Could I have Fish TB?

[Jason910]

Anyone dealt with Fish TB before? 

Im not certain I have it but very concerned and afraid I do. 
 

I have 3 fish tanks and lost over half my stock of fish from what appears to be multiple diseases. It started in my 75 gallon community tank with losing a few fish to no signs of illness or signs of anything on their body. Then it hit my Guppies by seeing them more inactive, less hungry and becoming skinny. I quarantined the sick ones I noticed right away and started Maracyn & paracleanse together. Few days later my guppy started having swimming problems like he couldn’t swim up from the bottom and got a real curved spine like he was bent. Day or two later same thing happened to another guppy and than died. So I tried other meds like Kanaplex and metroplex, did two courses and even tried with putting in their food. My guppies kept dying, one each day and other random fish like 3 serpae tetras, 2 panda loachs, rummy nose tetra, 2 German rams and a few others if you get the hint. I’ve also tried API General Cure, erythromycin, and Furan 2. It seems nothing has worked or stopped this disease. My guppies also have had worms this whole time, that hasn’t gone away either, they keep pooping out. I’ve had 12 guppies and down to 2. Lost at least over 20 fish. I’m ready to start over and try to bleach all my equipment but worried this could happen again and totally wipe me out of the hobby for good. I love this hobby and don’t know what to do??? Any help I really appreciate it. 

[Colu]

If it fish TB they is no effective treatment available it highly infectious your best option is to euthanize any sick fish 

[AdamTill]

Sorry you’re going through this, and sadly I do have experience.

In my case we had two of our senior breeder ranchu die in quick succession, with only the barest of notice. It was a case of “uh oh, my spidey sense is saying something is off” one day, dead the next. Not a good sign.

After the second died we took it to a vet for necropsy, and they passed it along to the university lab. We all feared the same thing, and were correct...TB. All the organs were super infected.

We had a two month old baby (human) at home at the time, and in light of the possibility of human transmission, the vet asked us to destroy all our livestock. In our case that was 35 tanks of fish.

We were maniacal about quarantine to the point of having dedicated equipment and a separate room,  and used heavy hitting meds on all newcomers (Clout and a few others, basically the nuclear option you can’t even get anymore). Still made it through.

We eventually traced it back to fish we’d had for 6 months or more. They were the last in, and both succumbed in the same way. So it had made it way past our 3 month regular qt, and into general population where equipment was mixed etc.

Since it’s super contagious and untreatable in most cases, my family went to the relatives and I spent the worst two days of my life destroying all our fish in respirators and protective gear. I wanted to try to save some equipment, but my wife didn’t want to risk it. The spores can survive a long time even on dry gear, and we were terrified it would survive in the seam of an aquarium etc. Everything has to be cleaned with alcohol if you do want to try, TB is bleach proof.

We paid a company that did restorations and basement clean outs (sewer backs ups etc) to come in and clean out all the tanks etc and take it all away. They were equipped to do it. Many, many thousands of dollars.

So that’s my experience. Basically, it sucks. I contacted the vendor who sold us the fish to warn them (who I knew in person, had visited in California etc) and they have never to date returned any of my communications. I wasn’t even blaming them, but they just went silent.

Dont mess around with it if you’re even a little unsure, and good luck. I can’t advise beyond this.

Edited January 13, 2021 by AdamTill

[Jason910]

Wow! That sounds like my worst nightmare coming true. I just started this hobby almost a year ago. I read the only way you can 100% find out I have it, is by taking it to a vet and have it cut open? Is there any other signs or ways to tell if I have it or not? I guess I’m going to be looking up a Vet to bring my fish into. Thank you for information. 

[AdamTill]

30 minutes ago, Jason910 said:

Wow! That sounds like my worst nightmare coming true. I just started this hobby almost a year ago. I read the only way you can 100% find out I have it, is by taking it to a vet and have it cut open? Is there any other signs or ways to tell if I have it or not? I guess I’m going to be looking up a Vet to bring my fish into. Thank you for information. 

I don’t know of them well enough to provide much info, and frankly, you don’t want to be wrong. The antibiotic treatments you have to take if you get it arent a joke.