Columnaris?

[KathyM]

Hi folks

Well here we go again, I honestly should've known better than to go for angelfish again *sigh*.

Last week we added 2 angelfish to our tank. Baz bought them for me as a gift, I'd been wanting them again. They're both small adult sized, and both were a little bit tatty but nothing major (Baz is partially sighted but did check).

Day before yesterday we got up and found one of our platties dead. She had a fluffy mouth, which must've come on overnight literally. Obviously first thought was columnaris, and with it being Chrimbo, it's been hard to get hold of meds. However, today we got some bacterial meds, and came home to sort it out. Literally through today, Dolly the angelfish has come down with appalling finrot while we've been out. I can't believe how fast it's come on - this morning she was a bit clamped but no finrot, this evening her fins are shreds.

We've done a water change and added the meds (formaldehyde based as they didn't have Myxazin), but I wondered if there's anything more I can do? The water is great (see below). We did notice that the other angels in the shop are fluffy. Would a salt bath be the next step? It'd have to be tomorrow if she makes it through the night as I don't have the organic pure salt I normally have in, so will have to go buy some. We've added more aeration to the tank as advised on the bottle.

Water stats:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
pH: 6.6 (normal)

Meds added: King British Bacteria Control.
Recent fish added: 2 angelfish, one Rainbow Shark.
Current stock: 2 x angelfish, 1 x Rainbow Shark, 1 x ancistrus, 1 x Royal plec, 1 x Clown Plec, 4 x Lemon Tetras, 3 x platies, 1 x apple snail.

Edited to add: Tank size - Rio 300 (330L, or roughly 70 UK gallons).

Any advice much appreciated.

Kathy
xx

 

[The-Wolf]

you can raise the temp to 82f, this will speed up the fishes metabolisum, thus speeding up the healing process

 

[KathyM]

Thanks - will do that. Also been advised to turn the lights off and cover the tank to lower stress so will do that all now.

 

[KathyM]

I've looked a bit more at some older topics and the links given in them say to lower the temperature not raise it. I think I'll skip that bit until I'm certain of what to do.

 

[leenkim]

Hi my fish recently had fungus/columnaris not sure which but i tried interpet anti fungus & finrot as i thought this would help, but it didnt so i added some aquarium tonic salt at about half dosage cos i have 3 corydoras and a khoolie loach it didnt hurt any fish and it cleared it up within a few days, i was amazed.

Im not an expert, but maybe try some salt see if it helps.

 

[WILDER]

With tetracycline an antibiotic you are meant to raise the temp.
But with uk meds best to lower the temp as it multiples faster in warmer temps, usually turn down the heater by 2 degrees.
Depends on the strain of columnaris some times just water changes work if it's a weak strain.
But a bad strain of columnaris can wipe a tank out in a few hours.
Best med in uk for columnaris are myxazin and pimafix.

 

[KathyM]

I can't get Myxazin for now sadly, as I said in the first post. Advice I would appreciate is what I can do alongside what I'm already doing rather than pointing out treatments I've already said I can't get (no offence intended at all, it's just we dont seem to have time on our hands to run through impossible options - I'm really sorry). I don't want to use Pimafix if I can help it, and can't use other meds anyway alongside what I've used. The King British Bacteria Control has salt as one of the ingredients.

Anyone know about the salt dips (eg. quantities, efficacy?) I mentionned and if it's safe to do them alongside the current treatment? Thanks I really appreciate all your help.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry jsut recommending the meds if you have to go to the lfs.
This explains salt dips, through it nearly at the bottom of the article I think.
http/article.discusnews.com/cat-02/columnaries.shtml

 

[KathyM]

Thanks ever so much Wilder, you're a diamond. I'm sorry about the Myxazin comment, it's just I tried to get some and can't over the Xmas period, hence me having had to make do with what they had.

I did see in the £2 shop (pmsl - last minute Xmas shopping the other day, skinflint that I am) that they had pond treatments. I wonder whether it's worth going back and seeing if one of them is antibiotic (I'm sure one was for finrot, but it might just be like this cack I'm having to use)? I've read of others using pond treatments, so it might be worth looking at what they have?

 

[WILDER]

Look at treatment 2 as well.
http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/treat3.htm

 

[KathyM]

They both say Myxazin, but thanks anyway. Right, well I'll leave her covered and as unstressed as poss for the night and come back to this thread in the morning when I can get hold of some safe salt. Thanks again.

 

[KathyM]

Well, she's still alive this morning, no better but thankfully no worse. This medicine says to use again in 4 days though, which is a long time from the first dosage. If I can get hold of some Myxazin or that JBL stuff, will I need to remove the meds from the water if that 4 days is up when I'm about to dose? Or will a substantial water change do?

I think we're going to try salt dips, maybe not to the extreme that's mentionned in that link as she's weak, but worth a try?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[QuotheRaven]

Maybe add aquarium salt to the tank if no catfish/loaches etc are in the tank as the salt will lower stress and protect the gills more...sounds like a nasty strain

 

[SlushMonkey]

batcteria like warmer enviroments, so i would say drop the temp a bit to slow the multiplying of them...

Slush

 

[QuotheRaven]

well the temperature thing is a hard decision as some diseases are unaffected by meds during certain parts of their life cycle...diseases such as Velvet I believe the temperature should be lowered while whitespot it should be heightened...I believe columnaris the temp should be lowered from what I read..