# HELP CARIBE IS SICK!!



## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

help please ....

he's 5 inches .... and i have an empty 10 gallon ... should i treat him in there .. or do a water change and add aquarium salt.




























Thanks!

Water conditions are normal ... and all other fish are OK ... HELP PLZ!!!!


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

I can't see anything in the gills in that pic. What are your ammonia/nitrite/pH readings?


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

maaan i can't get a good picture of him!!!!! i can net him and take a pic .. but i dont wanna stress him out! ... i can use my digi camcorder and get video! I'm really worried!


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

DonH said:


> I can't see anything in the gills in that pic. What are your ammonia/nitrite/pH readings?


 He tested his parameters Don, and everything is normal.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)




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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

updated pics .... donH does this help?


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

It's a bacterial infection of the gill plate. If the salt is not improving the condition, you will need to treat with antibiotics. I'd recommend treating him in a quarantine tank and increasing the frequency of your water changes in your main tank. When I received my rhom, the gill plate was in the same condition as your's. Water changes and salt healed it in about 2 weeks. Good luck.


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

DonH said:


> It's a bacterial infection of the gill plate. If the salt is not improving the condition, you will need to treat with antibiotics. I'd recommend treating him in a quarantine tank and increasing the frequency of your water changes in your main tank. When I received my rhom, the gill plate was in the same condition as your's. Water changes and salt healed it in about 2 weeks. Good luck.


























I've done my regular once a week water changes ... and adding salt .... I'll keep this up for a while. If it doesn't help I'll treat him with antibiotics in a quarantine tank. Is the infection contagious? He's in there with like 9 other pygos.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Yes, bacterial infections are contagious but that's usually a result of poor water conditions which encourage bacteria to multiply. Keep the water clean and you shouldn't have a problem. For the time being, I suggest you increase the water changes to 2 times a week and carefully monitor the fish to see if the infection spreads.


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

grrr poor water conditions ....









okay i'll do the frequent water changes and add salt and continue to watch his progress.

me might have had that infection when he arrived, just not this bad. I think I remember him having something that looked like your Rhom, then it got to this point.

Thanks dohH!!!


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

You need to add antibiotics anyway. Water changes and salt alone will not do the trick. See the other post about damaged skin. Falls into this same category. Also I note something that looks like worm or hanging skin just below eye. Can you verify what it is?


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

worm or hanging skin?? on mine or dohH's pic?


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

hastatus said:


> Also I note something that looks like worm or hanging skin just below eye. Can you verify what it is?


 On my rhom, it was just loose skin from the infection. Not an anchorworm...

IMO, the reason why salt doesn't work many times is because it is not administered in the proper dosage to have any significant affect on fungal/bacterial infections or when people put salt in their tanks as a preventative and don't know how much more salt to add when something goes wrong. If caught early, and with the correct treatment level of salt, you can treat many ailments with it.

At this point, it seems like the infection has spread compared to the pic that was initially posted. The use of antibiotics is warranted but be prepared to cycle your tank once the treatment is done.


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## Datman (Jul 7, 2003)

Hey DonH
would a melafix treatment help this guy out? I know that its been helping my brandti out. I didnt want to use antibiotics unless I had to since they kill off all the beneficial bacteria and Id have to recycle my tank after the brandti healed. Just curious about the melafix though.


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

Datman said:


> Hey DonH
> would a melafix treatment help this guy out? I know that its been helping my brandti out. I didnt want to use antibiotics unless I had to since they kill off all the beneficial bacteria and Id have to recycle my tank after the brandti healed. Just curious about the melafix though.


 oOOoO Melafix ... thanks for the comment Datman ... never thought of that ...


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## vlahos (Sep 7, 2003)

melafix should work but like previously stated do a water cycle when treatment is completed
good luck


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

only have a 10 gallon that is cycled ... will this do? he's 4.5 inches TL


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

tested my 10 gallon everythings looks good. noticed my other caribe has a little infection as well. i have both of them in the 10 gallon with treated water (melafix). water temp at 83 degrees.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Dont put only two P together! They will fight till one dies!


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## Piran-huhs? (Jul 23, 2003)

YAY .... my caribe are healed!! thanx to Melafix and Aquarium Salt!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks, Scott, Frank, DonH, Datman, vlahos, and hastatus!!!

you guys rock!


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Cool and glad to hear we saved him!


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