. tetracycline is all petsmart had....now we wait. Still standing by for any recommendations from pros


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

tanker3 said:


> Are you sure? Looks like there may be a bully in the tank.


The only bully I feel is the red empress. save the new fish from the lfs everyone else has been together going on 3 years now,no fighting. There are the occasional spats but nothing this serious.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

Otherwise no more than normal aggression that I've noticed. I'm not completely ruling out aggression I'm just leaning more towards bacterial and maybe a hint of fungal but I'm not a pro that's why I came to yall.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

Fish normally do not get an infection or fungus without an open wound.


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## ha77 (Dec 8, 2016)

tanker3 said:


> Fish normally do not get an infection or fungus without an open wound.


 I just used API General Cure on one my tanks. My female Hara who was swimming sideways (swim bladder all messed up), not eating, hiding and basically looked like she was on the verge of death is basically back to normal 2 days later. I am pretty sure she got an infection stemming from an open wound due to aggression. Not sure if anyone else has had success with General Cure...but i had no clue what to do and it worked great for me.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Columnaris?


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

could be columnarius....Here's some more pics to help. earlier their slime was falling off. And both Yellow tails are getting progressively worse. I've been sitting by the display tank for the past few hours and no doubt fights from all and stress has definitely caused a weakness for them to catch something. Three if the worse fish are 3 of the 5 largest in the tank.































underside of red shoulder note the jaw. I can't get a pic of it but the underside of his jaw on the soft area is all gone it like it's pitted ....it wasn't like that this morning







note stringy poop







Best pic I could get being camera shy right now

All of this couldn't have come at a worse time I am extremely strapped for cash right now so diy fixes would be great. I sold my drone to pay for the new batch of tetracycline and melafix so I no longer have stuff to barter and beg with. Can't sell broke fish.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I was never able to cure it. Maracyn and Maracyn 2 made the leisons better but as soon as the meds stopped it came back.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

Here's a link talking about a persons experience with columnaris. Maybe it'll help.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

Well woke up this morning and all fish alive no deaths. Doesn't seem that the sickness is progressing but the lesions are still there. Fish in qt still aren't eating. Going to dose a second round of meds and hope for the best. I'm gonna try another water change on the DT as well. The melafix is foaming and my sump is about to overflow. The overflow action is acting as a skimmer for a reef tank. On the foam is yellow parts which is the meds.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

If it is Columnaris, which I am still not convinced it is, you can try a copper dip. Copper is a very good poison for most infections.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

My brother did suggest a copper dip, he's a reef guy. What exactly do I do for that and what will it accomplish? Not that I'm gonna do it I just like to have options on the table just in case it comes to it.

Again I do belive stress is what has made them susceptible to the diseases but I'm trying to treat them before I lose more then I'll concentrated my efforts into removing the bad eggs (I have an idea who it may be) Rusty and a yellow lab


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> I was never able to cure it. Maracyn and Maracyn 2 made the leisons better but as soon as the meds stopped it came back.


What did you do when it came back dj? Euthanize? Let it run its course and see what happens


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I tried 4 different medications or medication combinations with gaps in between. Probably over the course of six months. It was one fish. I ended up letting nature take it's course...he was eating and swimming to the end. I did not have the fin issues you have...just the lesions.

It was a miracle the fish lived to even get columnaris. I had 2 male demasoni in a divided tank. One jumped over and they spent the day together while I was at work and unaware. The beat up one looked like Ben Hur after the chariot race. Upside down and everything. Then he got better with no meds. Then he got columnaris.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

Well day 3 no deaths. Still lesions and fin rot but they are kinda eating a bit. I feed NLS 3mm sinking and they are gobbling it up. Still not 100% sure what this is in the tank but it "bloomed" in the DT so I ended up crashing the hospital and put them back in the display. I chose to do that because ph swings and temperature swings. I tried my best to make it stable it just was happening.


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## judyok (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm providing a link for the best material I've ever read on columnaris and other infections that look similar. I was able to overcome an infection with some fish following their advice.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html


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