Help! clown kilifish / banded panchax clamped fins

[Arale]

Water Parameters:

• pH (7.6)
• Nitrates (normal using test strip) 
• Hardness (150ppm)
• Nitrite (normal using test strip) 
• Ammonia (normal using test strip) 
• KH/Buffer (120ppm)
• Water Temperature (76)

I have had these guys (four total) for at least 3 months now. Recently about a week one of them started exhibiting clamped fin in the tail (I did not know what was happening). And couple days ago, another started exhibiting the same.

I have not noticed any signs of ich (white spots) or velvet (rust like) so I guess it is stress?

Everybody else seems to be doing okay, crystal shrimps, guppies, badis, celestial danio... I checked the water (API liquid test kit) and params seem within normal ranges. Have not introduced anything new to the tank. The water quality is very clear, not cloudy at all. I cleaned the canister filter yesterday and it was dirty.

Has this happened to everyone else and what did you do to help your fish?

PS. Should I try using API Stress Coat+, Melafix or Aquarium Salt? 

Thanks,

Edited October 29, 2021 by Arale
added more text

[Fish Folk]

On 10/29/2021 at 3:05 PM, Arale said:

Water Parameters:

• pH (7.6)
• Nitrates (normal using test strip) 
• Hardness (150ppm)
• Nitrite (normal using test strip) 
• Ammonia (normal using test strip) 
• KH/Buffer (120ppm)
• Water Temperature (76)

I have had these guys (four total) for at least 3 months now. Recently about a week one of them started exhibiting clamped fin in the tail (I did not know what was happening). And couple days ago, another started exhibiting the same.

I have not noticed any signs of ich (white spots) or velvet (rust like) so I guess it is stress?

Everybody else seems to be doing okay, crystal shrimps, guppies, badis, celestial danio... I checked the water (API liquid test kit) and params seem within normal ranges. Have not introduced anything new to the tank. The water quality is very clear, not cloudy at all. I cleaned the canister filter yesterday and it was dirty.

Has this happened to everyone else and what did you do to help your fish?

PS. Should I try using API Stress Coat+, Melafix or Aquarium Salt? 

Thanks,

So very sorry to hear. They are beautiful fish. Did you add new fish or new plants within the last 2 weeks? Have you observed the Killis interact with the Badis long enough to ensure that there is no aggression? What is your tank size? Do you have a separate quarantine tank set up?

[Arale]

On 10/29/2021 at 12:38 PM, Fish Folk said:

So very sorry to hear. They are beautiful fish. Did you add new fish or new plants within the last 2 weeks? Have you observed the Killis interact with the Badis long enough to ensure that there is no aggression? What is your tank size? Do you have a separate quarantine tank set up?

Thank you for the reply. Re your questions, no, no new fish nor plants within last 2 weeks. I never see the Killis interact with the Badis actually (1 male 2 females). One of the larger Killis do chase the others sometimes and so does our male Blue-Gold guppy those are the only aggressive behaviors I have observed. The tank size is 10G and we have the following:

4 Tetras; 3 adult Guppies + 2 babies; 3 Badis; 3 Celestial Danio; 2 Khuli Loaches; about 12 red crystal / blue bolt shrimps 

We have another small 3G planted tank with only baby shrimps and snails, for now, I have moved them over there just in case if it is due to aggression induced stress.

[Colu]

When you say your water parameters are normal what are they do have any ammonia or nitrites or are they all at zero

[Arale]

On 10/29/2021 at 4:41 PM, Colu said:

When you say your water parameters are normal what are they do have any ammonia or nitrites or are they all at zero

Sorry coz I am only using test strips but they are approximately:

• Nitrate - 0 or very close to 0 (less than 10 for sure)
• Nitrite - 0 or very close to 0 (less than 1 for sure)
• Chloride - 0 or very close to 0 (less than 0.8)

[Colu]

What I would do is 50% water change use a double dose prime just in case there's any chorine or nitirtes they clearly don't look happy  some times all it takes is large water change if after that they still have clamped fins I would add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon 5 gallons that will help with Gill function and add essential electrolytes at that level it won't harm your plants also have you noticed any signs of parasites White stringy poop flashing heavy breathing 

[Arale]

On 10/29/2021 at 7:52 PM, Colu said:

What I would do is 50% water change use a double dose prime just in case there's any chorine or nitirtes they clearly don't look happy  some times all it takes is large water change if after that they still have clamped fins I would add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon 5 gallons that will help with Gill function and add essential electrolytes at that level it won't harm your plants also have you noticed any signs of parasites White stringy poop flashing heavy breathing 

okay i will try that, thank you. Will keep you guys posted.  (Just ordered some aquarium salt, arriving in 2 days). 

RE parasites, i noticed there were traces amount of wiggly stringy worms when i was cleaning out the canister filter. 

[Colu]

On 10/30/2021 at 4:25 AM, Arale said:

RE parasites, i noticed there were traces amount of wiggly stringy worms when i was cleaning out the canister filter. 

If there were white stringy worms it more then likely detritus worms nothing to worry about

[Arale]

On 10/29/2021 at 9:23 PM, Colu said:

If there were white stringy worms it more then likely detritus worms nothing to worry about

Hmmm so right now they are in the "quarantine" tank (planted with only snails and shrimps) and I just did a water change and I found something I have never seen before... they are fairly tiny size of a seasame, quite fast moving and looks like a slug? Are these known as "Rhabdocoela" flat worms? 

 

[Colu]

Am not sure maybe some one else can chip in

[Guppysnail]

My eyesight is not the best but the shape is similar to some type of a leech species possibly. Look up leech pictures and try to match. Does it hold on with one end and sway?  I’m including a decent pic from the internet of a rhabdocoela they are smaller and white. 

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Guppysnail

[Torrey]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:59 PM, Arale said:

Hmmm so right now they are in the "quarantine" tank (planted with only snails and shrimps) and I just did a water change and I found something I have never seen before... they are fairly tiny size of a seasame, quite fast moving and looks like a slug? Are these known as "Rhabdocoela" flat worms? 

 

 

Are you able to put it in another container to get better pictures?

[Arale]

On 11/1/2021 at 7:20 AM, Torrey said:

Are you able to put it in another container to get better pictures?

Here is a better picture. (taken just now Monday morning)

Quick update:

• Since the water change and double dose of Seachem Prime since Friday evening, not seen any improvement :/ 
• The Amazon delivery of Aquarium Salt is being delayed so I added API Stress Coat+ last night (double dose) last night hopefully that will help

On 10/30/2021 at 9:42 AM, Guppysnail said:

My eyesight is not the best but the shape is similar to some type of a leech species possibly. Look up leech pictures and try to match. Does it hold on with one end and sway?  I’m including a decent pic from the internet of a rhabdocoela they are smaller and white. 

 

thanks for the info, yeah they were so super tiny it was hard to tell, looked like a leech or slug to me, about the size of a seasme, they were moving wicked fast 

[Colu]

On 11/1/2021 at 5:22 PM, Arale said:

• Since the water change and double dose of Seachem Prime since Friday evening, not seen any improvement 😕
• The Amazon delivery of Aquarium Salt is being delayed so I added API Stress Coat+ last night (double dose) last night hopefully that will help

If they still have clamped fins a would treat with kanaplex or maracyn2 as it could be a bacterial infection if there showing no signs of parasitic infection

[Arale]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:39 AM, Colu said:

If they still have clamped fins a would treat with kanaplex or maracyn2 as it could be a bacterial infection if there showing no signs of parasitic infection

I've added Aquarium Salt yesterday evening, so far no change. If still no sign of improvement, how many more days should I wait before trying kanaplex or maracyn2?  Thanks! 🙏

[Arale]

(!) You know, now that I think about it , I do remember at one point, one of them was rubbing herself against the substrate. This only happened a couple times maybe 3-4 days ago. Could it indicate it is parasite (ich) afterall? 

I am looking at this chart:
https://apifishcare.com/pdfs/products-us/melafix/api-diagnosing-&-treating-sick-fish-chart.pdf

And the "subclinical parasitic infestation" seems to fit what is happening. 

[Arale]

bad news, i just found one of them dead ... 😣 <sigh>

[Colu]

What I would do is treat with kanaplex and metroplex together in food to cover all bases