quikv6

Thanks Hanna. He has been without tankmates for about 5 years. He was in a very neglected environment for years at an adjacent workplace in a 46 gallon bowfront. None of the other fish had survived. When I came across the tank, I asked to test the water. PH was around 5.0, Nitrates were over 600ppm, 0 GH, 0 KH. I immediately took over maintenance, got the tank in order, and got him a bigger home to a 75 gallon. He colored up, and became more active. It's nice to see a senior fish that was neglected finally thrive. I don't want to stress him with a tankmate, but also want to give him an opportunity to be social, if that's a real thing. Basically, I just want to do what's best for him, and looking for advice here. Thanks!

Hi all, I am looking for a tankmate recommendation for a black banded leporinus. He is almost 10 years old, and has been alone for much of his life. When he wasn't alone, he was a real S.O.B. with other fish. He is currently about 10+ inches long, and in a 75 Gallon tank w/an AQ 110 and 2 Sponge filters. Water parameters hover around: PH - 7.0, GH - 100ppm, KH - 80ppm. I was thinking one Oscar, or possible a couple of large Blood Parrots or Severums. I'd like something that can hold their own, and keep any aggression to a minimum. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

If the fish has eaten recently, I would not consider euthanizing. If you have not tried Kanaplex (or other Gram-Negative med, such as Maracyn 2), I also would not consider euthanizing. Kanaplex in the food can be a really solid medication. Give it a shot.

You can use prime to help detox any ammonia. The fry need to be fed often. I think you should try to get frozen baby brine shrimp cubes. To me, they're less messy than crumbled flake food, and are great for the fry.

Great advice above. Extra air stone and salt are great suggestions. The only thing I will add is that it looks like Maracyn has been used in the past a few times. A resistance of sorts can be built up, and the same med won't yield the safe effectiveness. You may be better off with another broad spectrum antibiotic such as Kanaplex.

Has the tank been cycled? I noticed you have zero nitrates?

You can use Prime to "detox" the nitrite (if it works as the label suggests), otherwise a water change should be the other true removal method until your bacteria catch up. I have used IchX before. It works great, but the water changes are exhausting. If you can get the fizz tabs, that along with KanaPlex should help the platy.

If you are going to do a large (50% or over) water change in one shot, I would test the tank water first, and test the tap. Make sure they are reasonably close in GH/KH/PH. You may find that the tank water has acidified greatly due to neglect, and has a very low PH with no buffer. If the tap water is harder with a significantly higher PH, you may be better/safer off doing daily 25% water changes for a week to get the tank in order, so as not to "shock" the fish. I had stumbled upon a very neglected tank at my old workplace. When I tested the water, I could not believe there was a fish living in it; a senior banded Leporinus. Nitrates were around 500ppm, and the PH was around 5.0-5.5. It took me two weeks of doing 20-25% waterchanges to gradually get the tank back close to tap parameters. Once I did, the fish livened up and really colored up too. I still look after the tank weekly. The Leporinus is still the only fish. He's almost 10 years old. My point being...don't freak if the Nitrates are off the charts. You will get that down sooner than later. It doesn't have to be all in one shot.

I second wasting. Spitting may be the equivalent of a "Sore throat" in fish, due to the parasite. Expel P or Flubendazole. I have found Levamisole to work better in the food, where Flubendazole works just as good in the water column. This really helps if the fish is spitting and not ingesting the food.

I am assuming you are talking about an uplift tube. (I believe only the Co-op's tube is green, but other manufacturers are clear. ) You can take it off completely if you'd like. Shortening it shouldn't cause any issues either. Perhaps there's a very small, negligible difference in lift. Do what works best for you and your tank.

The Maracyn could've also hurt the beneficial bacteria slightly, where the tank is not as efficient in processing it.

Don't give up. It can be super frustrating, but is is equally rewarding when you save a fish with your efforts and dedication. I don't believe the PetSmrt/Co stores to be the issue. Even if they are, you have to move forward. That Platy looks rough, but you can give it your best shot. The salt is a great start. Be sure there is a couple degrees of KH in the water, to prevent PH from dropping/crashing. Crushed coral is your friend here. As for treatment, I'd dose the Fizz tabs right away, and you can add the Kanaplex when you get it. It does look like there is some Ich spots. I have never used Ick-x and Furan (fizz tabs) together, so I can't speak to that. I will say, sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and go for it.

Walmart does stock Jungle Fungus tabs. Since Furan 2 was discontinued, folks have resorted to using the Jungle tabs instead. They have been difficult to find because of this. As for mouth rot, it is most likely Columnaris. I would follow Colu's advice, and start it as soon as you can. I had one fish with mouth rot. She lost most of her upper lip before I could stop it. With that being said, she still managed to eat, though it was more difficult to feed, and I had to spot feed her. She managed to suck in plenty of VibraBites, as that was the easiest for her to eat. She continued to look happy throughout. I try to never euthanize, as there is always a chance of a rebound. I have had it happen, and it really feels rewarding, especially on a fish that you would've never guessed would survive.

Yes, I do, unfortunately. Looks like some mild fin rot as well.

Yes, squeezing out the filter into the media of the newer filter can help. So, while you are waiting for the GH/KH test, definitely resort to some aquarium salt, and dose with Prime, to bind any Nitrites or Ammonia. You can also raise GH with some products like Seachem Replenish, Equilibrium, or Wonder Shell. You can raise KH (and in turn, PH) with baking soda, but you need to be VERY careful with that. Crushed coral would be much safer, though slower.

Dropsy is a really tough one. It is a symptom, rather than a cause, which makes it extra difficult to treat. There was a member here who successfully treated a goldfish with it recently, so I would search for that thread. My first go-to would be Kanaplex, both in the water column, and in the food. You can also do some Epsom salt baths to help reduce fluid.

Looks to be columnaris. Yes, you can fix it, but you really may want to figure out why this got hold. 1) Are you sure the tank is cycled? You have zero nitrates, which can indicate the tank has not cycled, or the cycle was disturbed. 2) Livebearers like harder water with minerals. You don't know the GH or KH, and your PH is a bit low for them. It can also go much lower, if you have no KH. I would make GH/KH a priority to find out. In the meantime, you can add some salt to assist in the recovery. 1 TBSP/5 gallons should be fine to start, even if you have plants in the tank. 3) Columnaris - treated with KanaPlex+Nitrofurazone (Jungle Fungus Fizz tabs).

Is the KH always 0?

That doesn't look like Ick to me. I have no experience with velvet, though perhaps it could be epistylis as well.

If you choose to use Epsom salt in the tank (as opposed to a 15-20 minute bath), be cognizant that it can alter your GH towards the harder side.

I am sorry as well.

I echo feeding. Sometimes folks jump into medicating as part of a quarantine process, where they fast the fish. Sometimes this could do more harm than good, as they fish may already have been fasted for a week or more, given shipping considerations. Food, or food+meds/salt would be optimal, as opposed to omitting the food.

It can deal a small blow to BB in newer, non-mature tanks. If your tank has been established for awhile, I wouldn't worry about it. Additionally, If the fish really needs the med, then I think it's okay to let that need guide you, and just monitor/water change/detoxify(Prime) any small bump in ammonia/nitrite from the Maracyn. So in summary, the answer is yes, it can (though may not) have an effect, but that can be managed as well.

By stuff, I would recommend some crush'd coral, both in the substrate, and filter, if possible. It's more natural with less potential for error than the baking soda/"PH up" methods.

It could be fungus or columnaris....both of which can be the symptom, and not necessarily the cause of the problem. With a KH of 0, and PH Below 6.4, I think it may be difficult for guppies to thrive. The KH of zero can cause a rapid PH crash, causing the issues.