Topic: Sick Fantail

[Dusty]

Maggie you already know about Terri my fantail but I thought I would put a separate post on here with new developments - unfortunaely not good.  

The lump which you may remember from the picture is white with "orange stripes"   there is now black appearing on the white and it looks as if it is forming a hole.   I have given a little extra biological drops and some salt in the water, as before.  I have also added Stress Coat.  Could not get Relax (I think you said it was called )  - lady in the shop thought it might be bought over the internet but not sure.

Apart from one time, she has been her normal self - still eating and swimming around as usual.

The black seems to have slowed a little - when it first appeared it seemed to increase daily - although I am not talking about a large area - perhaps 1/4" and it looks as if it has been drawn with a fibre tip pen.  

I though perhaps you or someone else on the board might have had experience with this and could suggest some other medication/treatment.

[Margaret]

The trouble is,Dusty that I don't believe you have a filter in the tank.This means that you cannot keep mixing different treatments,some react with others.It sounds,if she has developed a hole,that it is an ulcer,and as you say that is not good news.The only thing I can say is that so long as she is eating she is not suffering but if she stops I do not see much more hope for her.

I bought relax in the aquarists down the road from me.I will have a look on their website right now and get back to you.It is meant for Koi,so worth a look round the sites that supply pond stuff for Koi.I have also read of other products that do the same job,if the sad time comes,and I will find that info out too.Sorry there is nothing else I can suggest.I think you have done well to keep her this long.Fish are so hard to treat,but the longer you have them the more attached you get.Believe me,been there done that.

[Margaret]

Right,I have looked at more than one site but no joy on the Relax product.I will keep looking,though.If you go to Practical Fishkeeping.co.uk,and on the left hand side under equipment,you will find buyers guides.Pick out disease tretments,and it goes through a long list.Right at the bottom you will find a small section on what is available,2 from a vets and one from a chemists.

I must dash now as time to cook dinner but will get back to you later tonight if I can.

[teresa]

Hi Dusty
try this site there is a chart on the left which you can see what cold water fish can get ulcer/fluke attack but have a look
good luck Teresa
FANTAIL
A fish with an egg shaped body with double tail and anal fins
The Fantail lives around 13 years and comes in a range of colours. It is the Western version of the Japanese Ryukin.

http://www.waterlife.co.uk/index.

[Margaret]

Dusty,I have looked everywhere but it is as if the stuff does not exist.Perhaps i bought the last bottle! The only hope you have is to go to the site  Watergardeningdirect.com  get their phone number and ask them if they still have any bottles left on the shelf.If not,ask for Jonathan and explain the situation.If anyone can help with your fish he can,he is brilliant.

Do let me know what happens.

[Dusty]

Teresa - many thanks  I have looked at the site and the first on diseases sound pretty close to Terri's problem.  I checked out the retail outlets and there is one at Gosforth very close to me and some others not too far away.    6.20pm now and so they are closed but I will get in touch with the gosforth acquatics tomorow.  I will let you know how I get on - many thanks.

Maggie, thanks again again again for you help.  I will see if the Gosforth acquatics know of Relax - just in case.   I will take a picture of her for them to look at and if necessary I could take her over for them to see - only about 10-15 minutes away.   She never seems to get distressed about me taking her out of the tank or putting her into a smaller bowl for salt baths or when I do a quite large water change.  the only time she has shown any distress is when I got her new tank and bought a very fine net to take her out of the tank with, previously I had always just put a clear glass bowl into the tank and let her slip into it, she hated the net and took quite a while to settle down after I had transferred her - so I have never used it again.

I had a small filter which obviously stopped working due to the bacterial medicine but I changed it to an underwater filter - I know it still does not work as a filter due to the medicine but it was to try to help the tank stay cleaner so that I did not have to keep changing so much water.

Will let you know how I get on tomorrow

[Margaret]

Hi Dusty.I have had another good look tonight.TAP pond professional treatments make Relax,and i keyed in their name.It directs me to aquatic on line companies that supply tap products,but not one mentions relax.If you don't get any joy tomorrow,then it may still be worth ringing Water Gardening direct. I use them for all my pond stuff as they are local to me,but they are a mail order company as well.I wish i had thought about it before. anyway good luck tomorrow.

[Chloe]

Hi Maggie,

Sorry to hear about Terri and I hope this might be of some help to you.  My firend had a goldfish with a large lump on it's side which then started to turn into a hole.  She took it out of her pond and kept it in a bucket, in the kitchen, and everyday she put some 'Savlon' on it.  It took a while to heal and go away but it did work.  Will find out from her if she put the savlon on once or twice a day but you have nothing to lose by giving it a go.

She was told about 'Savlon' from a fish breeder and at first I thought she was kidding but she wasn't.

Good Luck.

[Dusty]

Have been over to Gosforth Koi Acquatics - they were very helpful.   They have suggested trying a different antibacterial and this one is internal antibacterial.  they said she should not be fed for 7 days after I have put this in the water as it works better if there is no ammonia being produced.  They have promised me she will not starve :o   I am not totally convinced but will not feed her until the 7 days are up.   She is being fed today and then I will do the water change and new meds tomorrow.

They have also said that if she gets worse and is becoming distressed I can take her along and they will put her to sleep with anaesthetic.   So I feel a lot better about that bit of it all now.

I was going to mention Salvlon to see if they had heard about it but totally forgot.   i wonder if anyone else has heard of the Savlon remedy.

thanks all - I will let you know how things go.

[Chloe]

Hi Dusty,

I emailed my friend for you and she has given me details of what you should do, if you want to try it.  They are as follows:-

We took the fish out of the pond and put him in a bucket of salt water for 1/2 an hour ,no longer, try and get the water temperature similar to that in the pond.
The salt dosage is 2 ounces of salt per gallon of water, after 1/2 an hour take the fish out and put savlon on the wound then put him in same temp tap water, not pond.
Treat with savlon 3 times a day, until the wound heals.
Mine took 7 weeks, but it was a very big wound, so should take less if smaller.Make sure hands are wet before touching the fish.
Hope this helps.

[Margaret]

Hi Dusty.I am so glad you have got something positive to try.You and she have battled so long with this lump.You both deserve some good luck for a change.It is horrible when you really don't know what to do next.Did you take a photo along,and did they actually say what they thought it was?
And at least you know where to take her if it doesn't work.I felt awful when my orfe was suffering and I could not help it.i would not leave it so long next time,that is why I got the Relax in the first place,but they must have taken it off the market.

I bet I know where you will be going in future for fish products and advice!!I have read about savlon.I have actually put it on a couple of fish in the past with small wounds.It is no good if fungus has invaded the wound,but if you catch it quick enough it should work.A nurse once told my husband that it is the best product for us humans to use,so she should know.And I read where an experienced fish keeper always used it.However i wouldn't at the moment while you are treating her with the new medication,it may react.Don't worry about not feeding her.More fish die through being overfed than ever die through lack of food,and it is only for a week.Do let us know how she gets on. I am really keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[teresa]

Hi Dusty
So glad you got some help like Maggie I too would like to know what it was.
So kind of them to offer to put her to sleep if she got worse some people are so helpfull.
So 7 days from tomorrow next sunday all fingers crossed thinking of you
Well never heard of savlon being used typical something we always have in the locker.
Teresa

[Dusty]

Chloe I have printed out your instructions - many thanks and after I have given this new medicine a try - if no improvement I will certainly get some Savlon - in fact I think I will get some anyway.  I could have used some yesterday when I decided to show one of the cats my new loft conversion - he loved it until I tried to bring him back down and he got very scared, started howling and in an attempt to get back to the loft scratched me quite badly from the base of my throat for about 4".

Maggie,  I will definitely be going there again.  they did not know what the lump was or what had caused it (like everyone else) but they were still concerned and spent a lot of time asking me about her health and water conditions - they did seem to be interested in improving her life and not just selling me a load of stuff to try.

Teresa I am so pleased you mentioned that site - it is one I will visit on a regular basis.  

Unfortunately - she begged me for food and I couldn't refuse - I felt so awful - I know I shouldn't but yesterday she had two and only two koi sticks.  I will be strong from now on and not give her anything else :(

Tomorrow is her fourth day and so I have to put some more of the medicine in - at the moment I cannot see any difference - the black area (I think) is looking bigger but she continues to swim around as if nothing is wrong.

Will let you know how she gets on.  It is really lovely having other people to chat to about her.  I have great friends but they do not understand  how I can get so attached to a fish - they are all cat/dog lovers but none have fish and so do not feel the same about them as we do.

[Margaret]

Hi Dusty.Glad to hear she is no worse.You can only keep trying,then whatever happens you know you have done your best.It is nice to find somewhere you can trust.That is how I feel about the place down the road.We all need extra advice sometimes!

I filled my spare tank at the weekend and caught my old shubunkin that suffers in the winter if not brought in.He does not swim upright very often,only in the few summer months,and i had to keep catching him to feed him seperately in a bowl.Yes you are right,many people would question why we go to so much trouble for one not very attractive and valuable fish,but I think their vulnerability and health problems just make them all the more special,don't they?

I shall have a bit more spare time on my hands soon.We have been taken over at work,as you know,and you know what they say about a new broom sweeping clean. I am going to lose the extra hours I have been doing in the week for over 4 years and i am very upset.But they were only ever voluntary and not part of my contract.I know it makes sense to get a big srong man in instead to help carry the furniture,but I loved the feeling of being useful and the buzz it gives you being part of a team.I shall only have every other weekend to do now.So I may look out for something different.Hubby says not to make any rash decisions,I suppose he is right. :( :-[ :'(

Must stop waffling.Bye for now!

[Dusty]

Maggie - sorry to hear about your job but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that something better will come along.

I have been made redundant five times in my working career and every time other people have been full of doom and gloom but everytime without fail something much much better has come along and I have never regretted being made redundant at all.    

Perhaps your change in hours is so that something else can come in to your life.  I am sure this is so.

I will be putting my net over the pond soon, the leaves in the garden are starting to fall.  The water is still lovely and clear and it is good to see all the fish still swimming around although a lot slower than normal.

Have resisted feeding Terri today.  Have kept out of the dining room as much as possible (that is where her tank is and I spend a lot of time in there normally as I also use it as a second sitting room.  It means I can see the pond, back garden and watch the birds feeding).   Only three days no food and then I can feed her again.  I know it is for the best but I do feel guilty.

[Dusty]

Teresa and Chloe - (Maggie I have already sent you a message)
Just to let you know that Terri was put to sleep today.  I took her out to give her a salt bath and the black on the lump was much worse and there were red patches appearing also which I thought might be ulcers.  Anyway I took her to the Gosforth Koi Acquatic centre and they put some anaesthetic into the water which sent her to sleep and then she died peacefully just as I had hoped she would.   She is burried in my front garden under a lovely conifer.

Thank you all for your support it was really appreciated.

[teresa]

Oh Dusty
I am so sorry to hear about Terri, you tried so hard to make her better,  but how kind of them to put her to sleep for you.
I realy dont know what to say to console you.
Thinking of you
Teresa

[Chloe]

Dusty, I am so sorry about Terri.  I have only just read your post.  

Hope you are feeling a bit better now.

God Bless