# Fish are always dying from bacterial infections



## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

It seems as if I'm losing a fish once a month or once every two months...is this normal? I don't think it is. 

It seems they are always dying from something bacterial. Dropsy is common and also not eating and starving to death. I have a medicine tank and I try to help them but they always end up dying.

Do you think it maybe something in the water? Can I get rid of it? Or is this just something common. 

I gravel vac and do a 25 percent wc every week.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If its always the same symptoms, it could be a recurring disease. And since bacterial secondary infections can attack fish that are sick from something else, you can't be sure a bacteria is your only problem. But to answer your question, its not normal for fish to die so frequently. Poor water quality can increase disease frequency as can poor nutrition and/or stress from aggression. Not eating could also be a internal parasite, you could try a medicated food. Or it could be "bloat". What are you feeding the fish and how often? What do the sick fish look like? Also check the recall list for your fish food. Some fish were poisoned by melamine in fish food from China. And see if you can get a report of what is added to your water at the source.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Yeah, more detailed description of how your sick fish look and act would be helpfull. what kind of rock, heater, driftwood, decorations, filter, filter media, food brand, water conditioner... basically go into detail about everything you got going with your tank. The more you give us, the better chance someone on this forum might think of something, or spot the problem.

As it stands now the only solution I can think of is to nuke the tank and start over. But that's what I do when I don't know enough.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

I wouldn't like to start over....

Heres what I use for food: 

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/food/granules_pellets_and_sticks/jbl/35982#more

I also feed them frozen blood worms, Freeze dried blood worms, and freeze dried tubifex worms. Also, seaweed. I feed them about every 2-3 days.

Um, it's either something internal because they stop eating, then they get really skinny, and die. Or they have dropsy. I've had fish from back in December that are perfectly ok but it just seems that some that i've collected along the way die. I do a 25% water change and clean the gravel every week. I use a tetra water conditioner that has bio extract in it....


I have a penguin marineland filter for a 30 gallon, I only use live plants, and real drift wood, regular gravel i suppose? lol, im not sure of the different types of gravel. 


Thanks.


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2009)

hey Steph......

if they arent eating, it could be interstinal parasites. thats when they get real skinny, stop eating and eventually die. you need medicated food.

cant give you names though!


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Ya, I ordered some Maracyn two from petsmart...hopefully that'll help.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

cool keep us posted on the results, always good to know if something works or not =)


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## alliecat420 (Mar 28, 2009)

i've had alot of luck with melafix if you think it's a bacterial thing.. with melafix you can treat the whole tank.. look for any sort of sign outside of not eating.. any physical deformities (lumps, fungus, white feses) these will all help us diagnose your problem

also i would like to add do you have a clean water bucket? a bucket you only use for clean water going into tanks.. with one of these it's easier to stop infections from spreading from tank to tank.


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## fishyfreek (May 13, 2009)

*dyeing fish*



Fishychic said:


> It seems as if I'm losing a fish once a month or once every two months...is this normal? I don't think it is.
> 
> It seems they are always dying from something bacterial. Dropsy is common and also not eating and starving to death. I have a medicine tank and I try to help them but they always end up dying.
> 
> ...


 Hi, I was wandering about why the water change every week? Also, how much gravel in your tank, and filling your tank with hot or cold water.
In my recent experience you need at least 3 inches of gravel, that is approximetly 1 pound per gallon. Also if you are water changing every week you are not letting the gravel build a good bacteria bed before you are taking it back out. Then when filling it back up, use all cold water, run it over the heater so it will heat a little. Hot water has to much iron in it to put in your tank so make it all cold. Any way just suggestions and thats all you wanted right?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

chic.....see if you can find some metronidazol and try treating with it... to be honest; i really can't give you a whole lot of info on diseases because i rarely have to deal with them... there are only a few that i keep on hand just in case...
metronidazol....aquari-sol....and melafix...i also have methylene blue and formalin; but they are for treating eggs to keep them from getting fungus on them..


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

I've used melafix a bit before. I have a regular 30 gallon tank and about 2 inches of gravel. 

I do it every week because I thought that's what you're suppose to do...am i mistaken? I just don't want a dirty tank. My tank has been cycled for about 6 months now.


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## alliecat420 (Mar 28, 2009)

no.. your good to change water weekly.. i learned on this forum that not much bacteria is in the water.. it's mostly on your filter cartridge, with small amounts in the gravle and on decor.. keep cleaning your water weekly


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## fishyfreek (May 13, 2009)

*regards to steph*



alliecat420 said:


> no.. your good to change water weekly.. i learned on this forum that not much bacteria is in the water.. it's mostly on your filter cartridge, with small amounts in the gravle and on decor.. keep cleaning your water weekly


Why would you do a water change once a week? You have to let your gravel build a bacteria bed. Your decor is not enough bacteria nor is your filter, what happens when you have to change your filter? doing water changes once a week is not going to let any bacteria form on your decor or your filter. Steph, you can do what you want but I would research that before continuing.


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## alliecat420 (Mar 28, 2009)

fishyfreek said:


> Why would you do a water change once a week? You have to let your gravel build a bacteria bed. Your decor is not enough bacteria nor is your filter, what happens when you have to change your filter? doing water changes once a week is not going to let any bacteria form on your decor or your filter. Steph, you can do what you want but I would research that before continuing.


if your tank is established already (which it should be).. you wont have to worry about building up bacteria


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

A dirty tank is a happy tank. The reason we clean it is so we can see our fish. Its a good idea to clean the droppings once in a while but you should leave a little growth on some parts of your tank. I always leave little algae on the back glass. Your bacteria growth will increase with a little grime. Just as long as it’s not to dirty.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

My tank has been established for 6 months. I'm not sure what fishyfreak is talking about when he says i need to grow a bacteria bed....


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

neither do I, but if you're worried about your bacteria, pick up some seachem stability and use it when you do water changes.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

neither does fishyfreek..
your tank is well established.. therefore you have plenty of bacteria built up.. but...............
when you vacuum the gravel; only do a small portion... say1/4 or 1/3 of the tank at a time... then do a different portion next week..

actually one of the main reasons we do weekly water changes is to dilute many of the not so good materials that are in there.. and also to maintain good growth rates... the more water you change and the more often you change it; the faster your fish will grow; and the bigger they will get.. that is why almost all really serious discus and angel breeders do daily water changes on their fry... often as much as 100% daily... and that is why angels are coming to market at 5-6 weeks old and at dime size bodies.. mine are dime size at 5 weeks; but i don't sell them at that size.. i usually wait until they are quarter-fifty cent size... or maybe even a little larger...


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

Can't help ya on the disease issue.....some good advice ^ up there. Keep doing water changes weekly....lohachata is right, you take out dissolved organics and such in the water....makes the fish healthier (usually) and makes them grow faster. When you do water changes, you don't take out bacteria unless you are vigorously vacuuming the gravel every time. Water changes are good!


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## fishyfreek (May 13, 2009)

*steph*



lohachata said:


> neither does fishyfreek..
> your tank is well established.. therefore you have plenty of bacteria built up.. but...............
> when you vacuum the gravel; only do a small portion... say1/4 or 1/3 of the tank at a time... then do a different portion next week..
> 
> actually one of the main reasons we do weekly water changes is to dilute many of the not so good materials that are in there.. and also to maintain good growth rates... the more water you change and the more often you change it; the faster your fish will grow; and the bigger they will get.. that is why almost all really serious discus and angel breeders do daily water changes on their fry... often as much as 100% daily... and that is why angels are coming to market at 5-6 weeks old and at dime size bodies.. mine are dime size at 5 weeks; but i don't sell them at that size.. i usually wait until they are quarter-fifty cent size... or maybe even a little larger...


The only thing I was wandering was why the water change, I said nothing about how much gravel, I have 6 tanks from 10 gallon up to 180 gallon and I do it once a month, my water is tested good for 12 years and I have al my fish that I started with. I have six blood parrots as big as softballs. I told step and obviously everyone else to do what she wanted, I was just giving her suggestions on why her fish kept dying, evidently she's doing something wrong.


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## fishyfreek (May 13, 2009)

*Hey*



fishyfreek said:


> The only thing I was wandering was why the water change, I said nothing about how much gravel, I have 6 tanks from 10 gallon up to 180 gallon and I do it once a month, my water is tested good for 12 years and I have al my fish that I started with. I have six blood parrots as big as softballs. I told step and obviously everyone else to do what she wanted, I was just giving her suggestions on why her fish kept dying, evidently she's doing something wrong.





Fishychic said:


> My tank has been established for 6 months. I'm not sure what fishyfreak is talking about when he says i need to grow a bacteria bed....


Steph, I was telling you a few suggestions, I asked that you do what you want to do, everyone is doubting my suggestions, well obviously your doing something wrong, sorry I won't say anything again. That's just from my experience and I have 6 tanks that I do water changes on once a month and they are crystal clear and have not lost a fish in 12 years I've had them. I have six bloodparrots big as softballs and other cichlids and everyone is doing great. Sorry everyone thinks Im wrong but you do what you think is best for you, by the way I'm female.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If your tank is established, regular, frequent small water changes are better than infrequent large ones. Big water changes can cause your pH to swing and stress the fish. Building bacteria in the gravel really only applies if you have a UG filter. If you get mini-cycles when you clean the filter, it would show up and test kits and likely more than one fish at a time would suffer. 

I also would suggest metronidazol. You can sprinkle the powder on frozen food, and refreeze, then feed to the fish. If the sick fish don't eat, you can use it in the water or use Prazi-Pro in the water. 

Occasionally fish will get digestive issues and die, but the recurrences you are seeing makes me think treating for internal parasites is worth a try.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Thank you to everyone for helpful information!


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2009)

actually,

the only times i do a WC is when the water stinks! and that is just 20%. grav vacs only when there is a death or max when i know i have overfed the fishes the previous night. the only time i do a WC and grav vac is when i have a death in tank else i do that once a month.

no offence to anyone, but this is how i do it. its only after i got my rams that i have been keeping the water pristeen clean!


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Alright, I am bringing this thread up again because i am THIS close to quitting the aquatic hobby! 

My SECOND male gourami died. He started to get really thin but was still eating and eventually died. Now, my female gourami, which i've had since december is suddenly darker in color and is now breathing rapidly but ate. She does not look thin. There is a hole on her Dorsal fin. I've had my rasboras since december and NONE of them died! I don't get it! It seems like an internal parasite but I am committed to keeping my tank CLEAN. Weekly water changes. It can't be the food. 
Should I just treat my whole tank? It seems to be something internal so what can i use to treat it? Where can i buy it?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1139

If you have this virus, I doubt there is any thing you can do. I don't know of any fish anti-virals on the market. Bleach everything and start over with fish from a club, not a store.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think 'clout' is about the most aggressive kill everything med around. But it has a habbit of killing fish, so you have to be pretty desparate.


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