Feeder Fish are sick

[qannp]

Hi,

I have an extra tank with guppies, shrimp and snails. A few weeks ago, I bought some new guppies. Very bad idea…all of the adult fish got sick, only a few are left. The females give birth, then they get thin and die. Now the males started to get sick, too.

The shrimp and snails are ok and breed like crazy.

Of course I'm not going to feed the sick adult fish to my axies.

But, what about the babyfish, the shrimps and snails? Can axolotl be harmed by the fish's disease? Should I treat the whole tank, and how?

I'm grateful for every advice.

Greetings,
Doris

 

[LSuzuki]

I don't know the answer. It all depends on a) if the juveniles and shrimp are infected, b) if it is something that axolotls can catch. I'm sure some fish illnesses can infect amphibians, but don't know how common it is.

I recommend monitoring the situation. Let the guppy babies grow and see if they seem health. Often feeder fish are raised in poor conditions, and so are weak. It is possible that the guppy offspring are stronger (since they are being raised in better conditions) and can resist whatever infected their parents.

While you are doing that, perhaps you can see if you can find out what causes that symptom in guppies. If you know what was probably the cause, you may be able to find out if it can infect axolotls.

I suspect it is less likely that whatever-it-is can infect the shrimp and snails, but without knowing the cause, again, it is hard to say.

Let us know what you find out. :happy:

 

[qannp]

Thanks, Laura! That's what I assumed, but I needed to "hear" it from another person.

I'll feed the axies with earthworms and little snails from my third tank that keeps the corydoras and tons of Melanoides tuberculata and Physella acuta. (I don't know the englisch words for Turmdeckelschnecke and Blasenschnecke, so the scientific names come in handy ).

I try to find out how much it would cost to do an autopsy for one of the dead guppys. I already tried to google the cause of the dying, but it could be pretty anything.

If I find out something, I'm going to post it!

 

[qannp]

I looked up the symptoms again, but this time, I focussed on the white, slimy feces of the sick fish.



This is a symptom of intestinal parasites. I bought medication at the pet store today. Due to field reports, it shouldn't harm the shrimps and snails.

I really hope it's the right treatment. All I can do now is sit and wait...

 

[qannp]

Looks like I guessed right. The feces are turning red again, and the fish seem to be more active. The females start to look less skinny.

The shrimp and the snails are well, too.

Due to the instruction, the medication can remain in the tank for another four or five days.

I'll post another update in a week or so. :happy:

 

[LSuzuki]

Terrific! Good researching! :happy: