Please help me diagnose this disease!

[Red Kribensis]

I have joined this site in the hopes that someone can help me with this disease that has completely wiped out my collection of kribs over the last five years and it seems that nothing I do has any affect on whatever is killing my kribensis. The disease starts out as what looks like a crack in the skin and then it starts to become a little larger everyday until it is an open sore. I think this might be a secondary infection but then the fish gets bloated and they end up with pop eye. Eventually the fish is covered in open sores before it finally dies. If I can't solve this I may have to start completely over and I don't want to do that as I have spent over ten years on my line of Kribs. Please if anyone can help me treat this I would be incredibly grateful! Thanks!!

 

[Azraphael]

Just noticed you've had no reply! Just picked up your thread as I'm new here, is it still on going?

The thing with an open sores is that it's hard to determine whether it is parasitic or bacterial. I would go with an antibacterial treatment. Erythromycin and sulfa are good ones, but if you want to be really proactive, treat with Maracyn and Maracyn II at the same time - this is erythromycin and minocycline, and provides protection against both gram positive and gram negative infections.

I would treat for 7 days, and if he isn't improving, then you might want to go with an antiparasitic med.

If that seems extreme then you could try starting out with Melafix

Good luck mate
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[Malawimania]

It may be some form of hexamita

 

[JasonC]

What have you already tried as far as meds/treatment?

And if your line is too valuable/sentimental to start over, maybe look at a local college/university bio department to see if you can pay for them to do a water analysis/culture for bacteria/viruses/parasites... maybe even analysis on one of the dead fish next time you have one?

 

[hollyfish2000]

More information please:

water parameters, size of tank, stocking level, etc.

Is this affecting only mature fish? Are you breeding? Does it impact fry? Confused by "wiped out my collection of kribs" and "I may have to start completely over." I would assume if your collection is totally wiped out that you have no kribs of your original line left?

If you have some kribs not exhibiting the problem, I'd move them to a completely different tank and use extreme caution not to carry over water, substrate, etc. from the "infected" tank to the new tank.