Cuban "Sick"lid

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WinterAlloy

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jul 9, 2012
254
0
16
North GA, USA
I am completely lost on this one. I have had this Cuban cichlid for about four months now. She had never had the correct "Cuban cichlid color palate". Otherwise she had, up to here recently, seemed fine. Her white is a pinkish-beige. Her mottled spots are tan to brown. Then, when she swam up to the light you could internals and what seemed like a reddish inflammation. But here recently, I noticed that her stomach seemed somewhat out of its normal shape. She had white stringy poop also. Upon closer inspection, I saw that her scales just don't look right, maybe rough or some missing or even possibly some dermal layer under the scales showing.
I have began treating the entire tank with ProziPro per recommended dosage and Epson salt 1/8 tablespoon per 5 gallons and I medicate the food with metronidazole. She seems a little better, but the skin condition that has been that way for four months hasn't changed. Anybody have any suggestions?
Also, this has not seemed to pass to any other cichlids. But now with hindsight, I had a group of Buenos Aires tetras that quickly lost color, lost some scales, then died. But no other incidents.

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Can you post water perameters, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, Ph, hardness and temp. What tankmates are with her. How long have you been treating for IPs. Can you get a clear close up?
 
pH8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate less than5

I will have to get a better close up.
I have been treating with Praziquil for 8 days, metronidazole for 6 days only at feeding, and Epson salts for 3 days. She exhibited this palate in freshwater for two months and is now in SG1.006.

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I don't think this is parasitic. It could be a combination however from your discription I'm leaning towards towards an internal bacterial infection. What you need here is Kanamycin possibily combined with API Triple sulfa for an even more effective treatment. I suspect somthing along the lines of Aeromonas or perhaps given your water perameters Vibrio, both are similar however aeromonas are slightly more common at lower Ph levels while Vibrio is seen in higher ph, brackish or saltwater environments. The combination of these two meds will clear both. With a ph of 8.2 both these meds will be extreamly effective.

Kanamycin can sometimes be diffacult to find so even starting with the 3x will help somewhat although it is not absorbed and not that effective for systemic infections of the gut where the Kanamycin is.

Start by doing a 50% water change and substrate cleanning. Remove any carbon from the system if you use it. Then add the meds as directed on the packages. Use full doses of both or either whichever you have at the moment. If you start with 3x just add the Kana when you get it. If your lucky maybe the 3x will work on its own but again treating with both is the best course of action here.
 
Once treatment is done I would recommend turning your heat up a bit . Cubans thrive in warmer waters. I know my Cuban does not like anything lower than 80.
 
Should I sub k-mycin for something else if not immediately available? Also, should I assume that the others are infected? And yes I agree on raising the temp.

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

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No don't sub for anything else. Use the 3X sulfa. Treat the whole tank. If you can't get Kana, let me know before using another med they do not all work the same. How they work and what they treat along with the conditions in which they are effective and safe are all important considerations in chooseing the correct med.
 
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