Columnaris Diagnosis And Treatment Help! Infected Fish

[jollysue]

Remember that most of the disease bacteria, funguses, viruses and even parasites exist in our tanks, but they are not viral. They take advantage of stressed and hurt fish and become viral when they are allowed to spread and take hold.

Yes summer is often a time when fish become stressed. Temp fluctuations are hard on fish. I lost several of my cool water fish this summer before I got the temps stable in the new fish room.

New fish are always stressed. They have gone through much to get to you.

You will learn with time. We develop our hobby skills with experience. The old timers are here to give us information, encouragement and hold our hands.

Wilder has held my hand many times. She is a great hand holder and has lots of experience (not to infer that she is an "old timer".) LOL

Over time you will develop your own approach and style. There is more than one way to "skin a Cat" so to speak. LOL That goes for health and medical approaches.

Remember that most diseases come from tank issues. This is the establish "Golden Rule" of the fish hobby.

New fish can bring disease with them, but they can also develop illness after arriving simply because of the stresses.

The moral:

Use quarantine tanks.

 

[Brette]

The moral:

Use quarantine tanks.

Learned that the hard way. I guess they weren't just trying to sell me a second tank for no reason at the LFS after all. I think I'll just keep the one I bought running alongside my main tank.

 

[jollysue]

Keep a small filter running in the main tank or have media that you can use to jump start a small tank. I do all kinds of things to start tanks from scratch using filter inserts, media bags, small filters running next to the main filter.... Anything in the filter that has fishy tank water and oxygen rushing through can be used to get a tank going quickly.

Using the qt tank with new fish also helps them not be stressed from the new tank mates and competing for food. As I say, they may not have come sick; they may get sick after being rehomed from little bugs running around in our tanks that usually would not bother them and all the stress.

It is like our lives and even homes. There are contagious beasties all around us, but we get sick when our bodies get stressed usually: not enough sleep or rest, poor eating, poor hygiene, etc. Of course then someone can come along and infect us with that super bug that takes us down. Sill if our immune system is in order, we are less likely to go down for the count.

That is why good tank conditions are the first line of defense and recovery.

Many old timers never use meds. They have as good a record as any for recovery simply from good tank conditions.

 

[Brette]

Thanks for the tips Jollysue. I'll use those. I knew good tank conditions were the key to healthy fish. Unfortunately I overdid it by thinking "cleaning often = super water conditions"

 

[fry_lover]

lots of cliches here, hope things work out

 

[jollysue]

It is true that a virulent columnaris is a big deadly beast. Mostly it will have to run it's course in the uk once it reaches the "dead in 24 hrs" stage.

And most of us have had a devistating bout of columnaris at one time or other. Wilder held my hand through mine. Then the Cory mod, Inchworm, helped me save a pepper Cory that was badly afflicted. We used salt dips and MelaFix. It lost it's dorsal fin, passed out and stopped breathing, but it recovered in my hand, shook the columnaris, and I have a strong healthy pepper colony in my Community tank. 2 Clown Loaches made it and are 5" wth 4 other 5" Clowns in a 125usg. I love the successes!

I have become pretty good at recognizing the trouble and treating it before the tank crashes.

Thoughts become cliches for a reason. lol

 

[aquababy]

I've not been online a couple of days and come back and lost track of whats happening here. Its amazing how many people post here. I mean the other fish forums I joined (before I became a member here) there is hardly any other activity happening there at all.
Anyway I thought I'd just let everyone know my fish are getting better. The bronze cory is looking well and the panda with the tail slit and white patch is definitely alot better. I have had no more fish losses but am concerned about doing a water change. Some of the fish especially the cory and pandas have started darting around the tank. I'm sure they are trying to hint its time for a water change but I'm not sure if I should do one while I'm using the treatments. What makes it even more difficult is the instructions on the medicines.

The leaflet says to dissolve the treatment in warm water(doesn't say how much). It then goes on to say that after completing the 2 doses(doesnt say when to put in 2nd dose) you must wait 4 days before using the Anti Internal Bacteria again and 7 days before using any other aquarium treatment and then to carry out a 30% water change before dosing.

The bottle says to mix the treatment in 1/2 litre of warm water until dissolved then pour over surface of water. Add the 2nd dose on day 4. After 7 days another fish health treatment or redose can be used. If dosing is complete, carbon and zeolite can be returned to aquarium.

I have also been using Pimafix since last Thursday which is a 7 day treatment after which It says to make a 25% water change. As for the Anti Internal Bacteria I don't know if the 7 day count is from the 1st day I start the treatment or 7 days after the 2nd dose. If I have to wait another 7 days it will be about 11/12 days without a waterchange and I think the fish are getting stressed with no water change and all that medication.
I would love to hear from someone who has used Anti Internal Bacteria and Pimafix together and also any suggestions on if I am ok to do a water change.