Mystery Illness

Loric · Post by **Loric** » 21 Aug 2004, 23:32

Really hoping someone can help me out here..... I have sadly lost a plec and seem to be about to lose another. I have a number of different plecos in a large (100G) aquarium and have never had any problems with their health, but I found one dead a few days ago, and noticed the others just sat about. They did not feed and didn't try to hide like I would expect. I was most concerned with my 3.5" L114 and 3" Rusty pleco which seemed to be twitching and sat in the open, and so moved them to my quarantine tank (they didn't even try to move when I picked them up). 4 days later and they are absolutley fine, (the plecos in the main tank all seem recovered too) and so I put them back into my main aquarium again. It has now been about 6 hours since I put them back and I have just noticed my Golden Nugget sat in the same way, looking pale, twitching and not trying to hide. To clarify-

Water parameters
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 20ppm
Ph 6.8
I have also checked copper levels (0ppm) as I treated the discus for velvet recently. The last pleco to be added was a small L014, which was quarantined for 2 weeks before being put in the main tank. Despite the water tests being ok, I did a 30% water change when the plecs first looked unwell. (I normally change 25% once a week)

Tank occupants- Discus, cardinal tetra, rummy nose tetra, corydoras and plecos.

I am wondering if this could be a viral problem, as all the other fish are absolutely fine, and this seems to only be affecting the plecos.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am very worried that I may lose more unless I do something.....

Loric · Post by **Loric** » 22 Aug 2004, 09:33

2 more dead plecos this morning- my Golden nugget (that was in the quarantine tank) and my L168, both with no visable signs of illness/disease........ PLEASE can someone suggest anything that could be causing this or what to treat them with- I can't understand what is going on and I really need help!

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 22 Aug 2004, 15:47

Hi!

How recent was the velvet problem with the discus?

How long has it been between the moment you treated them and the death outbreak?
How long since you introduce your L114 and the daeth outbreak?

How the fins, the the mouth and the anus look? Any red marks like blood and stuff?

Cheers
Yann

Loric · Post by **Loric** » 22 Aug 2004, 17:22

Hi Yann,

The velvet problem happened about 2 weeks ago when I added 2 new discus. They had the last lot of treatment about 5 days ago, and no longer have velvet. The first death occured about a week after treating the tank.
The L114 was originally in the tank but I removed it when it looked unwell (twitching and not hiding) and after about 4 days in the quarantine tank it recovered fully.
The L014 (last plec to be introduced) was added to the tank about 3 days ago, when all the plecs were behaving normally and seemingly healthy. After the first 2 deaths, the plecos then all seemed recovered and were behaving perfectly normally, but then about 4 days later they were all looking ill again and I have lost 2 more. Whatever it is, it seemed to go away but has now come back again.
I have looked at all the bodies and have found no red areas, and no damage/signs of illness on them at all, however when the plecs were ill and before they died they all had their fins fully erect?
Having been researching illness's the only thing that seems similar is blood flagellates? I have some Acriflavine, protozin and Melafix and can get any other treatments that may help?

I'm really at a loss as to what is wrong, but am terrified of losing all of them.....

Thanks for your reply and any help you can give!

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 23 Aug 2004, 07:25

Hi!

Do you have quarantine each fish before introduction and how long?

One of the new fish introduce could have carried a parasit (that wasn't harmfull for him but in this case was for the others)...

A possibility might be the Treatment you gave to your discus... especially if the fish are doing better when place in another tank!

One the remaing fish were feeling better, was it after a water change?

Cheers
Yann

Loric · Post by **Loric** » 23 Aug 2004, 07:35

Yann, thanks for your reply.
I quarantine new fish for 2 weeks before adding to main tank. Strangely they all seem to be behaving normally now, but I don't want to risk losing any more. The water change did not make a difference as they still seemed unwell after I did it.
I will keep a very close eye on them and see what happens.

Thanks for your help!