Sick Galaxy Rasbora - I don't know what is this

[Vafloo]

Hello Guys,

 

My name is Tomek. I'm from Poland. I have a sick Galaxy Rasbora and I'm looking for help how to treat it. 

 

Here is the story.

 

Just before Christmas I bought 8 Galaxy Rasboras and I've put them in 30 liters tank with Neocaridina Shrimps. This is seasoned tank as it was launched around 1 year ago. It is being filtered with internal filter with large sponge. After Christmas and just before New Year I've noticed some issue with one fish. It was very slim, not eating (even if it has food sminning by just before it's nose), constantly opening and closing its mouth (looked like breathing through mouth), apathetic, not shoaling with other fishes, but rather staying away from other fishes. Here is video of this fish at that time:

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dgLVGLj7Dsu4Rxhp7

 

Other 7 fish seemed to be OK, they were active, eating, chasing around in aquarium. 

 

I decided to separate this ill fish. I did not know what is going on, so I dedided to try to treat it for bactrial infection (with Sera Bactopur/Bacroforte - this is what I had at home). Currently, after a week of separation the fish is still alive, but I still don't see it eating and it looks even worse:

 

 

 

 

Additionally, I have impression that another fish in the main tank might get the same illness as it is really slim and is not shoaling with other fishes:

 

 

I've tested water, but I don't see anything wrong:

 

NO3: around 20-25
NO2: 0
GH: 8
KH: 6
pH: 7
Temp. 26 st. C

 

I would appreciate any advices what to do.

 

Many thanks in advance!

Tomek

[eatyourpeas]

So sorry you are going through this. I am experiencing a similar situation with my Galaxies, and lost over half of them. They came sick from LFS, and looking very similar to yours. I am tagging @Colu so he can offer advice.

Mine are currently being treated for Columnaris, following a Kanaplex and Furan regime. At day five I am not seeing obvious results, but there have been no additional deaths, so hopefully they can get through this.

 

[quikv6]

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.

Edited January 7, 2022 by quikv6

[Colu]

Looking at the pictures it could be wasting disease with the sunken belly and not eating  as your in Poland I would treat Esha ndx active ingredient is levamisole it shrimp safe or a product containing flubendazole it not shrimp safe as  @quikv6

Edited January 7, 2022 by Colu

[Vafloo]

Many thanks guys. Today I was able to buy something with Levimasole and something else with Metronidazol, so I will try the one with Levimasole.  I will add it to the fish in quarantine and also to the tank and let's hope it will help.

I didn't find anything with Flubendazole, but I would be afraid to use it anyway if it is not shrimp safe.

 

 

[Colu]

On 1/7/2022 at 6:41 PM, Vafloo said:

Many thanks guys. Today I was able to buy something with Levimasole and something else with Metronidazol, so I will try the one with Levimasole.  I will add it to the fish in quarantine and also to the tank and let's hope it will help.

I didn't find anything with Flubendazole, but I would be afraid to use it anyway if it is not shrimp safe.

 

 

Metronidazole isn't effective against the internal parasites that cause wasting disease I would recommend treating with levamisole once a week for 3weeks if your using it to treat the water column it's more effective if added to food he's a recipe @Vafloo

Edited January 13, 2022 by Colu

[Vafloo]

Thanks. I will try to soak the food, but since I am not sure if all fish do eat, I will also dose to water column. 

[Colu]

I wouldn't do medicated food and dose the  tank as well if your not sure there eating I would just dose the tank

Edited January 8, 2022 by Colu

[Vafloo]

Short update from my side. Since saturday I'm treating the tank with Levimasole in water column and I also soaked the food and I give it every 2-3 days. So far all fish are alive including "patient number 1", but he is even skinnier then ever before, I still didn't notice him eating and I'm afraid he will eventually die soon. Other fish seems to be OK. "Patient 2" is skinny, but I've seen him eating today, so I hope he will be OK. I continue treatment and I will keep you updated.  

[Guppysnail]

As @Colu mentioned metronidazole. I had an incoming group a couple years ago with 2 affected cpd that looked like this only nowhere near as severe as yours. I used seachem metroplex with focus. They did recover. I’m not a great meds person or diagnostic person just wanted to share that.

[quikv6]

Is patient #1 trying to eat? Do everything you can to stimulate appetite, like soaking tiny bloodworms in garlic guard. I'd defintely add a touch of levamisole too, though if you see him eat without the med soaked in, stick with that. You just have to get him eating if you can.

[Vafloo]

Unfortunately I've lost patient #1 - he did not want to eat, no matter what I did. It seems that I might have also lost one more fish, because there should be 7 of them and I can never see more than 6 at the same time, but I am not 100% sure as the tank is quite heavy planted, so there is plenty places to hide. 

Anyway, those fish which I can see seems to be OK. I think I will keep treating them with levimasole for 1 more week with half dosage, just in case, any maybe also with metronidazole (half dosage - just prophylactic).

Anyway, thank you so much for your help here. Although I lost the fish, I am sure that without your help there would be more losses. 

[quikv6]

Sorry you lost him. You did your best, and everything is some level of a learning process, which can soften the blow. I have had quite a few fish suffer from this "wasting disease."  They have all been platies, I would really like to know how to completely prevent it, but if that is not possible, it is always good to have the tools and knowledge to be able to recognize and treat it. It feels really good to see these fish flip a switch and start eating and gaining weight again.

Good luck with the rest of yours. I hope for the best.