ill blood parrot fish

Question
I'm sure with your background I deserve a "tisk tisk" for having a blood parrot but I honestly didn't know about them when I bought it.  Now I have had my blood parrot, Mama, for at least three years.  I recently was given a larger 55 gallon tank that was previously used.  I cleaned the tank with salt and reused the biowheel as I was told to at the little local owned fishstore I go to. I used tap water with start right, I transferred two and a half gallons of her old water, and purchased a new carbon filter. The tank was set up for about three weeks before we noticed any problems.  She is the only fish in the tank with a heater set around 80, im trying to keep it just above, one plastic plant, two bubble filters, a 60 gallon biowheel and rocks.  The fish first had white, pimple like spots on her face, chin area and it eventually spread to her body within days it progressively got worse.  At this time the water was extremely cloudy and I could actually see things in the water that looked like microscopic white worms.  I treated her tank with a 40% water change, added kosher salt, Maracyn plus antibiotic, and coppersafe.  I did two salt water dips over two days for about 15 minutes.  This seemed to clear her skin and the water very well.  I no longer see the worm like material.  Now my fish appeared with a red spot on her head that looked hemmorage like with red under the skin in a perfect circle.  The next day it was like the white pimple but open.  The area continues to be open and white.  I treated the tank with coppersafe again and started the maracyn also.  Now my fish has a pop eye beginning.  It isn't terrible but enough to notice.  She is eating, swimming quickly but does rub on the rocks.  I feed her the hikari ciclid gold.  I am afraid to continue experimenting with the medications.  The Maracn specifically states to not use it with other meds and finish the five day course.  Id love to see a fish doctor as I believe my fish has a lot more going on than one minor disease but I am unable to find one in the Buffalo, NY area.  Any assistance you can give me would be of great help as the people at the fish store do not have much info to assist me with.

Answer
Hi Lana,
  Hmm... the little white mounds on her skin is a sign of a disease called columnaris (I might have the spelling wrong on that).  That, combined with the cloudy water and the little white worms are pretty clear signs of poor water conditions.  Personally, I would stop the medications and focus on water changes. If it were me, I would do 25% water changes for about 3 or 4 days in a row to stabilize the tank.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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