I am familiar with how to euthanize, more concerned with - at what point is it the right thing to do?
UPDATE - red blood spotting has appeared on the right fin which has lost all color and is totally clear other than the red blood spots. Red blood spots have also appeared on his under belly and underside of his tail end by the anus. Bought an API Freshwater Master kit and doing another water check now.
UPDATE: I tested the main tank using the master test kit. Quite different from the strips that always read me as safe. The ammonia after 5 minutes was zero. After 15-20 minutes left in the tube it became between 0 and 0.25. The nitrates were just between 20-40. I'd say 30. But the nitrites were extremely high. I'm not even sure what the reading is but the strips have never shown this. Although I have not tested for nitrite since the fish began to struggle breathing. So I guess that explains the breathing issue. Therefore, I must assume the ropefish gave them a parasite causing the white poo.
However, what does this say about the ropefish. What do the rest of his symptoms suggest. Could he have a bacterial and parasitic infection as well?
Ive attached a photo of the nitrites since I was having a hard time matching. Any suggestions now?
However, what does this say about the ropefish. What do the rest of his symptoms suggest. Could he have a bacterial and parasitic infection as well?
Ive attached a photo of the nitrites since I was having a hard time matching. Any suggestions now?
I'm so sorry to hear this, and to hear that you were trying to test your water but the strips led you to think all was good. 
Your tank isn't fully cycled yet, you should be getting 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and ideally <30-40 nitrates.
Do you have a picture of the tank? How often do you feed and do water changes?
I don't know about the white poop part or what that means... but it's possible that the ropefish has something OR is just more sensitive to ammonia and nitrites because I thiiiiink they're all wild caught in the industry.
I would recommend water changes every day to get the numbers down. Do you know anyone with an older aquarium that you can grab some filter media from? I would also recommend floating plants or at least throwing some water sprite or wisteria in your tanks to help process some of the bad stuff.
Your tank isn't fully cycled yet, you should be getting 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and ideally <30-40 nitrates.Do you have a picture of the tank? How often do you feed and do water changes?
I don't know about the white poop part or what that means... but it's possible that the ropefish has something OR is just more sensitive to ammonia and nitrites because I thiiiiink they're all wild caught in the industry.
I would recommend water changes every day to get the numbers down. Do you know anyone with an older aquarium that you can grab some filter media from? I would also recommend floating plants or at least throwing some water sprite or wisteria in your tanks to help process some of the bad stuff.
I have determined my tank was cycled but I am doing TOO many water changes and resetting it. I've been doing 40-50% once a week. Thinking I was doing good because of the strips. When in reality I was resetting the nitrites. No symptoms had appeared until now but I think that's because I freaked out and did a 50% change because of the ropefish when I had just done a change a few days before. Spiking the nitrites extra high. Apparently, white poop is generally do to either internal parasites or very high stress. Due to the nitrite poisoning I have concluded it was stress, since the fish are still exhibiting no other signs other than the heavy breathing. Which again confirmed nitrite poisoning. All of this could've been avoided by using the drop tests from the beginning, so lesson learned. Now a very wise fish keeper who I trust has recommended to not do any more water changes for a good while. She said to add more nitrifying bacteria and let the tank sit and develop. She says any water changing at this point is going to do more harm than good. She also said I could grab some filter media from them.
Does your tap water have ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates out of the tap?
Know what, I have not checked that yet. Good suggestion. I honestly don't know because I use API QuickStart and stress coat on every bucket. They together kill all chlorine, and inhibit nitrite and ammonia. I doubt it has nitrates because my nitrates are between 20-40 and I haven't done anything to increase or decrease that. I will check that later when I get home. And an UPDATE: our ropefish has been euthanized. I could not take it any longer seeing the nitrate burns spread throughout his body. A very reputable and the largest fish store in Dallas Texas finally said it was time and I was in full agreance. At this point my plan is to just wait keep testing the water and not change it until the nitrites are 0 as well.
Question though, since I appear to have established that the issue has been nitrite poisoning all along, would it be ok to pull my old filter media which I had moved to the QT tank, out of the QT tank and back to my main tank. I hate losing all that bacteria but also don't want to spread anything just in case. Also, can I let the QT tank just begin to cycle now or should I completely remove the water clean it and start over? Thanks very much magpie
Question though, since I appear to have established that the issue has been nitrite poisoning all along, would it be ok to pull my old filter media which I had moved to the QT tank, out of the QT tank and back to my main tank. I hate losing all that bacteria but also don't want to spread anything just in case. Also, can I let the QT tank just begin to cycle now or should I completely remove the water clean it and start over? Thanks very much magpie
Hello; Interesting in that this seems to be contrary to the most common approach when ammonia and nitrite are detected in a tank. Frequent water changes are a very common suggestion. I believe the working theory being that you both remove some ammonia with the water siphoned out and dilute that remaining with the fresh new water. I would be interested in the reasoning as to how water changes are doing more harm than good.
There have been reported some water change (WC) issues under a few conditions. One that comes to mind is a tank that has not had a wc in a long while. A sudden large WC may change the water parameters suddenly (pH perhaps) and have a negative effect. In his case the better approach may be to do a series of small WC for a time and not a large one.
Hello; My take is that the presence of ammonia and nitrite is an indicator that the tank is not cycled. The beneficial bacteria (bb) colonies are considered to be found on the hard surfaces of a tank including, but not restricted to, filter media. Point being the bb that remove the ammonia and the bb that remove the nitrites are not removed with the water during a WC.
Hello; This is a practice I have used for many years. I seed a new tank with some hard material from an established tank.
Hello; This may be a faulty memory from a few decades ago and may also be incorrect information. For some reason that I do not recall the details about I decided to stop using coral in freshwater tanks. I may be mistaken but the pictures of your tank appear to show coral. May not be an issue of concern but came to mind.
Good luck.
Just to be clear there is 0 ammonia in the tank. Just a high rise of nitrite. The way she explained it is that the beneficial bacteria which is in the tank as we all know converts nitrite into nitrate. By removing large amounts of water at a time and adding new water I am there for adding new nitrites whereas my tank does not have enough established BB to convert the nitrite quick enough. Thus, the water changes are not doing any good because it is just starting mini cycles over and over. She said give it time to continue to develop BB and watch the levels. She said as the nitrifying bacteria builds it will become more and more dominant over the nitrites, whereas if I keep adding new water it will continue to spike the nitrites because the tank isn't fully cycled. But again, there is no presence of ammonia as I could tell. I see what you're saying though. Are you sure BB isnt present in the water though?
Regarding the coral, it is actually fake. Just very expensive ornaments haha. I'll take that as a compliment.
Lastly, any thoughts on returning the filter media I moved from my normal tank to the QT tank back to my normal tank? Or is this too much of a risk considering the condition the ropefish was in during the time he was in the qt tank. And do I need to drain the QT tank and start it over or can I go ahead and let that go ahead and cycle or again is it to much of a risk with the ropefish having been in there a couple of days? Thank you!
Hello; I do not follow the reasoning here. By that I mean how can adding new water to a tank add nitrites? My understanding being there are at least two groups of bb. One group, which may be composed of more than one species, takes in toxic ammonia to use in life activities and in the process converts ammonia to nitrites. The toxic nitrites are taken in be another group of bb and convert nitrites into the less toxic form nitrates.
The only way I can see new water adding extra nitrites is if the water has nitrites in it from the source. Are you saying your source water (tap or well) has nitrites in it?
Hello; My best guess is the rope fish was added to the uncycled ( or not fully cycled tank) adding it's ammonia load causing a spike in ammonia and then nitrites. While the rope fish may have some secondary infection, my guess is ammonia burn being the main problem. I agree that the media in with the rope fish may be contaminated.
All that fake coral and many other things in the tank should have bb populations on their surfaces. My take being the bb colonize where there is water flow.
I will look for a link to an article on cycling.
Aquarium cycling link
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html
