fish dieseases

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
    I really need your help......u  see my fish are all getting.sick......here are the types of  dieseases in there:

Guppies
-type 1
Has fungus around the mouth stops breathung and dies with mouth open
-type 2
Gills have fungus on it jumps around tank and dies
-Type 3
Sudden death

Cardinal  tetra
-type 1
Loses colour and appetite does not swim with school starts jumping around and dies with mouth open
-type 2
Has a fungus on body dies a slow  death

Red rummy nose
-type 1
Has fungus on tail dies a slow death
Type 2
-tail is gone dies a slow death

I really appreciate if you can diagnose these dieases above and what are the suitable methods  to treat it. I currently have 4 guppies left, 1 golden sucker ,2 rummies , and no.cardinals as it all died.
Originaly i have 8 guppies,4 rummies,4 cardinals,1 golden.sucker.
Appreciate if u answer quickly.

Regards,
Elizabeth

ANSWER: Hi Elizabeth,

First of all, I want to be sure this isn't related to a water quality issue.

Is the tank appropriately sized for this many fishes?

1 inch of fish per 1.5 gallons.  In a 10 gallon tank, you can have 6 to 7 1" fish...no more than that.  

I don't know the size of your tank.  That would help, as well as what kind of filter are you using?

I would say your filter is not sufficiently filtering your water, causing fungus to go rampant in the tank.  If you are doing regular 25% water changes every two weeks, and you are doing regular maintenance on the filter, cleaning it every 2 weeks and changing its media every month, there should not be water quality issues.  My guess is this is not happening, and they possibly are being overfed.  Feeding properly is easy.  Only feed enough that they eat it in 1 minute without any falling to the bottom.  Only feed once a day.

We also need to take a look at the fungus.  It is all over the place.  It isn't one certain kind, which tells me it begun for each fish with a water quality issue.  Again, we get back to water quality is poor.

Let's add 1 teaspoon of marine salt (dissolved thoroughly) per gallon to the tank today to fend off any remaining fungus and let's leave it in there.  It will not harm your fishes, but while you clean your tank's water and change the filter, the fungus will be killed.  Also, salt in the tank at that rate will effectively keep any parasites at bay as well.

This is my recommendation.

In a nutshell, here is what I'd do if this were my situation:

1. Clean water to the tank.  I'd dump 50% of the water out today and I'd replace it.

2. Vacuum gravel thoroughly.

3. Remove the filtration unit, and thoroughly clean it.  Replace the filter cartridges today.

4. I'd add 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon to the tank.  If it's a 10 gallon tank, add 10 teaspoons of marine salt per gallon.

This should fend off any further fungi.

Happy fish-keeping.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok....im  gonna do as said i will keep you posted on the results. Now to restock my tank. Btw the two rummies died for no apparent reason and one guppy dead with fin rot. My filter is a unknown brand but anyways its those kind of pumps with water being sucked  in at 1 end goes through a pipe and filtered out through a sponge while another pump blows out oxygen bubbles. I just changed it last week when i bought the fishes.

Answer
Sponge filters do not work.  They only throw water through a sponge.  Nothing gets filtered.

You've got to get a different, more efficient filter for your aquarium or your next fishes will die the same way.

That is the cause of the water issues.

:)  Good luck and I hope you get some new fishes soon.  Wash your tank thoroughly before putting any in.