Is this normal for Madagascar Rainbowfish?

[DBFish]

Hi,
I just added 6 Madagascar Rainbowfish to the tank this weekend. One in particular has white on its fin and I think I see it on another too.

Parameters: Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 10ppm, pH 7.4 KH 4dkh, GH 6 dgh.

 

[Andy Sager]

The white in the tail is normal for a female but the dorsal fin being white is what needs a closer view.

 

[DBFish]

The tail I wasn't worried about, it was the dorsal fin and the side fin up near the gill. The white on the side fin is really pronounced looks like a white spot in the center of the fin when it moves. I'll try to capture a better picture of it tomorrow.

 

[DBFish]

Getting a pic of the white spot on the pectoral fin has proven really difficult. However, 2 of the 6 rainbowfish died today, so I am sure something is not right. I have moved all of the remaining 4 to a hospital tank with a little aquarium salt. I am thinking some type of bacterial infection? The one that died started to turn red at the gills and back third of the body, the other that died had the most white marks on the fins and wasn't swimming so good this morning (staying on the surface in behind the filter to avoid the flow). Should I be treating them with anything in the hospital tank?

 

[Andy Sager]

Sadly, the first pic is not helpful due to being too blurry. The fish in the second pic has tail damage and based on the other information given, is probably suffering from a bacterial infection. I would treat all these fish with a full course of Kanamycin ( seachem Kanaplex) in the hospital tank. They should have been in quarantine. The white marks are not typical of Bacterial infections ( Bacterial infections are usually a red or bloody looking area. ) The white could have been a fungus ( if fuzzy) or a virus like Lymphocystis ( if fuzzy and greyish in color) but neither is a quick growing condition and are rarely fatal unless in very advanced stages which you would have seen when the fish arrived. That's how I would handle this.

 

[DBFish]

Thanks, I'll get some Kanaplex and dose the hospital tank.

Thank you very much for always helping!

 

[Andy Sager]

Glad to. Hope it works out.
In the future, all new fish should go though a quarantine period so that should they need to be medicated, it can happen more quickly and less stressfully.

 

[DBFish]

Yeah, I've read that a bunch of times and kept thinking, " It's ok, I go to a reputable small local fish store, not a big chain, these guys will be fine"

That's clearly the wrong way to think about it and I'll be more careful going forward. All of the other fish seem fine so far and I do have a UV sterilizer running in the tank.... So here's hoping the rest stay safe.

 

[Andy Sager]