Fish Tuberculosis
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:40 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): California, U.S.A
Fish Tuberculosis
Hi, I'm wondering if my tank contracted with fish tuberculosis, and I remove all the fishes from my tank, will the TB bacteria or virus (i don't know which) stay in the tank? If it does stay, how long will it stay? Any info would be nice.
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pufferpuggirl
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Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
Just curious, why would you suspect such a thing? I don't think I'd ever come to that conclusion on my own. 
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
I'm just wondering if the TB bacteria will just die off if there's no fish for it to infect.
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pufferpuggirl
- Mbu Puffer
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1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish - Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
- Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
No, I mean why do you think there's fish TB in your tank to begin with? I can't say I've ever given that any thought whatsoever. Do fish even get TB?
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
Yes, fish can get TB, and I'm wondering if crustaceans can get TB. My figure eight is looking like it might have TB. It was in a really filthy tank back when it was at the LFS.
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Pufferpunk
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
Symptoms?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
I'm asking how long TB bacteria will live without fish to infect.Pufferpunk wrote:Symptoms?
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Dadof4
- Tech Team
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
It can use the substrate as a media. It doesn't need an actual host to survive. The bacteria that causes it is Mycobacterium marinum, a close relative to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is transmissible to humans. It is rare for a human to get it but it is mostly transmitted through openings in the skin, a secondary route of transmission is through inhaling mist from the infected tank and has been mistaken for blastomycosis infections. It is very difficult to treat in humans and nearly impossible to treat in fish, an extremely high (near 100%) mortality rate in fish. Invertebrates, such as snails, shrimp, and some bivalves can be carriers.
Suggestion, and I hate to tell people this, is to humanely euthanize all the fish and completely nuke the tank with bleach. When you do it, wear gloves and a particle mask (a painters mask will work).
Suggestion, and I hate to tell people this, is to humanely euthanize all the fish and completely nuke the tank with bleach. When you do it, wear gloves and a particle mask (a painters mask will work).
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
so basicly i just have to pour bleach in the tank to kill off the TB right? Would normal tap water with chlorine in it work besides bleach?
and what are the symptoms for humans if they inhale mist from the infected tank?
thank you for answers
and what are the symptoms for humans if they inhale mist from the infected tank?
thank you for answers
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LilGreenPuffer
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RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
Ouch. Are you 100% sure that they have it?
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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Dadof4
- Tech Team
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- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
You need to totally strip the tank down and then bleach it with 10% bleach solution, regular tap water won't do it. Before you do that though, what symptoms are your fish exhibiting that you think you are infected with this? This is an uncommon ailment.Puffur wrote:so basicly i just have to pour bleach in the tank to kill off the TB right? Would normal tap water with chlorine in it work besides bleach?
and what are the symptoms for humans if they inhale mist from the infected tank?
thank you for answers
In people the biggest threat is cutaneous infection. It starts off as a small nodule that then spreads over a few weeks. Theses nodules grow, are filled with an exudate and usually open up. After that the person exhibits arthritic symptoms, ie.: deformity of the joints and tissue, severe aches, bone decay while the nodules continue to spread. Respiratory infection would show up similar to regular TB, fever, shortness of breath, persistent cough. Very flu like but a lot more severe in nature. Mind you, human infections from mycobacterium marinum is rare but if your fish do have it, safeguard yourself when cleaning the tank.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
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Puffur
- Puffer Fry
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
Nope, I'm not 100% sure, maybe I'm just being paranoid. I'm going to wait to see if there are more symptom that are unique to TB like curved spine. I'm hoping it doesn't have TB because the last time I cleaned the damn tank, I had a small cut on my hand. I'm not ready to die yet. Last thing I want is ending up in the hospital thanks to a fish. Thanks for your repliesLilGreenPuffer wrote:Ouch. Are you 100% sure that they have it?
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Fish Tuberculosis
I agree--you're being paranoid. Please don't be too hasty!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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CarmenH
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Zephyr, ???Tetraodon nigroviridis??? - Location (country): Ontario, Canada
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
I don't know about puffers, but a curved spine is not necessarily a clear indicator of TB in many fish. Over the years, I've had many tetra, rasboras, endlers, and other fish develop a curvature as they got towards the end of their *natural* life. These are fish that have been healthy for as long as or longer than their life expectancy. I always think of them as a little old people with a hunchback...
Carmen
Frankie, Monotrete Turgidus
Zephyr, Giant mutant Tetraodon Nigroviridis???
Odie, Tetraodon biocellatus RIP
Doug, Takifugu Ocellatus RIP
Frankie, Monotrete Turgidus
Zephyr, Giant mutant Tetraodon Nigroviridis???
Odie, Tetraodon biocellatus RIP
Doug, Takifugu Ocellatus RIP
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Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
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- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Fish Tuberculosis
+1 to this. Unless you are having definitive signs and symptoms I wouldn't worry or jump to conclusions. TB in fish is not a common thing and when they have it it's kind of like being pregnant, either you are or you aren't, there's no maybe involved, they become symptomatic quickly.Pufferpunk wrote:I agree--you're being paranoid. Please don't be too hasty!
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."