Hard Decisions...

[raydobbs]

I recently purchased an Eclipse 6 gallon system tank and a small group of guppies from the fish store.  Until recently, my fish stock that I have gotten from this store has been exemplery...  But these guppies don't look right, and I am afriad that the Eclipse 6 is not going to help their conditions any...

Basically, here's the scoop:  I got this grouping of guppies, 5 adults and four fry (why they insisted I could take care of Fry is beyond me) and 2 adults are showing some type of problem.  Nearly all of them gasp at the surface of the water, even though I do have a BioWheel setup that does have the water 'dropping' to meet the surface of the aquarium tank water level - therefor introducing more than enough dissolved oxygen into the water.

One adult also shows a very advanced case of gill disease, as they are greatly protruded and very red.  He is one of the surface gaspers aforementioned.  The others do not show signs of this disease - but they DO share the same water as this one, and I am afriad to introduce the healthy-looking ones into my 55 gallon community tank in an attempt to save them...

So I need some advice, as the only idea I've got right now is to euthanize the batch of fish AND fry to prevent the introduction of infection if I wanted to move them from the small 6 gallon Eclipse to the 55 Gallon community.  It may sound mean to euthanize the fish, especially fry.  But I am looking at the standpoint that it seems very difficult to cure diseased fish, especially when they are as bad as these appear to be - and I don't want them to suffer if they are all are infected.  And the financial cost to cure 10 dollars of guppies far outway the option of just replacing them...  

I feel so aweful for wanting to kill them - but I don't think this shop, which used to be good, will take them back without a royal inquision of grand proportions - again, not worth the trouble for 10 dollars worth of fish.

I guess what I want is some advice, or at least the opinion that I am not thinking of murdering my fish to take the easy way out...  

[arcab4]

was your tank cycled? because all the problems you are listing sound like the tank wasn't cycled.

[Bombay]

Why not try to treat them?  You don't have much to lose...except some change for the medicine and some time.  You may pull them through...and/or you may learn something here.  I say go for it.
Bombay

[raydobbs]

was your tank cycled? because all the problems you are listing sound like the tank wasn't cycled.

The guppies in the Eclipse 6 were to cycle the tank - I chose them because I read that guppies are pretty tough and are good fish to cycle the tank.  I also chose them in order to add some lively colors to my collection.

I am also using Cycle in the tank to speed the process along.

As for treating the fish, I will try - but if the meds start costing some really heafty money - then I might see if I can let the disease run it's course, and work on keeping the survivors alive.

[arcab4]

hi raydobbs,

in my opinion, i think that 6 guppies creates too much bio-load to cycle a tank. have you checked the amonia (sp?) and nitrate/nitrite (always forget which one comes first).

let us know how it goes!

[ajfish]

I agree, reckon you should only have a couple of guppies in there to two cycle the new tank. Maybe two or three, also why did you put fry into a uncylced tank? im quessing they to wont make it along with your adult guppies. You could try and treat the adults, and the fry. And if the medications do work, the adults will be allright, but i think the fry will all die. Update us on the latest happenings.

[raydobbs]

So far, here's the update:

All the fish are still alive.  The medication at the store would have cost nearly as much as the fish, and the person stated that if there are fry in the tank - they are automatically doomed - as they'd overdose.  But they said I could try adding an air pump and air wand to add more oxygen to the water - in case it is being caused by an anaroebic bacteria.  This would also increase the circulation, something the tank REALLY NEEDS.

They have all stopped eating now - but I am going to try to feed them anyway - just little meals, but still something...  I guess I will know if they make it in a week or not...

The one reason I am NOT putting the adults into the community tank that is 99 percent cycled is because of this disease stuff...

As for the fry - the pet shop sold them to me, insisting they'd eat flakes.  Some of these fry are as BIG as the flakes, even when I mortar and pistoled them down to small grains of dust and dirt...

Needless to say, this is a shop I will not do business with again - simply because of their profit-at-all-cost attitude.  :P