# diseased angelfish...need help



## coopers (Jul 7, 2007)

I thought my angelfish had ich but now I am doubting it. I bought rid-ich and did one dose yesterday. Today I noticed more problems with the fish that don't look like ich. His fins seem like they are stringy. Also, the spots that I thought were ich now there are more. I don't want to put ich treatment in there if that is not the real problem. Also, My anubias did not take to it very well so I am reluctant to use it again. In the meantime, the other fish seem healthy and I hope to keep it that way. 

After searching online the description of Columnaris seems pretty good to describe the angelfish. I read that is the problem is bacterial then I should reduce the temperature, while if it was ich I should increase it. Therefore I need someone's experience here since I have no experience with fish diseases.

So please help me identify the problem, and suggest recommendations for treatment? I should mention that I will not use a quarantine tank and will treat the entire display tank which has lots of snails and plants.


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## coopers (Jul 7, 2007)

I just noticed something new. The fish has a bump where its dorsal fin meets its body. The color appears almost pink. Is this a parasite? So far he is still eating, but is very shy and always hiding. Not usual behavior. He usually comes to the top of the tank when I come around but now he hides when I go there.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

He more than likely has a parasite of some sort, and ich is just a side effect from being stressed by the parasite. Clout can cure him, but it will kill inverts and probably damage plants. There is some stuff called melafix that is good for planted tanks and inverts. If it is an internal parasite, it may be too late. Make sure to keep an eye on all your fish. Good luck


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## coopers (Jul 7, 2007)

Update...

I have been dosing rid-ich as directed for the last week. There are no signs of improvement in the angelfish. He eats fine, but he is very shy, hiding a lot, and seems very stiff, in the sense that his top and bottom fin do not move when he swims. He also seems like he is very week, but his breathing seems normal. Also his fins look like they are dteriorating.

I lost an otto a few days ago, and this morning, I found a dead neon tetra. Then I noticed that I only have 2 neons left and I used to have 11! I wondered if it is the neon terta disease, but I haven't noticed any symptoms in the neons. And the 2 remaining neons are acting perfectly normal. 

I have no idea what is going on and I almost feel like killing all the fish--before they catch whatever is going around in there--and starting over. 

I don't want to keep wasting money on useless treatments so what do you guys think?


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## Mud Pie Mama (Jul 30, 2006)

I would not just kill all of the fish unless I knew what the problem was and that is was untreatable _and_ highly contagious.

Often damaged fins can be fin rot which is more often caused by bacteria than fungus. Treat with an antibiotic. I have tried those other methods (natural Melafix & Pimafix, as well as reduced temps and increased H2O changes.) Only when I use an actual antibiotic have I been able to save a fish who's having fin rot.

I like this website for helpful info on fish diseases:
http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/stressdisease.shtml

Treating fish problems can be quite frustrating and confusing; if only they could tell us where it hurt! It can take a lot of research and some good luck to resolve sucessfully. After having had a few bad episodes myself, I am now firmly devoted to using quarantine protocols...always. Its much easier and safer to treat just a few fish in a smaller volume of water.

Hope you can turn this around.


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