Help with bala sharks

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brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
12
38
New Hampshire
Ok so like a week ago I got 3 big bala sharks prob 10" they were a lil beaten and one looked like he had some decent nose rub on him. I put them in my 500g tank and they have been really active not skittish and eating a ton. I noticed yesterday one was skittish and had a cloudy eye. Today, it looks like that eye is going to fall off (not pop eye) and all the eyes are cloudy on my bala sharks, and the chin rub looks horrible. My florida gar is fine and my RTCxTSN is ok, just isn't eating as much. I did a 20 water change yesterday and added salt today. Any idea what causes this? I know the water isn't perfect, but its not bad. I wish i could get pics, but they are way too fast and I only have my iPad atm. Any tips would help!
 
Help! It's gotten even worse since I've gotten home. Their eyes are totally clouded looks like there is a thick film over the eyes. Their fins are turning red, and their noses and gills are starting to look like they are peeling. The one that had the chin rub is totally red nose and it has begun to turn black. I don't have a hospital tank, will this spread to my catfish and gar? Both are fine ATM but im worried. It's close to 600g water, so i can't really treat the tank it would literally cost close to 600bucks. What should i do? I don't want to lose my catfish, but i don't want to flush 100bucks in bala sharks either
 
Other than salt air and heat, what can i do to help? I've done extra wc, is this fungus? Bad water? Bacteria? Im lost and freaking out
 
I really wanna help you, but I just can't seem to think of anything, my best bet would be that its some sort of bacterial infection, have you noticed a difference recently in your other fish too?

Edit: I think it could possibly be viral hemorrhagic septicemia
 
My gar is the same, my catfish is swimming around the tank more, and not exactly hammering food like he was but he still eats quite a bit. My catfish has a small cut on his lip that is a little pink, other than that the rest are ok. Im just trying to figure out if i should just flush the balas or not
 
I really don't know, I'm trying to find more info on the infection I posted earlier, but I havnt had much luck
 
Errr I wish I knew someone local with a hospital tank. I don't want to go to bed knowing there is something killing my fish.
 
I lost 3 10" Balas a wk ago due to this similar thing...

They looked like their "skin was flaking" so-to-say along with their eyes totally cloudy and one of them had red marks on the side of him and under his chin area... one of the Balas had what looked like a "fat lip" that had a white film on it as well. These symptoms all happened so quick, within a day or two. When each of them had shown signs, they were belly up the next morning... I was treating Bacterial at the time but it didn't help so I figured it was Fungal but wasn't able to make that determination before they died. Right now my catfish is dealing with a similar thing but the sores on him went from looking like scratches to an almost pure white color... having no luck figuring out a cure for him either. Hopefully you can save them, it definitely sucks to lose Balas that big...
 
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