fish parasites, help please

[Lorie]

Hi, I've had my tank for a year and 3 months. Originally in 30 gal tank; with same fish 2 black line loaches, white skirt and bleeding heart tetra, and two albino rainbow sharks, 1 lonely neon and a huge sucker fish. End of December 2004 switched over existing substrate and at least 1/2 existing water and biowheel to a 55 gallon tank. I waited alittle over a month; all the while throughout this time doing weekly water changes. 10 gallons in 30 gallons and in 55 gallon 12 gallons. Throughout this time I have tested water chemistries. Ammonia stays at o or very minimal nitrates 20-40 PPM and nitrites 0. I thought Ph was fine but later found out I had a bad tester. Its high alkalinity but same as tap water. over 8, which my LFS says leave alone, they dont do anything to their water. I'm skeptical but need to get the disease situation under control before I do anything.

The problem started about a little over two months ago. I added a neon buddy, a ramshorn snail, and traded my sucker fish since he was 10 inches long, I also added some live plants (java fern, and something else floats at top. The new neon was fine for over a month then suddenly died over night, no visible signs of neon tetra disease no faded colors or any markings on the body. 3 days later my original neon died which I was so sad. I figured it was due to a broken heart. Then 1-2 weeks later My favorite loach acted wierd. A brown substance came out of belly, and then when it dislodged a red fiber hung out. Two days later he was dead. It happened so fast and I knew something was wrong. All happened late at night and in middle of work week. I cried my eyes out, LFS saw body said a parasite. LFS said death of other two stressed loach out was susceptible to already existing parasite. I treated for 5 days secondary bacterial infection per LFS. Two weeks later no problems. I missed my fish. I fell in love with my loaches and decided I wanted multiple compatible loach species. Tried to find original still no luck yet. Bought 2 clown loaches and two kulli loaches. Put directly into tank. I feel like an idiot now. I believe in quarantine and have learned my lesson.

I was nervous about introducing 4 fish at once LFS suggested buy rid ich, and treating 1 day at half dose as preventative. 1st day clown loach died over night I believe due to stress form traveling. Next day the kullis were breathing very heavy and very red gills and spots. Called LFS said look at your kulli, they came back with an apology that they indead had ich and would have never sold me them if they had noticed. I had to treat the whole tank as a preventative. They said with my size of tank since no visible signs of spots on other fish just treat 3-4 days. Well I did this all the while taking out my carbons and ammonia chips. WEnt back to weekly water change. Two kullis died, I even quarantined them with medicating both tank. My last original loach black line died I knew instantly when he came out in the light. Since he is nocturnal happened within a day. i even called LFS said just take him out probably had ich in gills. Used differently mardel product this time for secondary bacterial infection so not to build up resistance.

By the way thanks for reading the history thus far. I feel it is important if somebody were nice enough to give me a thorough answer to my delima. Current delima. 1 week to the day that I purchased the 2nd clown loach he died and a couple of days before that I noticed him flashing up against rocks and gravel. I didnt understand what this was until I did some reading. Now My remaining fish show signs flashing both rainbow sharks, I immediately treated tank again with rid ich 5 days so far again no carbon filters. Before I started treating none of fish remaining whiteskirt tetra, bleeding heart 2 albino rainbow shartks and sucker fish had any spots. I thought I was catching it early. 3rd day of treatment bleeding heart broke out in spots, rainbow shark 1 has very few spots so small I almost didnt notice and sucker now has spots. 5th day of treatment bleeding heart is dead. I feel like this medication isnt working. I even went as far as to feed antiparasitic food for three days last week and I will start again this week for 3 days consecutively for 3 more weeks.

I also have mardels coppersafe, I just got in mail Friday of this week. I was planning on doing a water change today a little early and either redosing with rid ick or totally changing to the coppersafe which I would have to take out my snail and plants. I hear so many different theories, I am starting to get confused. I wanted to use coppersafe first but didnt have it on hand and when I noticed flashing I just used rid-ich (kordons). I read an article on rid-ich which suggested treating for 16days total with a 50% water change every 4th day with redosing. Due to the long life cycle of ick. Maybe they have mutlple parasites. The way my original loaches died their gills were brownish yellow discolored when they died so I figured their is something in their gills that suffocated them Gill disease parasite anchor worm Both original loaches had the red fibers sticking out and that was such a fast death I don't think I could have caught it early enough.

If I can get this under control. I swear I will always quarantine. I need help and good advice.

THanks for you time,

[TheOldSalt]

The red fibers sound like intestinal worms. Loaches are particularly susceptible since they're always rooting around in the gravel. Get some PRAZIPRO for that, even if all the affected fish are dead. You still have worms/worm eggs in the gravel, and they need to DIE.

Rid-Ich doesn't work very well anymore since they changed to formula, and it is very poisonous to loaches, so that's what probably really killed them. Quit using it; it's junk.

Gills are SUPPOSED to be red. It's when they turn pink, tan, purple or yellow that you have a problem.

Coppersafe is good stuff, and probably the best thing you can use in this situation. Change the water, clean the gravel, lose the carbon if you're using any, and hit 'em with coppersafe. Works almost every time.

Ideally, of course, you would put all the fish into a hospital tank and just tear down, sterilize, and restart the main tank while they're being treated for the next month.

I'm glad you learned your lesson about quarantine, and I'm sorry that knowledge cam at such a price. It happens to all of us, though, so don't feel too bad. From now on, you'll be a much better aquarist for it.

[Lorie]

Thanks so much for your kind words and good advice.
I will check out the product you metioned abou the intestinal worms. My rainbow sharks are at least 6 inches long, I'm nervous they may be too aggressive together I do have an old 20 gal long. I might try that. I also have a 2 gallon I could put my snail and live plants in with existing water. I was thinking of this because of the coppersafe being toxic to snails and plants.

I was originally thinking about just treating the 55 gallon, since all are infected and I hated to move them since they like their hiding placed. Although I guess what you are getting at is easier to view them in a smaller tank and maybe less medication? IF I do tear down the 55 gallon do I have to sterilize original gravel. I will definitely do some research on this. I dont want this to happen again. I definitely am a better aquarist for this happening. i just hope I can save my remaining fish. I am going to switch to coppersafe because I dont feel like rid-ick is helping.