I just don't know what to do any more...

OK, the basics: I have a 10 gallon, just-cycled, planted tank with two female platies. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp and pH are all good. A week or so ago, my other platy died of unknown causes. Now another one is sick.

It really started when I got her. She started passing white, stringy feces, and was occasionally flashing against decorations. I added some more salt and turned the temperature up, but she got better. Then, last week, she started doing it again. She recovered immediately.

Three days ago, she was worse. Her feces was pretty much transparent, she was scratching against everything, her fins were clamped, and she hovered near the heater all day. She didn't show any sign of ich, and her companion is perfectly healthy, but to be safe I dosed the tank with a packet of API General Cure. I thought she was showing all the signs of internal parasites, which General Cure claims to cure.

I gave them the second dose last night. This morning, she's not eating. She sort of comes up to the food and nibbles, but it's nothing near the verve and zest she usually has for breakfast time. Plus, she's opening and closing her mouth, and I can see her gills working. I don't know what to do! I haven't been over-feeding them (actually, I can see the faint outlines of their ribs when they're in the light, but they're not skinny). What is this?! How can I help her?

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

Sounds like internal parasites. You need to give either medicated foods or dose the tank with parasite cure. You could also try soaking some frozen blood worms in garlic juice and try getting her to eat that.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
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I've already used General Cure, but I'll try the garlic. I'd heard of using garlic to treat all sorts of illnesses, but couldn't find any information on how to use it. Thanks! :D

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

You need a specific med for it, not just general cure. It's a misconception that general cure will cure everything as that is what the makers state, but really it doesn't work on internal diseases. There is meds specific to treating internal parasites and that is what is needed or the garlic soaked foods.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Is there any kind you can recommend? I didn't see any specific medicines at the store, but I can order one online if I have to.

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

Jungle makes a parasite tab that you put into the tank, there is also medicated foods. I usually purchase flakes that has garlic in them from kensfish.com.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

OK, I'll try the garlic today and if she's not better by tomorrow I'll get the Jungle tabs. I'm also reading about a Tetra-brand tablet. Would that work, too?

Oh, and I wanted to ask you an unrelated question: have you ever tried Mardel Maracyn Plus AntiBacterial Therapy? I bought some tetracycline a while ago just in case I ever need an antibacterial, but I've read that it doesn't work in a lot of cases. Would the Maracyn liquid do better, or have you ever used it?

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

I've never used it to be honest, in 30+ years I have had very little use for meds. I've heard other people use it and swear by it. But as with most meds its to be used with caution. Tetracycline can destroy your bacteria in the tank and filter. But I want to get some myself as it will help clear up cynobacteria. Out of all my tanks I have one that keeps getting it and hopefully it will get rid of it permanantly.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Good luck with that!

Oh, I fed her two small worms saturated with the garlic earlier. I'm going to feed her more tonight. I'm thinking of feeding some to the other platy as a precaution, but would that hurt her at all?

Sorry for all the questions!

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

Well, the garlic-soaked worms seemed to boost her appetite, at least! She ate quite eagerly this morning. She's still flashing against decorations, though. I just did a 20% water change to remove the General Cure (as per the box's orders), and will probably feed another garlic worm tonight. Any suggestions on how long I should continue this treatment?

Also, I've asked my husband to pick up some Jungle parasite tablets today, just in case she takes a turn for the worst. I really, REALLY don't want to lose her! She has such a sweet disposition. Besides, I've lost so many platies in the past month that I'm beginning to think I'm doing something horribly wrong...

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.

You can feed garlic soaked food everyday if you wish, it won't hurt them.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Common Name: Flukes (Skin, Gill, or Eye)
Pathogen/Cause: Dactylogyrus vastator (Gill Fluke), Gyrodactylus sp. (Mostly Skin Flukes), etc.
Physical Signs: Gill flukes may show with red, inflamed gills, but otherwise many fish flukes are microscopic (some of the largest being just a few mm, but mostly smaller), and so confirmed diagnosis by physical appearence alone is not possible. Confirm with a vet or lab.
Behavioral Signs: Scratching, gasping at surface (again a nonspecific sign that has other more common causes, see comments at right).

Other Notes: No photos are included here, because usually flukes are too small to visualize with the naked eye. This also creates serious problems for trying to diagnose by general physical signs (hyperproduction of slime, inflamed gills) or general behavioral signs (listlessness, gasping, scratching, etc.). All these signs overlap considerably with other more common causes of skin and gill irritation, including ammonia poisoning and more common skin parasitisms such as ich. The first step in any tank where these signs are seen is to rule out ammonia poisoning first by testing for any level above 0.

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55 Gals. Plants Anubias,Amazon Swords and more. Tetras: 6 Sarpaes.4 Red Eyes,5 Black Skirts,4 Giant Danios,2 Lemons, 2 Emerald Cory,4 German Blue.
10 gals. tank : Plants, Full of Guppies; 20 Gals. Tank planted Full of Guppies: 1 gal tank filled with Guppies

Parasite clear and parasite guard are pretty much the same product I believe. One made by Jungle and one by Tetra. I hae had limited success with both. They will also handle any external parasites, with the exception of ich and a few other of the more serious ones. The flashing should stop.

That's the thing about flukes and similar parasites; they all present similar symptoms. There's no way to know if it is a case of flukes, though I don't suspect them because her gills aren't swollen... I hate it, but I know that for a lot of internal parasites you just have to treat for general parasites and hope they're susceptible to the medication. It ALMOST makes me wish they had ich instead... At least that's readily diagnosed and very treatable in the early stages.

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Creatures great and small, I love 'em all! But mainly the fish.