Mystery disease revisited.

Mean_Chlorine · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 15

A while ago I asked about a strange disease which had all but wiped
out my main tank: roughly 50% died within the first 24 hours, and most
of the remainder in the following month. The symptoms (except in the
initial losses, where no symptoms were seen - the fish just died) were
a white blister or ridge along one side of the fish, never on both
sides, and some of the fish suffered 'convulsions' as if there'd been
nerve damage.
Through it all, most fish seemed perfectly normal, until they suddenly
would develop symptoms.

It was deemed then that the most likely culprit was Flexibacter
disease.

Well, I've now put together a webpage with some pictures of a diseased
fish - given that this is what it looked like, is it likely that it
was Flexibacter?

http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/mystery_disease1.htm

The reason I ask is because it's been suggested to me it's burns from
the UV radiation of the metal halides, and if so it could happen
again.

--

****** UPHOLD THE FIRST AMENDMENT: BAN THE FCC! ******

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>freshwater>misc

Frankrkay · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 198

>Mean_Chlorine wrote;

>Well, I've now put together a webpage with some pictures of a diseased
>fish - given that this is what it looked like, is it likely that it was
Flexibacter?

When I first got into this hobby some 40 years ago, it was called shipping
disease, or black mollie disease, which was changed to columnaris disease -
then flexibacter, followed by flexibacter columnaris, and now flavobacterium
columnare, or - - - - - - "mystery disease" (grin).

>it's been suggested to me it's burns from
>the UV radiation of the metal halides .....

Call it "mystery disease", or anything you want, but it sure isn't burns from
metal halides (never heard of that one).

>and if so it could happen again.

Same with Flex. disease - especially if your LPS has it in their tank / s -
it's highly contagious. With low pH, and temps. in the low to mid 70s, the
disease seems to almost go dormant.
Due to stress, the cause; (shipping bag) = low oxygen, high levels of CO2,
ammonia build-up, lowered pH, bacteria increase. Then when the bag is opened;
outside air equalizes - CO2 escapes, and the pH rises quickly making the
ammonia about 34% more toxic and the waters temp. increases about 5º. Sure easy
to see why a good name for the disease was "shipping disease"! The fish, overly
stressed from shipping, often does not show the disease symptoms for a few
days, if at all in low pH waters and temps. below 76º. Nets, or central
filtering systems moves the disease to the other tanks.
Sence the antibiotics don't seem to be doing anything, add Potassium
Permanganate - 1/2 teaspoon per 10 gals. for 4 days. I would still feed an
antibiotic medicated food for 10 days to help keep from scondary
infections........ Frank

Mean_Chlorine · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

frankrkay@aol.com (Frankrkay) wrote in message news:...

> >Well, I've now put together a webpage with some pictures of a diseased
> >fish - given that this is what it looked like, is it likely that it was
> Flexibacter?
>
> When I first got into this hobby some 40 years ago, it was called shipping
> disease, or black mollie disease, which was changed to columnaris disease -
> then flexibacter, followed by flexibacter columnaris, and now flavobacterium
> columnare, or - - - - - - "mystery disease" (grin).

So it is Columnaris. I thought so, but the pictures I found on the net
show lacerations and fungi-like growth, and there's no mention of the
"one sidedness" of it.

Frankrkay · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 198

>(Mean_Chlorine) wrote;

>So it is Columnaris. I thought so, but the pictures I found on the net
>show lacerations and fungi-like growth, and there's no mention of the
>"one sidedness" of it.

Yes - infections run from white fuzzy lesions of the mouth, white threads
in/around mouth area, thready looking open sores, red anal vent, white fuzzy
patches scattered over the body, and yellow to orange ulcers (open sores) with
reddish rim. The fish first flash and dart repeatedly, then becomes sluggish
with poor or no appetite, or sometimes with small fish (tetras), temp. above
78º and/or hard alkaline water, just up and die.
..........Frank

D&M · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 52

Hmm... first thing I seen was mal-nourishment when I looked at the photos.
I'm specifically looking at the spinal deformation behind the dorsal fin. If
that's due to UV, that's quite interesting, I'v never seen that effect
before.

"Mean_Chlorine" wrote in message @4ax.com...
>A while ago I asked about a strange disease which had all but wiped
> out my main tank: roughly 50% died within the first 24 hours, and most
> of the remainder in the following month. The symptoms (except in the
> initial losses, where no symptoms were seen - the fish just died) were
> a white blister or ridge along one side of the fish, never on both
> sides, and some of the fish suffered 'convulsions' as if there'd been
> nerve damage.
> Through it all, most fish seemed perfectly normal, until they suddenly
> would develop symptoms.
>
> It was deemed then that the most likely culprit was Flexibacter
> disease.
>
> Well, I've now put together a webpage with some pictures of a diseased
> fish - given that this is what it looked like, is it likely that it
> was Flexibacter?
>
> http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/mystery_disease1.htm
>
> The reason I ask is because it's been suggested to me it's burns from
> the UV radiation of the metal halides, and if so it could happen
> again.
>
>
>
> --
>
> ****** UPHOLD THE FIRST AMENDMENT: BAN THE FCC! ******

Mean_Chlorine · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 15

Thusly "D&M" Spake Unto All:

>Hmm... first thing I seen was mal-nourishment when I looked at the photos.
>I'm specifically looking at the spinal deformation behind the dorsal fin. If
>that's due to UV, that's quite interesting, I'v never seen that effect
>before.

Yes, he was the runt of the litter, and did have other issues prior to
coming down with this disease - but they're unrelated to this disease.
His siblings, those which are still alive, look e.g. like this:
http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/specimens/Sawbwa_Male_DSC_2139.jpg