Hi guys, I am new to MFK and hope that you guys can help me out with a problem I am having with my fish. I have 8 large SA Redtails and 2 large Tigers. I just lost one to a very ugly sickness. He had Fin and body rot, ulcers, swollen body, large open wounds and dead skin, ect. We discovered this when we pulled him from the pond we had him in and tried to treat him, but was unsuccessful. Now the others are showing the same signs and I have started treating them with all sorts of medicine. I have Furan-2, TC-Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, Penicillin, and many other medicines from Foster and Smith. I have started treating the ponds with Bacteria. I have them now in 2/ 300 gallon tanks, so I can start administering the medicine. I am confident I can fix the problem, but what I am afraid of, is if the fish can fully recover? Please, if you have any advice, I would surely appericiate it....
Large S.A. Redtails and Tigers with serious baterial problems...
- Thread starter redtail chris
- Start date
to MFK!Are you treating them with all those meds altogether? That does NOT work exactly well. Antibiotics are powerful and may instead become your fish's detriment rather than their aid. They compromise your fish's immunity while still attempting to destroy the bacteria that is responsible for whatever health issues your fish may have. Besides that, a lot of antibiotics are ineffective as there are strains of bacteria that are resistant to particular antibiotics. There is NO way absolutely that your fish can recover completely with a series of antibiotics being dumped at them. I would be very surprised if they were able to survive that.
If I were you, firstly, check your water parameters in BOTH tanks and ponds. Please post the results here afterward. What are the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH? Are the ponds made of concrete, mud?
The fin and body rot, ulcers, swollen body and large open wounds may be evident of poor water quality. I am sorry I do not know how you operate your ponds however this is just my assumption because normally, all those symptoms point directly to poor water quality as well as possible aggression between your fish. Poor water and stress as a result of poor water and possible bullying simply will aggravate the issue.
Lay off the antibiotics. What you need to do is ensure your water is very clean. Check the water parameters regularly. You may need to add sodium chloride by a teaspoon per gallon dosage. Be sure you DISSOLVE the salt thoroughly in a cup/tub before you add to the tank. Keep the temperature consistently at 78 degrees Fahrenheit only. The salt must be PURE sodium chloride without yellow prussiate added. When you do your water changes on a regular basis, redose salt per the water volume changed.
Topical treatment is also advisable. You have an option to try either iodine solution/betadine, or hydrogen peroxide. You can treat with HP for two consecutive days only (once a day only). After each topical treatment, you can try applying the wound with neosporin or biobandage. Use soft cotton balls or Q-tips to do the job. Remember not to directly apply the topical treatments in their eyes, gills and mouths.
Hope this helps.
Edit: I forgot to add to keep your water well aerated by the way as salt decreases oxygen.