# Septicemia?



## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

It's been a bad year for me especially as a cichlid keeper for 20+ years. Had issues with bloat earlier this year and now a new disease has struck, septicemia?
I have a 55 with juvenile Hara and Labs. Three of the labs have very red flesh right at the base of their pectoral fins. All the fish in the tank are super energetic and eating very well. Another lab developed a red patch on the body. I am currently treating with Maracyn and Maracyn Two. Day 3 and no improvement. I suspect Septicemia. The first pic is my fish that I isolated because was getting beaten by a male. The second pic I got online because my fish move too fast to get a good shot but it looks exactly like that. I've tested the water endless times and there are no issues with it.
Any thoughts?
















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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The gills look like septicemia but the patch makes me think of columnaris. Google it and see if it looks like your fish.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> The gills look like septicemia but the patch makes me think of columnaris. Google it and see if it looks like your fish.


I don't think it's columnaris because the fish are behaving normally and eating very well. I'm thinking more septicemia at this point. What's weird is that I've not added new fish in a very long time and I always quarantine new fish anyway. How could septicemia just come on out of nowhere?

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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

They say it is a symptom of a long illness. Maybe the beating.

When my fish had columnaris...it happened after a beating when I thought the fish was out of the woods. Eating and activity were strong throughout...just could not get rid of the patches.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> They say it is a symptom of a long illness. Maybe the beating.
> 
> When my fish had columnaris...it happened after a beating when I thought the fish was out of the woods. Eating and activity were strong throughout...just could not get rid of the patches.


DJ
Columnaris is very serious. 
What steps did you take to erraticate it and did it wipe out your entire stock?
Should I euthanize the fish currently showing symptoms?

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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Only one fish had it. I had two male demasoni in a divided tank and overnight one jumped over so both of them were on one side. The loser was in bad shape...but at this point just beaten up.

I isolated him and probably added melafix because I had some. He was upside down but alive, and was upright the next day and healing the day after that. Out of the woods, right?

Then the patches started. I tried a round of Maracyn and Maracyn 2. He got better, then worse. I tried Triple Sulfa and he got better, then worse. Not sure if there was another med after that.

He showed the most improvement with the two Maracyn products, so I tried that one last time. Better then worse.

He was eating and frisky throughout. Finally I let him go.

No other fish ever got sick.

These days people suggest Kanamycin.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

DJRansome said:


> Only one fish had it. I had two male demasoni in a divided tank and overnight one jumped over so both of them were on one side. The loser was in bad shape...but at this point just beaten up.
> 
> I isolated him and probably added melafix because I had some. He was upside down but alive, and was upright the next day and healing the day after that. Out of the woods, right?
> 
> ...


Your experience is very bizarre. It's supposedly very contagious. And how did your fish get it in the first place? Where does it come from? 
I'm not 100% convinced that is what you had. Perhaps it was something different. I have had fish over the years with red patches coming and going, as you described and it never spread to other fish.
I think that it's a different issue and not columnaris.
What I have going on now, the redness at the very base of the fins, I have never dealt with before.

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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Ah. The fish was isolated from all other fish, even before the injury. I could not find anything other disease that had large white patches on both sides. I was reacting to the red patch on the side...not the base of the fins.

I have never had any kind of red patch. The description of columnaris said that as the disease progresses, the flesh is exposed looking pink.

Just because something is contagious does not mean you can only get it from another sick organism. Just like a human infection of a wound I assume.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Check out this post from today. The pic reminded me of your fish. Even if the infection is NOT columnaris, the treatment may still help if it is another gram negative bacteria.
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/vie ... 3&t=452019

Not sure how to know if your bacteria is gram negative or gram positive without a culture.


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

I have isolated the fish with the red patch on the body. Trying 3ppt salt treatment.

As far as the fish with the redness at the base of the fins, I am now treated that tank with Seachem Polyguard. We will see if it helps. It's pretty much impossible to get any fish meds in Canada anymore. I just happened to have Polyguard in my stash.
Fingers crossed


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## Mudkicker1 (Aug 6, 2013)

UPDATE

I am pretty much convinced that I have a Hemorrhagic Septicemia outbreak. The problem tank is a 55g with 6 juvenile Hara and 8 juvenile yellow labs. The labs are bigger than the Harra. Out of all the fish in the tank, only 4 of the labs have symptoms. Redness at the base of their pectoral fins and some redness on their snout. It's been status quo for several weeks now. Fish behave 100% normally.
The Polyguard treatment had ZERO effect.
This past Monday night I dosed Methylene Blue and stared feeding medicated pellets with Focus and BiFuran Plus. So far zero change after 48 hours.
I can't understand how this happened. I haven't even added new fish in over six months. Feeling pretty bad about this. I may need to put the four infected fish down [TIRED FACE]

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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sorry this is happening to you and your fish.


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## tacusi (6 mo ago)

Mudkicker1 said:


> UPDATE
> 
> I am pretty much convinced that I have a Hemorrhagic Septicemia outbreak. The problem tank is a 55g with 6 juvenile Hara and 8 juvenile yellow labs. The labs are bigger than the Harra. Out of all the fish in the tank, only 4 of the labs have symptoms. Redness at the base of their pectoral fins and some redness on their snout. It's been status quo for several weeks now. Fish behave 100% normally.
> The Polyguard treatment had ZERO effect.
> ...


Mudkicker1 did you ever find a treatment for this? Im going through the same issue at this time. I suspect Septicemia due to the same redness and by its fins and its going crazy in my tank. Hopefully you have some insight for me. I have tried Rons Cichlids medicated food with no luck, melafix (what i had on hand) and now im trying Kanaplex. Any help would be appreciated. i understand its very hard to get rid of. Just dont want to lose my entire tank.

Thanks in advance


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## marten (Jan 23, 2018)

I would suspect bacterial septicemia caused by Aeromonas, which is a gram negative bacteria. It can be present even in chlorinated tap water, meaning it can be introduced to our tanks by water change. When i had problems with it, it seemed like it only affected fish who had nipped fins.


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