quikv6

Judging from the pics, it looks like you should go right to the antibiotic (Kanaplex+Jungle tabs). They are more effective together. If you can get a bit of Kanaplex absorbed into his food, that would help too.

How long has the tank been established? 0 nitrates, with the exception being heavily planted, could sometimes indicate a cycling issue.

I'm sorry to hear. I really can't speak to the stressors. Provided the water parameters have always been okay (with no rapid changes), it really is hard to say. Dropsy is a tough one. I'm sorry again, but it is important to know that you did your best to provide the best care you could've.

Good info...thanks. How did it work out? Any reduction in swelling?

That may be a lot of Epsom salt. Recommendations vary, but I would start on the easier side. I have no idea how big your bucket is, but I'd start with a teaspoon. Do your best not to stress the fish, and keep the bath to no more than 15 minutes. Make sure to observe throughout.

I wouldn't add both salts together to the tank. You can add aquarium salt to the tank, and try doing a small 15 minute bath of epsom salt a few times a day. Epsom salt can raise GH/hardness significantly, fyi.

That looks to be a classic case of Wasting Disease/Sunken Belly. The fish is and will starve to death, and fast, so you need to act rapidly. I am not sure what meds are available it Poland, but there are 2 meds that I have used successfully to treat wasting disease: 1) Levamisole (Expel-P, by Fritz) and, more successfully if the fish isn't eating... 2) Flubendazole. I have had better luck with Flubendazole, as it seems to be effective in the water column equally to in the food. Since your fish isn't eating, this may be the best option. In your case...since the fish looks dire, I would get whatever med you can get asap, as time will run out, unfortunately. **EDIT*- I wanted to add that Kusuri Wormer Plus looks the be a brand of med where Flubendazole is the active ingredient.

Sadly, she looks to have dropsy from that picture, as the scales look to be pineconing. Successful treatment/cure of dropsy is quite rare, as it is a symptom, rather than a disease. I have had it on 2 fish at different times, and literally felt like I tried everything recommended, such as Kanaplex and Epsom salt baths. If the fish is still eating, there may be some hope. You can try Kanaplex in the food. I have also heard that you can add epsom salt to the food, when you let the food soak in a Kanaplex/Focus mixture. Good luck...it's a real tough one to beat, sadly.

I have very similar tap water to you. The crushed coral will help, but you may need a bit more to further supplement GH specifically. You can add wondershell and/or Seachem Equilibrium (or Replenish, if it is not a planted tank). Livebearers seem to thrive with minerals/hardness.

Glad he seems to be doing better. Monitor him for weight gain, and keeping food down. I don't know the directions on Expel-P specifically, but it is common for a few doses/treatments to be necessary with Levamisole or Flubendazole. Thanks for the positive update!

I would suspect internal parasites/wasting disease. Monitor if he is eating/trying to eat, but spitting. If he is eating, I would do Levamisole (Expel-P) in the food, though some have had success in the water column. If he isn't eating, or spitting, I would try Flubendazole in the water column. You could also do Paracleanse/General Cure, but if it is wasting disease (where time is a factor, as the fish will starve to death), it simply won't work.

Have you added the Expel-P or Fenbendazole to the food? That would be the best method to treat with those meds. From what I have read, Fenbendazole won't be effective in the water column alone. You could also try Flubendazole if the fish isn't eating, or trying to eat, but spitting it out. I have not tried Fenbendazole, but have had good success with Flubendazole, or Levamisole specifically in the food.

I would lay off the easy green for awhile, while subsequently doing daily water changes of around 25-30% until it gets to around 20-40ppm. Then monitor, and see how much water you need to change weekly/bi-weekly/monthly to maintain that. While that nitrate level is high, don't panic. I recently started tanking care of a workplace tank that was neglected for years. The Nitrates were around 500ppm, and a single fish was "living" it it for at least 7-8 years. I slowly brought it down with daily small water changes. It took 2 weeks to get it under control from that level, and now it it very easy to maintain. The behavior, appetite, and color of the fish improved quite noticeably as well.

BenAquatics, I am from NYC as well, so I know your plight. I decided to start my livebearer tank before I knew better. Needless to say, my Mollies and Platies didn't thrive right out of the gate. I started doctoring my water, and noticed an immediate improvement in the overall behavior of the fish. I have adhered to the below for approximately 2 years now. Here's what I do: 1) For GH, I add wondershell to the tank, AND Seachem Replenish (or Equilibrium) each water change. 2) For KH, I add Baking soda each water change. In turn, it also raises my PH. -I'll bring GH up from the tap of approx 40ppm to around 150-250ppm. - I'll bring KH up from the tap of approx 25ppm to around 80-100ppm. In turn, this brings my PH up from the tap of 6.6-6.8, up to around 7.6. Be careful with the baking soda. "Measure twice, cut once."

Hey Lisa, I had posted to your other thread regarding wasting disease, but figured I'd post a more detailed response here: Personally, I have been successful with two Meds for wasting disease....Levamisole and Flubendazole. Levamisole is marketed in "Expel-P", and is readily available, unlike Flubendazole. I use both, but have been MUCH more successful with Flubendazole in dire cases. To be honest...it has been the best money I have spent on anything fish-keeping related. I base what I use on the below: -Pay special note on eating characteristics: Is the fish eating, or is the fish trying to eat, but spitting it out? If the former, you can use Levamisole in the food. I have found this much better than in the water column. If the fish is spitting it out, the parasite is causing "inflammation" (or the equivalent in fish), preventing the fish from swallowing. In these cases, i go right to Flubendazole, which can be absorbed by the gills, since the fish can't put food down. I still add it to food, and even if the fish spits it, at least the med is in it's mouth for a few seconds. After 1-2 days w/ Flubendazole in the water column, I have found the fish to start swallowing. Within a few days, it starts putting on weight. Bloodworms soaked in the med+Garlic guard are my go-to when trying get a fish to eat and keep food down. I hope this helps. Sorry about the lengthy post, but wasting can be very tricky, and you need to act fast. The fish will literally starve to death.

If I remember correctly, Ich-X, which works great, by the way, does indeed recommend a water change (daily, if I remember correctly) during the regimen. Remember to continue to treat after the visible white spots are gone. I believe I did 7 days after last visible sign, though many recommend 3-4 days. I wanted to be certain.

I don't know Cichlids, but apparently they do get wasting disease/sunken belly, which sounds like a possibility, as Colu said. The recommended treatments are Levamisole (Expel-P) or Flubendazole. With spitting, I have had better luck with flubendazole, personally. Levamisole is great in the food, if they are eating. Just my experience.

Could be columnaris. Being you treated with Maracyn 2, I would consider trying either: 1) Kanaplex+Furan 2 (Very tough to find, though you can still get Nitrofurazone, the active ingredient.) 2) Triple Sulfa or SulfaPlex....also rather tough to find. Maracyn 2 is usually a solid "plan B" if the above don't work, since it also treats gram negative bacterial. Our resident expert, Colu, would be a great source for any additional info.

Have you tried those meds in the food? That would be your best bet. (Kanaplex in food/Furan in water column). You can also do Maracyn 2 in the food. Those would all be good go-to meds for Columnaris.

The spitting can be indicative of internal parasites that cause wasting disease. Metroplex really wont help with that. You can try Expel-P (Levamisole) or Flubendazole, which is tougher to get a hold of.

'Yes...definitely. I'd also be concerned with fin rot, but the sunken belly/wasting will get him first. I haven't had any luck with Paracleanse for wasting disease. It does treat internal parasites, but in my experience, won't cure sunken belly. If you want to save the fish, you should act rapidly. I have been successful with two Meds for wasting disease....Levamisole and Flubendazole. Levamisole is marketed in "Expel-P", and is readily available, unlike Flubendazole. I use both, but have been MUCH more successful with Flubendazole in dire cases. To be honest...it has been the best money I have spent on anything fish-keeping related. I base what I use on the below: -Pay special note on eating characteristics: Is the fish eating, or is the fish trying to eat, but spitting it out? If the former, you can use Levamisole in the food. I have found this much better than in the water column. If the fish is spitting it out, the parasite is causing "inflammation" (or the equivalent in fish), preventing the fish from swallowing. In these cases, i go right to Flubendazole, which can be absorbed by the gills, since the fish can't put food down. I still add it to food, and even if the fish spits it, at least the med is in it's mouth for a few seconds. After 1-2 days w/ Flubendazole in the water column, I have found the fish to start swallowing. Within a few days, it starts putting on weight. Bloodworms soaked in the med+Garlic guard are my go-to when trying get a fish to eat and keep food down. I hope this helps. Sorry about the lengthy post, but wasting can be very tricky, and you need to act fast. The fish will literally starve to death.

I am curious what the GH is, but regardless...that looks like Columnaris to me.

Kanaplex is quite effective in the food. Definitely get your hands on some Focus, and mix into the food with Kanaplex. To be honest, don't go crazy trying to measure out perfect amounts. Just put and even sprinkle or two of each, and let soak into the food. I use Garlic Guard in the soak, as it can stimulate the feeding. I have also used Maracyn 2 in the food, which is a good Kanaplex substitute.

I wouldn't euthanize yet, simply given you haven't tried 2 very useful tools for medication....Kanaplex and Salt. If both are eating, try the Kanaplex in the food, as that is the most direct method. Pay careful attention to the Molly and her eating...regarding wasting. Eating (or not eating) characteristics can lead towards the best med to tackle it. Wasting disease can be tricky, but can certainly be cured.

What is the ammonia level? Given you are showing 0 nitrates, it is a safe bet to assume your tank is still cycling. Ammonia can be deadly to fish, and is a very important parameter to measure while during tank cycling.