Multiple ailments and much death

Question
QUESTION: Our 29 gallon aquarium is experiencing death unlike anything before.  We know the nematodes probably came from feeding crickets to the larger fish (which we've stopped doing), but it looks like we have bigger problems than that.  We bought (and didn't quarantine) two African butterfly fish a month or so ago, one of which had a white spot in the middle of each eye.  Then other fish started getting cloudy eyes.  They started showing signs of flukes, bacterial infection and/or fungus - some have red, frayed fins, some have cloudy eyes, some have little white bits hanging off their eyes, gills or fins (flukes?).  The fire eel hasn't eaten in three days (he's a pig normally) and the cloudiness in his eyes hasn't gone away.  We've treated in sequence for fungus, bacterial infection (our fish guy suggested it could be popeye) and then prazi'ed the tank a few days ago after a couple of water changes.  We've lost three upside-down cats, all the tetras and I think the fire eel is next (there were others too).  The only fish who seem to be having a great old time in the tank are the angel fry (six weeks old) in their cube.  Can we treat with multiple medications at the same time or...?  Are we going about this all wrong?  The pH spiked earlier in the week, which probably contributed to the death rate, but it's a perfect 7.0 now - could the pH have prevented the prazi from working or turned it into toxic goo?  We've pulled the crushed coral out of the filter (used to have low pH problems all the time) to prevent another spike.

ANSWER: Hi Cheryl,

As nutrient rich it can seem to feed live food I have almost always found problems with live foods.  They are usually always rich in parasites and cause more harm and havoc in tanks than anything else.

Quarantine is a must.  I know that statement is too little too late but often these types of fish come extremely diseased and quarantining them is the only way to ensure they become and stay healthy and don't infect the rest of your tank.

If your fish have white, stringy bits hanging off of them it sounds like columnaris, a nasty and fast killing bacterium.  It can look and act like fungus and many people that have fish with columnaris mistakenly treat for fungus and cannot understand why it doesn't clear up and that's because it only responds to gram-negative anti-biotics for bacterial infections.  It's common for fish to have secondary diseases from a prolonged bacterial infection such as a fungus or other bacterial complications like fin rot and popeye and even cloudy eye, which is different.  Flukes would typically affect the gills and cause inflammation and labored breathing and issues directly with the gills so I doubt at this point that it's flukes from what you've told me.

You can treat with multiple medications at once.  I would suggest Maracyn and Maracyn II with Coppersafe.  This will kill any lingering fungus, bacterial and parasites and the coppersafe will ward off parasites for a full month following treatment.

I highly doubt the pH is doing this.  It sounds like columnaris to me, which again, has a very high death rate.  The swing in pH could have 'polished off' some of the more ill fish that were going to die anyway but I doubt that it contributed directly to the death of a healthy fish.  pH is so over-rated and most fish can adapt to a wide range of pH over time, provided it doesn't swing out of control.  If you have activated carbon, remove it, as it will weaken medications.  Do daily 20% water changes when medicating as the fresh water seems to stimulate fish to recover and use some API Stress Coat.

Good luck : ) April M.

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

QUESTION: We're down another bunch of fish since last week, but haven't lost any in the last 24 hours.  Some of the symptoms have gone, but the african butterfly looks like his cornea is stretched straight out from the eye almost 1/4" on one side.

Is Coppersafe safe for plants and scaleless fish (I'm not even sure I have any scaleless left)?  Will it kill the marauding hordes of snails that come out of the gravel like something out of a horror movie every evening since the gang of clown loaches died (please say yes!)?  If the other tank turns out to be infected (we've been careful, but you know how things can take time to incubate), will treatment harm the shrimp, frogs and/or apple snail?

Thanks again!

Answer
Hi Cheryl,

Coppersafe is okay for scaleless fish, but it is murderous to plants and will kill your invertebrates.  If you can treat him in a quarantine tank that would be best.

It's likely that most treatments will kill your shrimp, frogs and snails so hopefully none of them are infected.

Good luck : ) April M.