Advanced Members: Cure Septicemia in Cichlids?

[JK47]

Have any of you had success beating septicemia? I am on week # 3 of battling this horrible disease. It has killed an entire group of Acarichthys Heckelii, an adult severum pair, numerous small fish and a pleco so far. My prize species of Satanoperca has it the worst now and the largest of my group of 5 likely will not survive the night which is heart breaking for me. I am at a loss so asking here as well just in case (thread over in disease section)...

Treatments so far (w/ every 24 hour 50% WC):
Melafix / salt / temp: 84
Maracyn II / salt / temp: 84
Tetracycline antibiotic / salt / high temps
Amoxicillin antibiotic / salt / high temps

Ammonia .25 PPM / Nitrite 0 PPM / Nitrate 0 PPM

Yes the above readings are correct, the 125g is now completly uncycled from treating with Amoxicillin. It kills ALL bacteria even BB but I knew that going in. That was a last resport med and still not working. I have held off treating the 220g with the Amoxicillin to see if the meds would help save my Satanoperca in the 125g but it has not. I just bleached my 55g tonight because nothing survived in that tank. If you have beat it, what did you use?

 

[Adhlc]

I've never had personal experience with this disease, but after doing some research it seems that Kanamycin Sulfate is the way to go.

It's not cheap - of course - but it can be purchased here

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/products2.html

A more commercially available version is Seachem's KanaPlex. Shouldn't be too hard to find and from experience, Seachem's entire line of medications (metronidazole, kanaplex, neoplex etc.) work wonders.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/KanaPlex.html

 

[Modest_Man]

Terrible news Justin. Sorry to hear. I'm terrible on diseases (I think most people are).

 

[JK47]

I've never had personal experience with this disease, but after doing some research it seems that Kanamycin Sulfate is the way to go.

It's not cheap - of course - but it can be purchased here

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/products2.html

A more commercially available version is Seachem's KanaPlex. Shouldn't be too hard to find and from experience, Seachem's entire line of medications (metronidazole, kanaplex, neoplex etc.) work wonders.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/KanaPlex.html

Thank you. I don't really care about price, I have been spending $100 a week for almost a month on see if it helps medications (perscription only in OR) because I feel obligated to, these are very rare cichlids and none the less, my fish and would do it for gubby's if I kept them. I will look into the med you linked. Odd though as this medication does not list septicemia as an illness it''s effective against. Then again, nothing that advertises it treats septicemia has worked so who knows. I have used strong meds for both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens and nothing has helped.

Link to the thread in the disease section: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317618

Correction to the above, when I treated with tetracycline, I did no WC at all. I thought I had to let it build up in volume because I didn't know any better see page 5), new to using strong antibiotics. I started the 50% WC when I started treating with amoxicillin/killed the cycle in the tank. I hope I have not made the bacteria immune to antibiotics while doing so.

 

[Lupin]

What is your pH? Higher pH will deactivate tetracycline. You will need kanamycin in this case and vice versa for tetracycline.

I do wonder how septicemia came up there. Aeromonas hydrophila has only one way of access towards the blood vessels, that is if all your fish had been exposed before to parasitic infestations that render their blood vessels exposed to harmful bacteria. Bacterial infections are usually secondary infections to parasites.

Could you please post the health history of your fish prior to this?

 

[JK47]

What is your pH? Higher pH will deactivate tetracycline. You will need kanamycin in this case and vice versa for tetracycline.

I do wonder how septicemia came up there. Aeromonas hydrophila has only one way of access towards the blood vessels, that is if all your fish had been exposed before to parasitic infestations that render their blood vessels exposed to harmful bacteria. Bacterial infections are usually secondary infections to parasites.

Could you please post the health history of your fish prior to this?

See post #2 in the above link, I answered most of the questions I saw you ask in a previous thread. My PH is 7.6 and consistent, only after the teracycline treatment did I learn it was useless at higher PH. I did find out that my water perams after moving are from a large well and much different than Portland water I came from and high in calcium. I moved back in June of 2009. My fish have always been healthy, (last new fish added January 23rd, F0 Pike from Guyana and no losses during that time until recently). I have DSLR pics out there of my stock including Uaru Amphiacanthoides. that have zero signs of HITH etc...

I made the unfortunate mistake of using the same python between tanks for WC's during that entire time (learn from my mistake guys ). Now all of my tanks show signs and have suffered losses. I think this to be what spread the disease between tanks. Septicemia may be the wrong ID though but I trust it since it came from Pharoah and Oddball, both mods and more knowledgable than me.

 

[alexmuw]

Sorry for your loses JK. I posted in your other thread a while back. Other names I've seen this disease go by is "Red Pest" (more common name in the Koi community). Found the following information at a site:
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_disease2.php

Red Pest (Bacterial)
Red pest is so called because of the red streaks that occur on the skin, that may lead to ulcerations, and fin or tail rot, causing parts of the fins or tail to actually drop off. This bacteria infects the fish internally and externally, and treatment is not usually effective. If fish are only lightly infected you can try to eradicate this problem by sterilising the aquarium with Acriflavine or Monacrin. Giving the aquarium a good clean up is also helpful, feed lightly whilst treating. Personally I would not bother with treatment as by the time you notice this bacteria it is usually well advanced, and the fish are already suffering.

I have heard that internal treatments are effective.


As I mentioned in the thread before (disease thread), I lost 10 koi out of 14 and spent a ton of $$$ on them. My 4 surviving koi got better when I used Parasite Clear by Jungle Labs (BUT I have no idea if Parasite Clear was the actual reason why they got better).

Good luck, I hope you have better luck than I did. It's a nasty disease.

 

[Diogenes]

We typically treat people with septicemia with IV antibiotics...good luck

 

[JK47]

Sorry for your loses JK. I posted in your other thread a while back. Other names I've seen this disease go by is "Red Pest" (more common name in the Koi community). Found the following information at a site:
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_disease2.php

Red Pest (Bacterial)
Red pest is so called because of the red streaks that occur on the skin, that may lead to ulcerations, and fin or tail rot, causing parts of the fins or tail to actually drop off. This bacteria infects the fish internally and externally, and treatment is not usually effective. If fish are only lightly infected you can try to eradicate this problem by sterilising the aquarium with Acriflavine or Monacrin. Giving the aquarium a good clean up is also helpful, feed lightly whilst treating. Personally I would not bother with treatment as by the time you notice this bacteria it is usually well advanced, and the fish are already suffering.

I have heard that internal treatments are effective.


As I mentioned in the thread before (disease thread), I lost 10 koi out of 14 and spent a ton of $$$ on them. My 4 surviving koi got better when I used Parasite Clear by Jungle Labs (BUT I have no idea if Parasite Clear was the actual reason why they got better).

Good luck, I hope you have better luck than I did. It's a nasty disease.

We typically treat people with septicemia with IV antibiotics...good luck

Thanks guys. Took a turn for the worse last night so I am keeping my hopes low. Doing another 50% WC tonight, dosing the last round of amoxicillin and then I am out of meds.... Not sure about the Kanamycin Sulfate. I will see how quickly they can get it here but it likely won't be prior to losing my big female. This disease is horrible, I've never been so frustrated with the hobby.

 

[NorCaliCichlids]

IF this is what I call "flesh rot" where it pushes up through the scales and starts to eat away the flesh then I have a full proof cure...Clout. I've used it extensively against this. I have a 100% cure rate with clout.