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Is this a parasite/disease? Help!

Started by Guest_NotCousteau_* , Jun 05 2014 02:26 PM

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 02:26 PM

I stopped at home for a short lunch break just now and noticed that one of my female darters has this weird spot on her side. I did not see this yesterday, nor on previous days. I spend a lot of time each day checking out the tank and inhabitants.

None of the other darters, shiners or killifish have any spots. Any thoughts on what it could be? I'm a bit worried. Thanks.

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#2 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 02:37 PM

It looks like a hemorrhage. Did you collect the fish or any of the fish in the tank from a region known to have VHS? (Viral hemorrhagic septicemia)

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#3 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 02:40 PM

Thanks for the info, Erica. Not that I know of. I went out with a local aquarium group. All of the fish I have in my tank came from two locations and were collected and added to the aquarium on the same day. No new inhabitants of any kind were added after I got the fish about a month ago.

Sounds like VHS is incurable and... hopeless?

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#4 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 02:42 PM

Well, other things can cause hemorrhages. For example, ammonia poisoning can also cause blood streaks. What's the ammonia concentration in ppm or mg/L? And if she ran into a sharp stick, that might leave a mark like that.

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#5 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 02:48 PM

I didn't have enough time to do any water tests over lunch, but everything had been fine (0ppm) in previous tests. I'll have to test it later tonight. I'll do a water change regardless. Thanks.

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#6 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 03:06 PM

If it's a hemorrhagic disease, it'll become real obvious as time passes. For right now let's just assume she clumsily stabbed herself on a stick.

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#7 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 03:19 PM

Yes, let's hope so! Could another fish cause this? I unfortunately came home to a dead Iowa darter, too. It had no blemishes from what I could tell. He looked fine this morning.

I posted earlier about how my rainbows were eating my juvenile minnows and killifish. Two other Iowa darters were also sadly killed in previous weeks.

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#8 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 03:23 PM

Could another fish cause this?

Yes, definitely. A red spot like is on your fish can be left behind from a bite, jab, stab, etc.

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#9 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 03:25 PM

Thanks for the info. Let's hope it's not the virus.

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#10 Guest_Erica Lyons_*

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Posted 05 June 2014 - 03:30 PM

I really doubt it. VHS leaves blood everywhere: on the eyes, on streaks on the side, on the mouth. It's nasty. This is just a single red spot, like a wound. And you've had missing fish. Simplest explanation is it really is a wound, a trauma induced hemorrhage, from whatever was causing your missing fish. If you've got fish that are being eaten by another fish, you can list the potential victims on craigslist for free and they'll get gone fast. Explain that something in your tank is eating them, and that'll allay peoples' suspicion of free stuff. Or just be funny.

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#11 Guest_NotCousteau_*

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Posted 09 June 2014 - 12:03 PM

That's a funny ad.

The good news is that the darter has no new spots/lesions, and no other fish have shown any similar symptoms. Water continues to test at 0ppm for ammonia, 0ppm for nitrite and 20ppm for nitrate, so I'll just chalk it up to a fight or accident and hope for the best. Thanks.