28/02/2021
I got these hammerhead sharks through a trade last Feb.6 and put them in a 20gal filled with green water from my ponds thinking it would make them comfortable during acclimation. After 3 days I found out they develop white specks on the surface of their skin. I did a 75% water change and applied methyline blue thinking it was Ich. 2 days passed and time for another water change but no improvement on the fish. Reapplied methyline blue again after a water change. Never use salt to treat Ich on fish with no scales they say so I followed that and stick with methyline blue for at least 2 weeks. First video was taken Feb. 21 and fish are thin and white particles are still on the skin with some red patches on the body. I just started using tetracycline on them and discontinued methyline blue. 75% water change every 2 weeks and redosing of tetracycline after wc. Water turns pink after 2 days. Feb. 28 on the second pic and a lot has change in appearance of these fish. Only a few white cycst on fins and none on the body. Red patches are gone and fish swims more actively.
So what went wrong and what I did right?
I misdiagnosed the fish as having Ich and waited 2 weeks before starting treatment with antibiotics. My fish had epistylis and hemorrhaghic septicemia and not Ich. Ich doesn't kill fish. Epistylis coats the surface of the fish with colonies of bacteria that eats on the water column as well as the slime coating of the fish. This is where hemorrhagic septicemia or red spot sets in. Hemorrhagic septicemia will kill your fish.
Antibiotics such as tetracycline is effective against both bacterial pathogens causing epistylis and hemorrhagic septicemia.
Happy fish keeping everyone😄
