posted 08-23-2002 11:59 AM           

---

I have two bala sharks. I bought them several months ago when they were babies. One of them has grown to about 4 inches in length, while the other had not grown. They started out the same size, and now one is about three times the size of the other. This worries me a little but that is not my major concern. I went to feed them this morning and i noticed that the smaller shark had redish pink streaks through its fins. The darkest and most red is that tiny fin up by it's neck. I've been searching all morning on the internet, and have come up with nothing. The only thing I found was that fish change color when courting. I don't know the sex of my fish, but I don't think that is the what's going on. The PH and amonia are both perfect. Somebody Please Help!!! I don't want my fishie to die!!!!!

IP: Logged

posted 08-23-2002 12:38 PM           

---

nevermind! I think i found it! he has septicemia. OH NO! that has a high mortality rate. =(

IP: Logged

New Member

Posts: 5
From:Courtenay BC
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-08-2003 03:44 PM         

---

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT SEPTICEMIA? I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM TWICE WITH THE SAME FISH AND IT HAS SURVIVED?

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 05-09-2003 02:01 AM         

---

I believe your diagnosis is correct. The best treatment I have found for septicemia is Tetracycline. The problem with Tetracycline is after you treat the tank for five days it can become toxic. You can tell fairly easily when it starts becoming toxic. It will start to foam on the top of the water. After treating the tank for five days I would recommend doing a 30% water change, and another 20% to 30% water change five days after that. Septicemia is hard to cure not only because of the disease but because of the toxicity of the medication when left in the tank too long. Hope this helps.

IP: Logged

New Member

Posts: 5
From:Courtenay BC
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-09-2003 06:22 PM         

---

If this is Septacemia, why is it my Bala Shark survived? I had no other losses in the tank either. When I read about this disease on the net it said that the blood red marks were on the body of the fish itself, not its fins... HELP!!!

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 05-11-2003 01:29 AM         

---

Mo, I've seen Septicemia take several different physical characteristics. The most common is red circles very similar to the appearance of a person with ringworm or solid blood red circles. I've seen it with the ringworm appearance plus streaking in the fins and with just streaking on the body or body and fins. In every case that I have encountered Septicemia I had been negligent in cleaning the gravel indicating this is bacterial in nature. Normally my preference medications are the Mardel, Maracin products which contain Erethromycin, but they do not work well on Septicemia. The only thing that I have had any success with on this disease is Tetracycline.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)