Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am loosing fish and i dont know what to do ,i have tried salt but that did not work it is only happening in one tank they are all conected together and share all grow beds,they are the last fish i got 200gms+ is it possible they had something wrong with them before i got them they dont feed as well as the others in the other tank that dont have a problem.
Pics show discoloured skin and tail eaten away to the bone.
Jim.

Another Pic.
Jim

fin rot. will look up treatment but feel it may require chem's.

will let you know what i find.

first thing i would check though is water quality. if any issues address that first. if water quality is good then it seems you have bigger problems.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/finrot.htm

Fin Rot
From Shirlie Sharpe,
Your Guide to Freshwater Aquariums.
Disease Type: Bacterial (gram negative organism)

Organism: Aeromonas, Psuedomonas, or Vibrio
Description: Fin rot is one of the most common, and most preventable, diseases in aquarium fish. It is caused by several types of bacteria, and often occurs concurrently with other diseases. It can usually be cured, but if left untreated, it can kill the diseased fish and infect all the others in the tank.
# Symptoms: Fin edges turn white
# Fins fray
# Bases of fins enflamed
# Entire fin may rot away

The fins begin to fray and get ragged, becoming shorter over time. Usually the edges look white, and may even develop a fuzzy growth due to secondary Cotton Wool infection. A the disease advances the area may become red an inflamed, with bloody patches appearing as more of the fin is eaten away.
# Treatment : Correct root cause
# Water change
# Treat with antibiotics
# Addition of aquarium salt

Fin rot is caused by one of several gram negative bacteria. Several anitiboitics are effective, however the root cause must be addressed as well.

Fin rot occurs when the fish is stressed for some reason. The most common cause is poor water quality. Overcrowding the tank, feeding outdated food or overfeeding, and moving or handling the fish can also cause stress leading to fin rot.
Treatment should include a water change, and careful examination of the aquarium conditions. If there is food debris, vaccumm the gravel and take care to avoid overfeeding. Start dating your fish food, as it loses the vitamin content fairly quickly after it is opened. Feeding fish fresh, high quality food, in smaller quantities is far better than frequent large feedings of stale foods.
Check the pH and water temperature of the water, and make sure it is appropriate for your fish. Incorrect pH is very stressful for fish, and can lead to disease. Low water temperatures, particularly in fish with long flowing fins, can trigger fin rot.
If the root cause is corrected, antibiotics will usually cure the disease itself. Use a drug that is effective against gram negative organisms. Chloramphenical, Oxytetracycline, and Tetracycline, are good choices. Treat according to manufacturers instructions.

The use of aquarium salt will benefit livebearing fish, but should be avoided in fish, such as scaleless catfish, that are sensitive to salt
# Prevention: Maintain good water quality
# Keep proper water parameters
# Feed fresh food in small amounts

The best prevention is good aquarium maintenance. Change the water regularly, vaccum the gravel, and monitor the water chemistry. Do not overcrowd the tank, and watch for signs of fighting between fish.

When feeding, keep the volume low! Overfeeding is the most common mistake made by all fish owners, and contributes to poor water quality. Be sure to use fresh foods. If the can has been open for half a year, it has lost most of its nutritional value. Purchase food in small enough containers that it can be used in one to two months.

let us know your water parameters and we can go from there.

Thanks for the quick reply BF i read not to use chemicals on edible fish it also stated it will kill the bacteria in grow beds.
Water ph 6.5 ammonia nill nitrites nill temp 25 today.all 3 tanks are connected to the 1 pump, water from grow beds is distributed evenly to the 3 tanks the problem is only in the one tank the the last 75 silvers i got are in. i have done water changes and the water is fron the hous tanks.
Jim.

how many silvers are in the other tanks? whats the water volume?

could it be a case of overstocking?

is there much detritus in the bottom of the tank?

perhaps if the stocking density is higher in that tank then the detritus is taking longer to break down and chewing up DO in that tank.

do you have an air pump running?

Water temperature as well, I checked my water temp today and it was 32C You need a lot of aeration when it gets that warm.

Can you increase the DO using an air pump?

Can you isolate these fish from the others, Also a bit of shade cloth to give them some security, I'm betting your like me and have fussed around them too much, which stresses them.

BTW if they are all like the one in the pic, I would isolate from the growbeds and other fish and treat with antibiotics...2cents only

Well done Doctor BF,good to have you on hand!

gulp.

that would be the last thing i would do.

i'm scared of chems though.

bf gets out his tin hat.

haha. witch doctor perhaps.

treat the cause not the ailment.

quote]Quote:treat with antibiotics.[/quote]
Remember this is aquaponics not aquaculture, most remedies are not written for us yet! We need to be innovative.[

The fish doctor of course derr!

Tanks ar 1000lts I have the bigest air pump you can get with 12 port manifold heaps of air 4 air stones. 35 smaller silvers and 4 redfin,in other tank.
Jim.