Fish acting strange Fin rot- caused by bacterial bloom?

[OceanJack]

I have lurked this part of the forum only to offer assistance and never hoped to post a thread but here I am...

So I just finished a Flucanazole treatment for HA about 5 days, did a 25 gallon water change on a 70 gallon system.

Everyone was happy and doing well, my skimmer has been on the fritz so I took it offline. I don't think that it caused my bacterial bloom since this just happened to start Friday and it's been off for over a week.

I noticed my Starry Blenny who is the oldest fish in my tank acting strange, swimming upward and then last night I saw him being lethargic and breathing heavily. He's really pale and has fin rot that looks like it's just starting.

He's the only one in the tank that's got fin rot, so far a few other fish were swimming at the surface and being strange. I did a FW dip to rule out Flukes on a few suspect fish.


I think it's from a bacterial infection, I was really worried it could be ICH or Velvet but I think I've ruled it out for now.


I was reading up that Melafix could help? or should I get a UV light? So far it looks like the bloom has cleared up, don't know what it could be from?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

If you have a bacterial bloom and your skimmer is offline then odds are your tank needs aeration. I would point your powerhead at the surface and maybe add an air stone for now.

Are any of the fish flashing? Spots?, etc?

 

[OceanJack]

I've got plenty of surface tension but I can turn on the skimmer and not skim for the time being and just aerate the water. I have the return nozzles breaking surface.

The fish was eating last night so I feel like I might have a shot at reviving him, was scared to all hell that it was Velvet when i thought I saw tiny white spots on a fish but confirmed it was just sand.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I've got plenty of surface tension but I can turn on the skimmer and not skim for the time being and just aerate the water. I have the return nozzles breaking surface.

The fish was eating last night so I feel like I might have a shot at reviving him, was scared to all hell that it was Velvet when i thought I saw tiny white spots on a fish but confirmed it was just sand.

Have you completely resolved the bloom? Or is it still active?

 

[OceanJack]

It seems as if it's clearing up from yesterday, Friday is when i noticed the bloom. Sunday it cleared up quite a bit and doesn't look as cloudy, I think it might have been from me not changing my filter socks.

I am going to do a 10% water change today and add melafix for the blenny.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Do you have any photos of the blenny?

 

[OceanJack]

Not right now, I should of taken one last night when i did a FW dip on him. He's pretty pale and almost white, I checked on him this morning before I left for work and he's still breathing heavily.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Pale colors mostly just mean he’s stressed. It could be from oxygen deprivation as suggested, hard to say for sure. But, fin rot is usually bacterial or caused by aggression damage.

In any case, a bath in methylene blue would be my first suggestion if you can catch him. It would probably be a good idea to move him to QT so that you are able to treat with antibiotics if needed.

 

[OceanJack]

I'm taking a half day, so shortly I'll be able to go home and tinker with my tank. I've got one MP40 and 2 1500gph power heads for movement and a Mag 7 return pump that goes to two nozzles that are pointed up at the surface.

I don't think it's from aggression since I am constantly observing and I don't see that he would be bullied by other first. I would bet my money on this being bacterial.

I'm going to treat my Display with the Melafix as I can't find the Methylene blue locally and I don't want to push this off, I don't have a QT setup right now so this is my only option.

If he gets worse then, I'll set up a QT.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Just a word of caution...many times when it’s “worse” it’s too late. Antibiotics are notoriously slow-acting in fish.

Good luck, I hope he pulls through!

 

[OceanJack]

Welp, my wife just texted me and the blenny is dead.

He was my oldest fish that survived three tank upgrades, had him for at least 4 years. I am just going to attribute his death due to the bacteria bloom and probably just wasn't healthy enough to fight it off.