Struggling with skinny disease, and finrot.

[RD.]

Hmmm, yeah doesn't sound good if one of the symptoms is laboured breathing. Here's is another read on Cryptobia iubilans authored by two of the same authors as squints paper.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm077

They might be too far gone for a magnesium sulphate pre-soak to resolve the issue, but if possible I would still attempt at feeding them NLS Hex-Shield if you can get your hands on some, and have some dimetridazole as an and/or back up. Good luck!

 

[David R]

I spoke to the vet today and the closest they have in stock is Metronidazole in 200mg or 400mg tablets, and getting in something they don't stock [ie Dimetridazole] will be a lot more costly. The rapid breathing and decaying fins make me think it is more likely to be Cryptobia, so maybe I'll just have to bite the bullet and order in the Dimetridazole.

The article mentions giving them 3 24hr baths in an 80mg/L solution, but would I be better off treating the whole tank rather than stressing them with catching and moving again? Lots more drugs as I'm treating 800L of water, but then it'll get all the fish in the system and hopefully be easier on the clowns.

 

[RD.]

I wish that I could help more, but I will have to defer to squint for Cryptobia treatment. Over the years the only "skinny disease" issues that I have dealt with were resolved with metronidazole based products, which lead me to believe that the loaches were infested with Spironucleus. That certainly seems to be the more common scenario found in skinny loaches. That, and/or a worm infestation. Hopefully you can get a handle on this before you lose any more fish.

 

[David R]

Being so close to Xmas I decided to give the Metronidazole a crack as the vet could get it to me same day. I worked out how much I needed based on this article, which was 2.5mg/L (to dose the tank, not food) but now after a little more googling it would seem the dosage rates vary hugely, some suggesting more than double or triple that amount. I dosed the tank about 24 hours ago and have seen little improvement, supposed to do a WC and dose again tomorrow but I'm wondering if I need to up the dosage (in which case I'll need more Metro) or maybe try the food instead...

 

[RD.]

With regards to Metronidazole.....

Dr. Edward J Noga suggests:

1. Bath

a. Add 19mg/gallon and treat for 3 hours. Repeat every other day for 3 treatments.

2. Prolonged Immersion

a. Add 25mg/gallon and treat once daily for a total of 3 times.
b. Add 95mg/gallon and treat every other day for three days.

3. via feed

25 mg/Kg of body weight/day for 5 to 10 days, or 100 mg/kg of body weight for 3 days. Retreat once if required.


Dr. Edward J. Noga, MS, DVM, is a highly respected professor of aquatic medicine and immunology, that has been published approx. 150 times in related papers/journals. His lab at NC State University specializes in the study of infectious diseases of finfish and shellfish. His book, Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment is the go to "health" book for every serious fish keeper and aquatic DVM.


HTH

 

[David R]

Thanks, sounds like the article I got the figures from has me seriously under dosing, I'll need a little over 13 400mg tablets rather than the five I used.

Given the low solubility and the degree of infestation, maybe I should try treating the food instead? My vet only works Wed to Fri so I'm not sure when I'll be able to get more.

 

[RD.]

IME metro is always best when administered via feed. If they are still actively feeding that's how I would proceed.

 

[David R]

IME metro is always best when administered via feed. If they are still actively feeding that's how I would proceed.

Hard to tell as they're still a little shy in their new environment. I think it's probably a better option than under dosing the whole tank though.

 

[squint]

I have not seen fin rot with "skinny disease." With my rapid-breathing runt, I took him to the vet suspecting some kind of gill infection. I had seen fin rot and rapid-breathing with them in the past (but not with any significant skinniness) and that turned out to be a bacterial gill infection. I believe Aeromonas was cultured.

I'm concerned your fish have a bacterial infection or a bacterial infection in addition to something else causing the cachexia.

Are you near this veterinary practice by any chance?

 

[David R]

Hey S squint , sorry for the slow response, busy time of year! I'm in a small town a couple of hours north of Auckland, where that vet practice is.

The medicated food seems to have helped out the skinny loach, it's a bit more active and is really keen on eating bloodworms but doesn't seem interested in the NLS pellets yet (I'm feeding a small amount of bloodworms after every feed to try keep him going). Seems to have put on a bit of weight and has overall improved in condition. But ......
I think you're dead right that there's something else other than the hex going on, as there is another loach who I though had the same "skinny disease" symptoms, but it hasn't lost much weight but instead spends its time hovering in an upright position breathing very rapidly. It has only lost a little bit of weight, and upon closer inspection the tissue around it's mouth appears very pink-ish and maybe a bit inflamed. None of the others seem to be showing these symptoms. It has been like this since before christmas and doesn't seem to be getting better, or worse. Might only be eating a few bloodworms though so I'm guessing the weightloss may continue. The other day I was frustrated and ready to fish it out while doing a water change and euthanise it for the sake of the rest of the pack, but as soon as anything goes into the tank it swims off like normal and hangs out with the rest of them under the big tree stump. I'm really not sure what else to do other than keep up with the regular water changes...