911, What's Wrong With My Swordtail?

[HNY1111]

I have looked at pictures online and spent a lot of time reading up, but I cannot ascertain what is going on with my swordtail. I suspected fin/tail rot at first but do not think that is what it is now because he has white spots around his head and sides now. Fungus? He lost part if his swordtail and fins. I have treated my whole tank with Bactershield for the recommended amount of time, yet he seems to look worse. He does not act any different and swims around as he normally has since before his fine started deteriorating. What do I do? I am considering running to Walmart (ugh. Only thing open now) and buying a small tank to use as a hospital tank. But, what do I use to treat him. He has been getting worse for about 2 weeks now. Thankfully none of the other fish have any spots or are acting sick. Hoping someone can help me ASAP.
My water tests all within normal parameters. The temp holds at 78. I have a 39 gal tank with 4 albino Corys, 1 blue dwarf gourami, 1 half moon beta, 3 hi fins, 1 silver Molly, 2 gold panda mollies and 2 fancy male guppies. Plus the swordtail. I tried including a picture but they are too large to upload.

 

[HNY1111]

Here we go.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Unfortunately I'm not sure what exactly is wrong Can you please post your water parameters? The actual numbers, as 'normal' doesn't tell us much. What type of test kit are you using btw?
 
If you can I'd go to wal-mart and pick up a 5g to QT him.
 
I hope someone else more experienced in fish diseases can help you soon and sorry you're having to deal with this. Hope he makes it.
 

to TFF btw.

 

[PrincessKiara]

Looks like fungus to me... could perhaps be Columnaris, IDK if it attacks swordtails...but I'd QT him and add 4 drops of meth blue and 1 of malachite green per liter. Maybe mix in a bit of aquarium salt, and give him a strong 5 minute salt dip in a 1tsp/liter solution of aquarium salt to kill any external parasites?

 

[HNY1111]

I use the API master test kit for freshwater. My last test results were as follows: ammonia-0 nitrite-0 nitrate-0 Ph- 7.6 high range ph 7.4. Sorry for not posting them earlier.
I hope he makes it too. The poor guy has been like this for about 2 weeks now. I originally went to Petco (only petstore around unfortunately) and they suggested the Bactersheild. You treat every other day 3 times for that treatment, so that is why I have taken so long to seek more advice. In hindsight I should have asked here first.

 

[HNY1111]

Well, I am not left with many options as far as treating my poor swordtail. As I have read, any treatment I do really is recommended for individual treatment. I also don't want to put the rest of the community in any more possible danger. Also, my gold panda mollies are now picking on him a bit. So even though I hate putting him in a tank that has not cycled yet I dunno what else to do.
So, I did purchase a 10 gal last night, I did 50% spring water and 50% water from my 29 gallon and I added some stresszyme in there. I am going to run to Petco here soon to pick up some sort of treatment for him, and hope that by then the temp will be stable in the new tank so I can add him. Wish my luck. Any other pointers, info, suggestions are welcome.

 

[PrincessKiara]

Do 50% w/c's daily, keep testing to make certain that the parameters don't get to a dangerous level, and if they do then change all the water as many times as necessary to fix them. With the antibiotics, you've probably lost the cycle in your main tank, anyway...you might want to keep an eye on that as well, correct me if I'm wrong
Best of luck to your sword!

 

[HNY1111]

Thanks. Actually I have not used an antibiotic in my main tank. Only Bactershield, which is not an antibiotic but works more like a water conditioner. Or so I was told and have read. So my cycle in the regular tank should be fine. Is there something I can get that will treat both Columnaris and Fungus at the same time since we are not sure what it is???

 

[PrincessKiara]

Columnaris is a bacterial infection, IIRC, while fungus is...well, fungus. Methylene blue and malachite green should help with both bacteria and fungus, and the salt will ease breathing, reduce contaminant uptake in the fish's blood and kill any external parasites

I've used this before with success on angelfish, but you should probably try to get someone more experienced than me to help you...

EDIT: Did a quick Google search. Apparently tetracycline and oxytetracycline are good treatments for Columnaris, at a dose of 250mg for every 10L of water...
Here's a pic of a Betta with Columnaris:

 
And here are two fish with fungus:

 
Hope this helps!

 
EDIT: Looking more closely at your swordtail picture, that looks more like fungus...it's stringier, and the edges of a few fins are whitish and a bit frayed.
Make sure the water is 100% clean and the blue, green and salt combo should do fine

 

[HNY1111]

Unfortunately I am at Petco now and they don't have the blue and green. Picking up some maracyn icy and aquarium salt + hydrometer. Best I can do. ugh.
Oxy not icy
Should I just do saltwater baths or do the salt baths plus add salt to the hospital tank?

 

[PrincessKiara]

I'd do both--do a strong, 5 minute salt dip (watch carefully, fish like to jump out of those!) and add a smaller amount to the tank.
To do a salt dip, thoroughly dissolve 1tbsp of aquarium salt in 1L of tank water (in another container, not the tank) and plop in the fish. Watch him carefully for five minutes, at the end of which you should immediately transfer him back to his hospital tank. If he flips over and floats on his side (happens sometimes) don't panic, just put him back right away and he should be fine.

 

[HNY1111]

When it rains it pours. So, I had an ammonia spike in my main tank last night as well. I immediately did a 50% water change and used Ammolock. My ammonia was 8.0+ last night but ph, nitrates, nitrites, etc were normal. Ph was 7.6 others 0. NOW, ammonia is 8.0+ , Nitrates are 5, Nitrites are .50 and Ph is 7.2
So my question is, did the Ammolock cause the spikes in the Nitrates/Trites, since what it does is break down the ammonia to a non-toxic form so it can be consumed? AND what should I do? Another water change today? Argh!!!
I am also going to post this in an appropriate thread for water conditions but thought I would post it here first considering the swordtail situation.

 

[PrincessKiara]

Yes! Do first a 100% w/c and then keep testing throughout the day. Do multiple 50% changes until the ammonia is down, no matter how often you have to do it! Does anyone else own fish near you? If you can get a chunk of used, wet filter media, that will seed your filter with nitrifying bacteria...

 

[WILDER]

Fish can also get columnaris spots and there pretty hard to treat.
Columnaris spot will look a greyish white. sometimes have a red centre, or 
an outline of red around the spot.
 
If you are using antibiotics I wouldn't do salt baths as they stress the fish out to much.
 
You will also need to lower the tank temp.
Columnaris
The hospital tank should be heated to approx. 74 degrees. 76 and above is the ideal breeding temperature for columnaris. Though there is some dispute over lowering the temperature, my experience has been that 72 is too low for the medication to work rapidly, 76+ causes the disease to breed more rapidly than the anti-biotic can kill, and 74 is "just right." Remember to keep this temperature stable!
 
Text © Lauren Week

 

[HNY1111]

Thanks for all the advice! I am pretty sure the swordtail has body fungus, but with salt water baths and time to recoup in the hospital tank he is looking much better! My main tank is finally starting to cycle again. I retrieved a dirty filter pad( thanks PrincessKiara ) from a pet shop 45 mins away, added a couple extra live plants and have been doing daily water changes-- 20% so I don't loose my bacteria, after 3 80% changes I think it's better to do smaller ones, otherwise I will just be in a never ending cycle. My ammonia is still at 4! But wayyy better than it was as it was so high the test was a midnight blue (the highest on my API 8 is a dark forest green).