It was a decision that I regret.
It was about nearly two weeks ago, I decided to briefly place a three spot gourami temporarily with my guppies. The gourami died within 24 hours and when I went to the local pet store, I talked to them and one asked how I got the gourami, because they quarantined their whole gourami tank.
Needless to say, they had an infection outbreak in the gourami tank which decimated 95% of their gourami’s and they said if I notice anything happening to my fish, to let them know as they will give me medication.
I tend to take my aquarium water tests quite often and water conditions were fine, I had done a vacuum gravel and a water change.
Not long after, I started to notice in this community tank, certain guppies started to have problems with their fins. Was it an aggressive guppy nipping them? I have seen that happen before.
But within 48 hours, guppies started losing their fins and it spread to all the guppies.
As a person who tends to want to look at how a fish dies (without having to dissect them or check their innards), I did macro shots because the main thing that I was worried for was columnaris disease, which can decimate all fish in an aquarium.
I first started with adding Melafix to the tank, as there are sites and YouTube videos that say that Melafix will eliminate the finrot. It didn’t. I read from another site that it helps as its a natural tea extract that helps the fish heal but it doesn’t eliminate the problem.
According to API, “API MELAFIX Freshwater Fish Bacterial Infection Remedy soothes the transition from store to home by reducing the risk of your fish developing a disease. The fish you bought may already carry a disease. Disease is often difficult to detect, particularly in its early stages. Treat bacterial infections in your fish and reduce the risk of spreading illness to other fish with API MELAFIX Freshwater Fish Bacterial Infection Remedy. Bacterial diseases are caused mostly by dirty aquarium conditions and the addition of infected fish. Fish that are injured and have open wounds are especially susceptible, even in seemingly clean tanks. Bacterial infections, like fin and tail rot, eye cloud, pop eye, body slime and mouth fungus destroy tissue and other organs, and if left untreated, can cause death”.
So, I had to find ways to eliminate the problem.
I ordered online a product I heard that works.. Maracyn 2, because my store didn’t carry it…I had to purchase something else that I did have at my store, Tetra Lifeguard All-in-One. Drop one tablet per 5 gallons, so the more gallons, the more tablets you drop in there.
According to Tetra, “Lifeguard is for use for treating fungus, ick, red streaks, milky or shedding slime, flukes, bacterial gill disease, mouth and fin rot, clamped or torn fins, and ulcers. Lifeguard Tablets may also be used as a preventive when adding new fish. Five day treatment.Effectively treats most common fish diseases”.
I used API aquarium salt as shown on various YouTube videos… Which I have used already to keep the water brackish for the guppies.
One thing that scared me was that I happened to had transferred a green cory catfish to my community tank #2.
I quickly checked and it was doing OK. But then within 48 hours…
It was red blotch disease. And immediately, I put community tank #2 under quarantine. Making sure the other cory’s don’t catch it but observing the platys and molly’s in the tank which are all doing fine.
There is a chance of stress, as I know this cory was desperately trying to avoid me catching it. But it’s hard to say. But nevertheless, I am keeping my eye on community tank #2.
Community tank #3 and #4 are doing fine. Fry tanks are doing fine.
But going back to Guppy Community Tank #1…As more fish have fin rot. More are dying. Fins are completely gone, no signs of columnaris.
I went to my local pet store and they felt bad if the devastation was caused by the gourami, as they had near complete decimation of their gourami population and have been desperately trying to save as many as they can to no avail.
But for me, they gave me a few days worth of Amoxicillin (AA 820) to see if this will help the guppies. This is to help control all gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. But to test things out.
While more fish are still dying, I am seeing certain fish becoming more active and I hope to see some fin growth.
I have been perusing the Internet and after going through many videos, I came across a fish store from India who recommended removing everything out of the aquarium, vacuum gravel as much as you can and I removed about 60% of the water.
I am now trying the Tetra Lifeguard and Melafix during the day and Seachem ParaGuard during the early evening.
According to Seachem, ParaGuard is the only fish and filter safe aldehyde based (10% by weight) parasite control product available. Unlike highly toxic and difficult to use formalin based medications, ParaGuard contains no formaldehyde or methanol and will not alter pH. ParaGuard employs a proprietary, synergistic blend of aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers that effectively and efficiently eradicates many ectoparasites on fish (e.g. ich, etc.) and external fungal/bacterial/viral lesions (e.g., fin rot). It is particularly useful in hospital and receiving tanks for new fish and whenever new fish are introduced to a community tank. For use in freshwater or marine. ParaGuard is recommended for the treatment of certain diseases in marine and freshwater fish only.
Needless to say, it has been an expensive week. Was it the fish? Was it water I introduced?
If anything, I learned the importance of having a quarantine tank. I have a total of five tanks and planning on a sixth but I’m going to be more dilligent with quarantining.
If there is one thing that I do have comfort in, despite losing so many awesome guppies is that I have been breeding them and in tank #3, which is the fry tank, the colors are starting to show. So, I do have comfort knowing that those I did breed, while the breeding guppies are gone, their fries continue to thrive and live in tank #3.
And a few are starting to show color.
As of right now, I don’t know if the few other guppies in community tank #1 under quarantine will live.
But this experience was no doubt a difficult experience that I had to learn from. But never in my life had I had a community tank been ravaged and seeing fish quickly get infected and die that quickly.
As for medications for fin rot or other diseases, I will say that there are many YouTubers and aquatic websites that have their own experience of what worked for them in saving their fish.
I will say this. If you are planning to take care of fish and breed them, I do recommend purchasing Aquarium Water Test Strips to test if the water is safe, I do recommend purchasing a gravel vacuum but most importantly, water conditioner or seeing if your local pet store offers water (my local store offers reverse osmosis water, you just bringing in your empty gallon of water plastic containers and they refill it for a dollar per gallon), while brick and mortar pet stores offer per-conditioned water.
And last, it’s good to have these medications in stock just in case emergencies happen.
