Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 26, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 26, 2011 (edited) This morning medi-gold...Elmo: 6, Smokey: 5 and Sparky: 3 Can I soak them (the medi-gold) in garlic juice? They don't seem to like this food as much as the Thera-A. Edited December 26, 2011 by Kayla102968 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 26, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 26, 2011 Let's not for now. You can break them into smaller pieces, to see if that helps 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2011 I think that it just looks like they don't enjoy them as much because they are bigger and they take longer to chew...so they can't chase after 4 at a time like the 2mm thera-a pellets. Should I expect them to lose some weight over the next 14 days since they are getting fed less than usual? Which is more harmful to their kidneys...if I feed smaller amounts more times a day, or if I feed larger amounts fewer times a day...or is it based on the total number of pellets fed a day? Today I saw Smokey had a normal poop, I did notice however that he has a black line of colouration on his anal fin, you can see it in the video. I hope this is just a colour change and not something new that is wrong. Here is today's video: Thanks, Kayla 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 27, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2011 I think he's ok. The black could have been having from a chemical burn, such as salt or ammonia. The aim with medicated foods is that they get 2-3% of their weight in the feed daily. It's possible to feed them once per day, but multiple times per day is better, since they don't have a stomach, and small frequent meals are better. I think that if you can, get them used to several small meals a day that add up to what you normally feed them in total in one day, even when they are back on Thera-A. Btw, I love NLS pellets 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2011 I love NLS pellets too...and my fish go crazy for them. So tonight I noticed that Elmo has long, stringy, white poop again. I also noticed that he is getting very white on his belly area and it's moving up his sides. Is he just suddenly changing colour or does this mean he is really sick, or is it because he is on antibiotic food? It just seems so strange cause the change in colour happened so suddenly. When do you think I should expect to see the white bump on Smokey's nose start to disappear? I'm also wondering if my tank lost it's cycle when I salted. Today the parameters were Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 and Nitrate: 0-5. I guess it could have been due to the back to back w/c's on Sunday. Here is a video showing Elmo's change in colour and his long, white, stringy poop. http://s1088.photobucket.com/albums/i322/Kayla102968/Goldfish/?action=view¤t=MVI_3464.mp4 I'll update again sometime tomorrow. Kayla 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 27, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) Firstly, I don't think that you've lost your cycle, but definitely you have nearly zero nitrates because of the back to back water changes. I looked at the video, and the really promising thing is that everyone is active and happy. You can probably expect the stringy poop, especially in light of a suspected bacterial infection and also because antibiotics can/do mess up the digestive system balance. Just keep watching, as you always do, but I think you are OK. Elmo looks to me like he's going through the midst of a color change...to white. At first I was really worried, thinking it's rapidly spreading columnaris, but this is just shiny white scales Edit: I will assume they each ate a respectable amount of M-G, since you didn't say anything to the contrary. Edited December 27, 2011 by dnalex 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 28, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 28, 2011 Water parameters tonight: pH: 8.0, ammonia: 0-0.25, nitrites: 0, nitrates: 5-10 Smokey still has the white, raised area on his nose. Here is today's video: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 28, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 28, 2011 Looks good. Hang in there. It doesn't look like the white has gotten any larger, so that's a great sign. I would go ahead and Prazi the tank as well, tank advantage of the fact that they are being protected by the antibiotic foods from secondary infections. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 28, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 28, 2011 I did the first dose of Prazi on Sunday night...so today is the end of day 2 of Prazi. I may have to do a water change tomorrow (end of day 3)...but that is probably when the Prazi first dose loses its effectiveness anyway, and I should give a 2 day break and then Prazi again on Friday? Thanks, Kayla 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 28, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 28, 2011 Perfect. You are on top of things! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) Today the white area looks different. I think there might be some slime coat around it or something...it looks hazier on top of the pinkish white strip. Here are the videos from this evening. It looks like 2 white pimple like balls on top of the pinkish white strip (there was only one ball before)...and then some haziness (translucent colour) around it. Edited December 29, 2011 by Kayla102968 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 I'm going to hold off on the w/c til tomorrow evening...the water parameters were: ammonia: 0, nitrite: 0 , nitrate: 10 - 20 (but closer to 10). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 29, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 Hi, Kayla. Is it possible for you to set up a QT with some of the cycled media from the main tank, as you continue to treat Smokey and friends? I had wanted to keep retain Smokey in the tank and let everyone get another round of Prazi, but I think now that the Prazi round is done, it is much better to isolate Smokey and treat in the QT. This way, we minimize the possibility of spreading to the other two, and you can also make sure he gets the exact amount of Medi-Gold each time. I would also like to try Melafix along with the Medi-Gold. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 I have been making sure that he gets at least 6 pellets (6-7)...5 or 6 times a day. Elmo usually gets about the same or a few (1-2)more and Sparky gets the fewest (4 or 5). I'm just heading out the door right now so I'll get back to you on the quarantine...I'm a little worried about putting him in a 40 gallon tupperware since I'm scared he will jump out without a lid. Is it possible I could move Sparky and Elmo into the 125 gallon (I'd have to pick up 2 ac110's)...and keep Smokey in the 45 long....but I also don't want to move Sparky and Elmo into the big tank if they are going to need more prazipro etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 29, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 When you come back, let's review the state of things, and may be I can help in deciding how best to place them. How is the white spot today? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 29, 2011 Can I use Melafix in the main tank with everyone getting the Medi-gold? He's been in with these two for quite some time now, so I hate to not treat them as well. So I don't need to do any more doses of Prazipro? The white mark on his nose moves in the water as he swims...the top of it lifts up like a flap (still white underneath)...could it just be an injury with a lot of hazy slime coat around it? He sure doesn't act really sick. I don't like putting fish in the rubbermaid tub I have since it doesn't have a lid, plus it is dark blue and I can't see him in there. I'm going to do a 50% w/c tonight...so you don't want me to redose Prazi, but you want me to put Melafix back in? How about Pimafix (could that be helpful too...or not so much?). Thanks for all your help. Kayla 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 30, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 You can definitely use Melafix, but you should use it half-dose. The white spot is definitely not slimecoat. How do you feel about using a wet cotton swab to swab the spot? Nothing on the swab, except wetting it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 (edited) I have some baby ear q-tips I could use...could I cause more problems by touching it? I don't mind doing it if he can't be harmed...he comes up to the top of the tank to eat so I can swab it at the top of the water. I got a pretty good video of the white spot tonight...here it is: I noticed today Smokey has really thin white stringy poop. I'll add the half dose of Melafix and wait to hear about the swabbing. How hard do I swab...just softly? Thanks, Kayla Edited December 30, 2011 by Kayla102968 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 30, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 Actually, I think if you are going to swab it, I would do it in a different container, so that you can decontaminate the container after getting rid of the ball of bacteria that you just wiped off. This way, the bacteria don't get re-introduced back into the water of the main tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 I really don't like moving fish from one container to the next, it stresses me out and it probably stresses them out. I don't even think I have a net and I worry about them jumping out and getting injured. That being said...if you think it's important...I'll do it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 30, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 I do think it's important to try to swab it off with with a Q-tip wetted with tank water. Don't use a net, but try to scoop him out in some sort of container. The whole procedure should not take more than a couple of minutes. It probably annoys him to be take out and swab, but we are not using any chemicals, and I think it would be good to get it off of him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 My mom and dad came to visit today from Canada and they think it is cotton mouth. What is that? Could it be that? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 30, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 My mom and dad came to visit today from Canada and they think it is cotton mouth. What is that? Could it be that? That's what I've been telling you it is. Columnaris, or cotton mouth, is caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kayla102968 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 (edited) Sorry, I didn't realize that cotton mouth and columnaris were the same bacteria. Okay...so shouldn't melafix fix that? If I put him in a quarantine tank (what size would I need?) could I do a full dose of Melafix, or should I still only do half? I can go to Petco tonight and grab a tank...what is the best size for him? Thanks, Kayla Edited December 30, 2011 by Kayla102968 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member dnalex Posted December 30, 2011 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2011 We don't want columnaris to spread, and this is a bacterium that could spread quickly. I would say that you could use Melafix, but use it in conjunction with the Medi-Gold & at half dose. If you can get the 20 gallon to use as QT, that would be great. He will need his own filter and air bubbler (especially because of Melafix). You can steal some of the filter media from the cycled filter to seed the QT tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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