What is killing my Acarichthys Heckelii?

[Oddball]

DANG!!! Sorry I forgot to mention the foam!!!!. I altered my overflow to pull from the bottom of the tank so, all the foam formed on the aquarium's surface. I used a kitchen fat skimmer to remove the foam.
Again, sorry I forgot to mention the foam. I spaced it due to the particular plumbing type I'm using.

 

[JK47]

DANG!!! Sorry I forgot to mention the foam!!!!. I altered my overflow to pull from the bottom of the tank so, all the foam formed on the aquarium's surface. I used a kitchen fat skimmer to remove the foam.
Again, sorry I forgot to mention the foam. I spaced it due to the particular plumbing type I'm using.

No worries at all boss, I just appreciate your help. That's why I bought the alarm, I knew it would come in handy one day. Yeah this foam gets really thick and compact trying to get through mech floss over a drip tray. I was actually kind of funny...

FYI Oddball, not a single loss in the 220g or 125g since I started using the tetracycline... The only remaining losses I've had were from the QT tank I finished the treatment of maracyn II with. Oh and you were right the tanks are SUPER orange!

 

[alexmuw]

Good luck with your treatment. I had a bad case of Hemorrhagic Septicemia while back with my Koi. I lost about 10 koi out of 14.

You'll need to find a balance of how much your willing to spend to fight the virus. I spent over $300 and saved only 4 fish.

Again, good luck ! Hope your antibiotics works.

 

[JK47]

You'll need to find a balance of how much your willing to spend to fight the virus. I spent over $300 and saved only 4 fish.

Thanks for the heads up. I don't really care what I have to spend. I have a responsibility to do what I can so I will.

 

[Aridd]

hows it comin along justin?

 

[JK47]

The 220g great (no visible signs or odd behavior), the 125g not so much...


Oddball, I'm back in your knowledgable hands my friend. I treated with the tetracycline regiment for 5 complete days (day 5 being last night) the treatment seemed to have stopped/slowed progression, but it has not improved or cured in the 125g. You still confident we are dealing with septicemia? Continued symptoms as of late:

1. The smaller geos are flashing but have no visible signs.
2. There are still reds lines and even some small spots going through the fins of the largest satanoperca.
3. The upper region of the dorsal fins is cloudy and appears "stiff", same with the caudal fin.
4. Rather quick twitching in the pectoral fins. Not constant but every few minutes.
5. Small pitting (not hith) behind the eyes on one side. You can see if you click on the first pic. The first heckelii had this too before she died, same side even.

My LFS has suggested oxolinic acid and kanamycin, your thoughts? What next to do?


Click to zoom in, high rez.

 

[Oddball]

Kanamycin is primarily for treating SW systems for Columnaris infections. It will work in FW on gram-negative and some gram-positive infections. My choice would be to step up a bit more in strength and administer the Erythromycin. It fights a broader range of Gram-neg/pos infections. Dosage is 500mg/20gals and daily dosage is required. Water change every 3rd day. Feed sparingly since this med will definitely kill of your filter's BB. Continue the other parts of the regimen.

This is quite a bout. It appears similar to the angel plague of the 80's. If the bacterial strain is related, the erythro. should knock it out since it's what I ultimately used on angels and discus back then. Dicloxacillin also worked but, if I'm remembering correctly, the diclox took twice the amount of time that the erythro did to knock out the infections.

 

[JK47]

Oddball, I have been researching alot too (not trying have you fix my problem but learn from the experience as well). I have a theory to run by you to get your take. My PH is 7.6 out of the tap, aged water remains the same. I do not have a kh/gh test kit but the PH is a good indicator it's fairly hard.

1) Tetracycline becomes less effective in hard waters as it readily binds with calcium and magnesium. So the effects of it may be working but it's potency couteracted somewhat by the hard water. Would this suggest I need to continue the current dosing but combine with heavy water changes (replacing the current mg of antibiotic for that day with each WC) for a longer duration of time in order for the tetracycline to make a difference? If this is a gram-negative pathogen, wouldn't it not advancing with the tetracycline treatment indicate that it may actually be gram-negative? A gram-negative pathogen will be unaffected by a gram-positive antibiotic from what I have read and vice-versa.

2) If I start a gram-positive antibiotic, it will kill off my BB like you mention, would dosing tank volume with Prime ever 48 hours to keep ammonia at bay have any adverse effects in conjunction with the anibiotic? I am very concerned about this.

To my understanding, neither of these medications kill the pathogen, they interupt the reproductive cycle. The fish's immune system fights off the pathogen. I am producing the perfect breeding grounds for a pathogen, high temps, high dissolved organic content (not a single WC while treating) and lower dissolved oxygen from the high temps. I feel this is why my fish immune system is unable to fight this due to stress. What do you think?

 

[JK47]

Would Amoxicillin work in place of Erythromycin or Dicloxacillin? They only carry the below (they are the only access I have):
Enrofloxacin
Doxycycline
Cephalexin
Tetracycline
Amoxicillin

 

[Oddball]

You may have a good turn with Amoxicillin being that it's a penicillin med commonly used for fighting internal bacterial infections.

Forget the doxycycline since it's a tetracycline med.

Enrofloxacin is usually used in urinary tract infections in dogs and livestock. I'm not familiar in how it may work in aquarium use.

Cephalexin is another med used to treat urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. I've never seen it used in aquaria.