medicate?? Or am I just paranoid?

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GOSKN5

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 24, 2011
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Danville, VA
After losing a fish a while back, I have become a little paranoid about my tanks and watching for symptoms etc...

I am seeing a few symptoms of flukes or something in my fish.... one of my giant danios is pacing around a piece of driftwood (but has done this for about a year, and i just thought he was crazy!)

I also notice one or two fish are slightly redder around the bottom of their gills... however, I dont see them flashing other than once in a while... and everyone eats just fine and acts/looks just fine....

I just dont want to wait too long and lose fish or have a hard time getting rid of the problem.... suggestions??
 
sounds like maybe irritated gills (can't know, without water parameters). Doing some big repeated water changes is your safest FIRST try.
Medicating for no identified disease can tax their systems too, whereas fresh water gives a definite physical boost.
 
well the tank is on a very strict water change schedule... 75% every week... for the last 2 years never missed a week... and all of my water perams check out fine....

no visible signs on any fish other than what I mentioned above, and those I have to really really look for...
 
If you don't know what your treating for, what meds will you use? Most medications are either antibiotics, or chemicals. Chemicals are basically poisons in low doses, and we are all are familiar what rampant use of antibiotics has lead to, super bugs that resist treatment. What is worse?
I know of people that take antibiotics for a cold, but colds are virus's, and antibiotics are useless against virus's.
 
^ what he said.
Meds can be harsh.
If it was my fish and red gills is the only 'symptom', I'd just do some extra water changes every day and see if it goes away. UNLESS something changes.
 
Heavier breathing or clamped fins would be a sign something could be wrong. If you say their flashing on objects every once and a while just make sure the frequency of that doesnt increase. Also depending of the size of tank you have + the stock, 75% wc every week might be alittle too much. It could be a symptom of slight shock for certain fish.
 
Here's where knowing your own fish is handy.
Fish may flash "once in a while", with NO increasing of it, without it being health related at all. especially if they flash on substrate or plants, rather than objects.
Doesn't seem real likely they're be shocked by wc's if it's being done regularly and they're used to it.

Redness in gills, I'd watch. As for decreasing wc's- I'd want concrete reasons (swinging water test parameters or delicate fish specie identified?) for doing that. If anything, change less amount, but more often so it's still 75% per week.
might wanna check to see if your water is being sufficiently dechlorinated by the dose you're using, bcuz some districts use really potent amounts.
 
Thanks for the tips.. I am on well water so that's not an issue... I do have very high ph/hard water though... Has never been an issue though...

One danio constantly circles the end of driftwood... But he has done that for over a year and I think he is nuts... The other fish flash very very rarely and usually on the sand...

The most concerning thing is one juvenile nic has red gills that show more than any of the other juveniles... But he is also bigger... Shows absolutely no sign of stress... Very active eats great etc... But it is the difference from the others that bothers me... And like I said I am super paranoid after losing a fish a while back...
 
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