# Sick Zebra Danio?



## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

I purchased 5 zebra danios and introduced them to my tank yesterday hoping to get the 5 that were already in there to school. 
Today I noticed one of the new danios sitting at the top of the tank hardly moving. Later he made his way to the bottom of the tank and was laying on the substrate barely moving. The rest of the danios zip around non stop. 
Could this little guy be sick? 
In the meantime I've moved him to a 3 gallon tank where he's staying in the same spot in the middle of the tank.
Thanks


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Can you let us know a bit more about your tanks? How long did you leave them to float in the tank? 
Did he look funny before hand?


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

The tank has been running about 3 weeks now and seems to be fully cycled. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and very low nitrates. They floated for 35-45 minutes before going in. The all seemed to be swimming fine in the bag and were fine all day yesterday. 
I didn't look very close at their bodies though  when they were in the bag. I've checked them all out now though and they look good. My one guy thats in the hospital tank is just sitting at the top and floating around. He has some 'rust' spots on the middle of his body near his anal fin.


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

*Vertical*

He's vertical now, he drops down in the water straight up an down and then has a little seizure to get back to the surface.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

sounds like a swim bladder issue maybe? you can treat with TMP sulfa if that's the case. there's a disease recognition and treatment sticky somewhere here. check that out.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

I thought the same. 

I'll check my books tonight. I remember reading something about the way the fish swims up and down...


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

He died shortly after my last post last night. He went belly up and was breathing rapidly before dying. Not sure what it was that got him but hopefully the other fish haven't caught it.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

If no others get it, it would make me think that he was born with some kind of "issue"...


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

*Another dead zebra danio*

I found another dead zebra danio tonight. I found it stuck to the filter when I came home. They all seemed fine when I left this morning. Should I be considering any sort of treatment for the tank? I have 5 baby albino bn plecos in there and I really don't want one of them to turn up dead. They are all currently on the glass by the powerhead but I'm hoping they are just there for the current.
The dead zebra danio didn't really have any signs of what happened on it. It seemed bloated but could have been full of eggs.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Well, you could always cut 'her' open and see if they are eggs.

If they're bloated but the scales are sticking out then dropsy is a good guess. But if just bloated then it could still be bacterial or constipation. Do you see any of their droppings? If it's constipation you might try giving them boiled/nuked peas, without the casing.

Might not be a bad idea to do a 50% water change, add a large air stone and give em a week of melafix.

Of course, you could always (and this is gonna sound cold) just quarantine em to protect the others in the tank and if they die, go to Pet Smart and by some more for $0.79 each. Cheaper than Melafix.

And speaking of quarantine tank, you really should quarantine all fish for 4 weeks before introducing them into your community tank.

Good luck.


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

Hey Cory Dad,

Is it too late to pull the danios out of the tank and quarantine them? The baby albino bn plecs were already acting weird. Grouping together on the glass next to the outflow of the powerhead and one was shooting to the surface to take air. I changed about 30% of the water last night and another 20% or so this morning. 

Will Melafix do any harm to my plecos? I could 'hospitalize' the danios and give both the plecos and danios some Melafix for the next week. An extra air stone is a good idea. Might raise the temp as well to 80-82, maybe higher??

Also, all my readings have been good from my test kits. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and low nitrates.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Hi Kups.

I don't think it's too late to move them but if your other tank inhabitants are acting weird then the damage may have already been done.

No idea if Melafix adversely affects plecs, ameekplec. should know, but my guess is it's ok for them.

Hm, plecs gasping for air. Are the gills of the danios bright red? That could be bacterial but it could also indicate pollutants in the water such as chlorine or chloramine. But if this just started happening after the danios were introduced then I would guess it's a medical problem and not chemical.

Do the 50% water change and add the air stone to get as much DO into the water as you can then start with the Melafix. I know there are a number of other medications that are a lot better than Melafix but it's natural and hard to screw up with this product.

Good luck.


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

I just lost the first pleco. The others aren't looking good. Might be ick. They are pale and constantly at the top looking for air. I'm raising the temp and adding the melafix. I'm going to find out about adding some salt if they can take it


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Add an airstone, put it to max!!

Oops, sorry I missed this thread.

If you add melafix/pimafix, it lowers the dissolved oxygen in your tank. If you raise the temperature, it lowers the DO in your tank. These things together can actually suffocate your tank.

The reason they are around the PH is because the turbulence there raises the surface agitation and the amount of local DO is higher there. Also they jump to get air, as they are capable of some oxygen absorption through their digestive tracts.

Don't add the salt, unless you want more death.


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

4 of the 5 are dead  
the 5th one is on his side on the bottom breathing heavily. looks like he's on his way out this morning. still not sure what caused this. the lfs sent me home with salt and e.m. erythromycin. i just put the salt in 
they looked at the dead plecos with me and said their best guess was an internal disease as the dead bodies didn't look like they had been attacked by ick. on of the danios has white stuff on his back so i'm not so sure its not ick.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Crap. I hate when this happens.

'White stuff on the back" is not really an ick indicator. White dots, sort of like grains of salt is.

Sounds like a bacterial infection.

Did you do the 50% water change? What about the air stone? Is the pleco the only fish left in the tank?

EM is stronger than Melafix. I believe it it for gram negative bacterial infections. A shot gun approach would be to treat with Maracyn and Maracyn II together. That would cover both gram negative and positive infections.

But if you've already started the EM stay with it. 

Remember to take out any charcoal you have in your filter.

Good luck.


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## Kups (Aug 26, 2008)

The final pleco died unfortunately. I'm debating whether or not to keep the danios. I could try to medicate them or just return them to the lfs where I bought them. 
What are my options for the tank where this all broke out? If I empty it of fish can I get it back to where its disease free?


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

I wouldn't return the Danios to the LFS, if you have to euthanize them. I fear that if you return them, the lfs will euthanize them or add them to an existing tank. 

I'm not sure, but I believe that if you empty out the tank and rince it out. That the bacteria/parasite/fungus would probably die. I have to specify that the tank would need to be bone dry for a little while.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

<sigh> That sux. Sorry to hear that they're all gone.

At this point you have two options:

1) Empty the tank of inhabitants and bleach it.

2) Soldier on with what you've got. It will eventually run it's course.

As you've probably (and hopefully) learned, it's important to have a quarantine tank. It minimizes this type of situation. I've talked to a lot of people who poo poo using a QT, but they seem to find religion when this kinda thing happens to them.

I feel your loss. Been there, done that.

Be well and good luck.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Sorry to hear about this. I recently had a similar outbreak. All attempts to treat it failed. I tried various meds. I lost all but one of my danios. My other fish survived.

Sometimes everything I know goes against me. Accepted wisdom is that Danios are pretty darn hardy. But when everything in the tank dies, something is probably wrong with your whole tank, and it's time to tear down and clean everything carefully. (No soap obviously.) I would be tempted to bleach, wash and clean the tank, and let it all sit dry for a few days, then use a larger than usual dose of dechlorinator when you refill the tank, to deal with any leftover chlorine on the tank surfaces, and do one flush and dump and then refill the tank and start from scratch.

The only trouble I have with the QT tank is it's like an alcoholic keeping around a bottle of his old favourite.  Anyone know what I mean here?

W


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Danios & similar fish are one of the worst fish you can add to your tank without a good quarantine period. These fish are raised in outdoor ponds where they can catch any number of bacterial & viral diseases.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

And so that makes me wonder why so many books recommend Danios as the best "starter fish".

W


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## Canadiancray (Apr 27, 2006)

Thats because when healthy they withstand harsh conditions & are cheap to replace.


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