Hexamita?

[mollybawn]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum. I'm here because I'm having a few problems with my platy. I'm running a 10 gallon tropical tank. I only have 2 platys. A red wag and a sunburst. About 10 days ago I spotted a symptom on my red wag that I thought looked like velvet or Ich. I spoke to someone at my local fish store who recommended an external parasite medication. I removed my carbon and treated my tank for 5 days treating on days 1, 3 and 5 as instructed with no result. Today I noticed that my fish is even more lethargic, spitting out his food, flashing more than he was before, hiding in the corner and has something stringy hanging from his anal opening. Obviously this is internal, Not external. I've dealt with things like Ich before but haven't seen this before! I've been testing my water all through these treatments. My numbers are all fine with the exception of my ph being a tiny bit higher than normal at 7.6 but not horrible. My temp is steady at around 74F. After doing some research I'm starting to think that this is Hexamita. Has anyone experienced this in their fish before? If so how did you treat and what were your results?

Thanks in advance!

[GaryofMontreal]

It's hard to comment as you didn't describe the symptoms, but if it is a bacterial problem, there are a couple of approaches. The range of infections we class as Hexamita are usually stress related outbreaks. The stress is usually dirty water, either through a clogged filter or doing less than 25% water changes weekly. Culprit number two is simply age - as a platy ages it's often an infection that takes it down. Culprit three is a bacteria that recently got in and and is doing what it does best.

So, old school is to dose the tank with antibiotics, blindly, possible culturing resistant bacteria. Since you don't know what kind of bacteria it is, you are gambling in your choice of weapons to fight it.

You can change water methodically and sometimes infections clear. If it has taken hold, the fish is done for. This is especially true if it is an older fish.

I've made it possible for fish to live apparently well for years with low-grade bacterial infections by changing 40% of the water twice a week for several weeks, and then dropping into a religious 25% a week. If I missed even one change though, the lurking infection would blossom and I'd have to go through the whole thing again.

If the store tries to sell you Melafix or Pimafix,save your money. They do no harm and smell good, but they are close to homeopathy for fish. The active medication is in such a low concentration that they are more 'bacteria discouragers' than active meds.

One clue is your pH climbing to 7.6. If it is usually below that, it isn't ideal for platies.
I like to keep them at 7.5 plus, and the natural habitat is harder and more alkaline than that. You might want to look into hardening your water a bit - soft water is a stress for Xiphophorus, the group platies belong to.

[mollybawn]

Thanks alot for the input. I didn't realize I was vague in describing the simptoms.

He was flashing, had a grayish film that I thought was the beginning of velvet.. but soon after he started ejecting this long white stringy thing that I thought at first was poo but it wasn't. His tail was nipped when I brought him home from the store which I thought was from other fish but I noticed it was deteriorating slowly. He was listless and a corner hider since the day I brought him home. Also he was spitting out his food.

I have been religious with my 25% water changes and have been testing my water with the API master kit regularly since day one. At first I had treated him for an external parasite to no avail. After a couple of water changes and some time to clear the other meds out of the water I decided to speak to a "fish expert" at a local store who seemed to think he had worms. I then started a treatment for internal parasite. It started looking up a little when whatever was hanging out of him went away but he kept spitting out food and waisting away. Unfortunately he didn't make it. He died yesterday morning. I'm keeping a very close eye on my female. Doesn't look like she caught anything from him and she seems to be thriving and very energetic.

The people at Pet Smart keep asking me if I had cycled my tank and didn't seem to believe me when I told them he had seemed sick from day 1. I suppose I could have returned him but I wasn't willing to give up on the little guy.

p.s. How do you suggest hardening my water?

[Ursus sapien]

p.s. How do you suggest hardening my water?

crushed oyter shell, either on the substrate or in a little media bag (hanging in the out-flow of your filter or inside the filter)

I like oyster shell over crushed coral because oyster shell dissolves as it's used up. coral looks the same, even when depleted.

[mollybawn]

crushed oyter shell, either on the substrate or in a little media bag (hanging in the out-flow of your filter or inside the filter).

Do they sell this at major pet stores? It's worth a try!

[CACAdmin]

Do they sell this at major pet stores? It's worth a try!

I'm not sure as I haven't noticed any but you could check. I've been using it for a long time for my tanks (of livebearers) and have been getting it from Melody (she has some here (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/ClassAuction/index.php?a=2&b=3327)on the auction). You'd have to check with her as to shipping costs as you're at the other end of the country.

[GaryofMontreal]

I think your guy had a store/fish farm/shipping-origin bacterial infection. There wasn't much to do, and it sounds like you're doing everything right.
Oyster shell is great. I add a small amount of sea salt and epsom salts mixed together with each water change. My tap is Amazon soft, and I like livebearers, so I have to modify the water.
I also use limestone rocks in some tanks.
For what I'm about to write, I'll look like a grouchy old ranter.
Stores, especially chains, will often blame cycling for deaths that come from sick fish. A poorly cycled tank will kill a fair percentage of new fish, but a bacterial infection from poor fish-farming or store conditions will kill many more. The importance of the cycle in freshwater is sometimes overplayed as an excuse, as it saves the seller money when he can blame the buyer. You can never prove a thing either way, really.
I've had next to no problems cycling in new tanks with wild-caught or hobbyist raised fish. With farm-raised fish, I keep a disinfected net ready....

[mollybawn]

Gary, I'm pretty sure you're absolutely right about that. Trust me, I would have no problem admitting fault if I thought I had done something wrong. But in this case I know I havn`t. I like to think I know enough now to at least keep them alive. This fish was sick from the time I brought him home.

I checked a couple of places and it looks like all I'm going to get is a 2 kg bag of crushed coral, which I refuse to buy. I'm checking out e-bay for some of this crushed oyster and all I can find is a Hagen product that's for birds. Is that the same thing? Does anyone think it is acceptable to use in a tank?