Another hillstream disease

[mikev]

Any idea what this may be?

This is new fish, day 15 in the Q tank.

The fish was ok in the morning, I came back to see two dead (without symptoms), but at least three of still alive fish had strange ich-like spots on the body (NOT fins) as shown below. One more died. I *think* this is some kind of ich like parasite so I'll try to treat for ich; most likely this is hopeless, given the degree of infection. If this disease looks familiar to anyone and you know how to deal with it, please say. I've not seen anything like this in the past.

Just in case: tank parameters are fine.

TIA

Fresh dead


Still Alive

[Martin Thoene]

Hmmm.....I'm not one who usually gets involved in disease threads because my knowledge is highly limited due to being (fingers crossed) lucky in that respect.

I'm answering because I look at this first pic and "Carp Pox" comes into my head. No prior knowledge, so I assume "the Force is with me" because I did some googling and it fits the description in general appearance.

Found this great site here:

http://www.merckveterinarymanual.com/mv ... 170416.htm

However, most sites claim it's relatively benign unless a secondary infection gets into the lesions. I'll await other's thoughts.

Martin.

[mikev]

Thanks, Martin.

(I envy your luck: I lose 50% of fish from this source, and the diseases are always new. Don't have much choice: until Frank came along, this was really the only source of interesting fish.... ).

I'm now inclined to think that this is a variation on the Ich subject after all. A form of Ich, or a related parasite. (I may be wrong, it may be some kind of bacteria-caused slime coat disintegration too....).

One more down overnight, no symptoms on the body, it had symptoms yesterday. I don't remember ich leaving a dead fish so quickly.

I'm treating with 2 ich meds now, I think this is why I did not lose all of them yet, but the picture looks pretty bleak: too much parasite on the fish itself, and meds would not touch it. Oh well, let me go to 80F, this seems like the best bet right now.

---

PS. Carp Pox or something like this would be possible. I cannot treat viral stuff, obviously, but I do have antibiotic in the tank too to deal with secondaries.

[nuvolari]

mikev if it is a form of ich then you will be fine with doing the salt rutine and lifting the temp to 31 degrees c. I know it high for hillstreams but if there enough oxygen then they will be fine. I had my tweedie get ich and did this and it worked a treat. there hardy little buggers by the way.

if you raise water over 30 degress c it will kill the eggs of the parasite thus stoping the cycle.

[mikev]

I'm assuming it is ich-like, even if the spots are almost entirely on the body (noticed a couple on fins now), and they seem to be a bit different in shape.

The dynamics is not very ich like: they were clean yesterday morning, then suddenly an explosion. Ich IME tends to start slowly, so one has time to see it early and react. Not this thing.

[Graeme Robson]

Where ever you receive these fish from has a major problem. You seem to always have posts about hillstream fish with a disease. My first thought is Cyprinid Herpesvirus. Could this be a under cut price for these fish?

Sorry to hear of these lovely fish in such bad condition.

[mikev]

Where ever you receive these fish from has a major problem.

You are stating the obvious. The major problem is obvious: this is what tends to happen when imported fish is put on sale right away, without any quarantine or treatment. You deal with places that first make sure that the fish is ok, I bought from a place that tries to sell fish before it dies on them. There was not any other choice until recently.

The interesting issue is not me getting fish from a crappy source: I knew the risk I'm taking. It is rather if it is possible to get fish from a crappy source and still overcome the diseases. I'm beginning to think that for hillstreams the answer may be no.

Sorry to hear of these lovely fish in such bad condition.

I'm even sorrier to SEE ...