cottonmouth(?) update

[skiltrip]

So i'm on the third dose of this anti-fungal medicine i got, and i really don't see any improvement in the fish. the four of them still have that little white patch on their bottom lip. will it take a while for the white to actually fall off of them, or should it have been fading if the medicine was working?

the other question is, if i don't see any improvement after today, should i continue the antifungal treatment, or should i attempt to try a medicine for something different.

i'm a little confused, don't even know what they have exactly. i thought maybe it was cottonmouth. it's a little white puff dead center on the bottom lip of two tiger barilius, and two bleeding heart tetras. the puff is bigger on the tiger barilius fish then it is on the tetras. i have 4 tiger barbs and two rosy barbs in the tank as well, and they show no signs of it. they are doing just fine.

the tetras lay low in the tank and don't swim around as much as they used to, and the tiger barilius go from being hyper to kinda layin low like the tetras do.

if there's no improvement today, i am going to put them in the hospital tank i just put together, but what should i do as far as further treatment

sorry this post is so long, just wanted to get all the information in. 37Gallon by the way.

- kip

 

[bodyshop20]

Not sure if you have been asked this, but do you use carbon in your filter system, if yes you should remove it during treatment.
Carbon is a very fine filter media and soon removes medicines from water.
Hope this has helped a little.

 

[Dragonslair]

Cottonwool disease is generally a secodary infection. The primary one probably being an ulcer or a wound due to fighting. If it's on their mouths it could be the result of fighting. You will need a combined bacteracide/fungicide. See your lfs and ask if they can recommend a treatment for Columnaris disease. The only way you can really ID the exact type is to take a biopsy and send it to your vets for examination. I don't mean to diminish your fish in any way as I'm sure that you are very fond of them, but you will need to ask yourself, is it going to be cost effective?

 

[skiltrip]

in response to the first reply, yes, carbon has been removed from the filter.


as far as cost effectiveness, i'm not about to go crazy for these infected fish, i just don't want them to spread it to my other fish (particularly my tiger barbs, which i am VERY fond of). if i can cure it , great, but i'm not gonna spend a fortune.

I'm going to move the afflicted 4 into my 10 gallon hospital tank for further evaluation. If i did lose these fish, i'm not too worried. I'd just hate my entire aquarium to be affected.

should i carry out a good size water change after the afflicted fish have left the tank?

I changed out about 9 gallons of the total 37 gallons yesterday.

- kip

 

[Dragonslair]

Personally speaking it doesn't matter too greatly if you do a massive water change or not. If the infection is in the water aready there's not much point. Once you put the carbon back into action it'll remove the meds. anyway. I know it's always easy in retrospect, but you should have quarantined the fish as soon as you saw the fungus. In that way you minimise any spread.
Visual identification is paramount in any disease. You will see that your fish is behaving oddly long before a disease manifests itself. That is the time to take action.

 

[skiltrip]

i would have quarantined them right away if i could have, but i didn't have my hospital tank yet. i just put it together. i'm waiting for the temperature to stabalize in the new tank, and i am gonna put them in there.

at THIS point, what would be the best thing to do to get my main tank back in good shape? should i put the carbon back in right away, or let the meds hang around in case anyone else has some dormant fungus?

i must point out two things...

one... the treatment doesn't seem to have gotten rid of the fungus from their mouths.

two... none of the other fish that don't have the fungus are acting the slightest bit weird. (tiger barbs and rosy barbs) they are energetic as ever. possibly some are heartier than others?

but most importantly, again, what do i do to get my tank back in shape?

- kip

 

[Dragonslair]

If things are looking, "normal", I would return the carbon back to the filter and do a water test in a few days to make sure the water parameters are back to normal. Hopefully the fungal spores haven't spread. What is the temp. inyour main tank? 26C or above? The spores would have matured within 3 days at that temp, so you should have seen any changes. Obviously the cooler the water the longer it takes for the spores to develop.

 

[skiltrip]

the temp is pretty much locked on 79 degrees Farenheit. not sure what that translates to as far as celcius.

- kip

 

[Dragonslair]

Yes just insert the carbon back into the system. etc. etc.

 

[reg2k2]

generally a secodary infection. The primary one probably being an ulcer or a wound due to fighting.

I think this description would better apply to 'true fungus'.

Columnaris is a bacteria. So, if the med's u were using are for fungus only, as Dragon says, get something that treats for columnaris. I've also read that the pharm. companies are quite aware that it's bacterial, and they're products treat for such if they are labeled for columnaris...even if they mention fungus in the name...kinda perpetuates the myth, but...

Also, be sure to keep tank clean...the bacteria thrives on detritus.

 

[Starry^]

hey I did a big post on this not very long ago - please check it out
cottonmouth is NOT a fungal disease, therefore your treatment will not be helping and in fact could be making it worse.

cottonmouth

one of our harlequins died from this a few days ago we tryed to save him but the disease had pretty much overtaken him b4 we realised he was sick and could treat him,read that thread! it helped us out! even though our fishies died - unfortunately if yours arent eating then they will probly die - get them out of the community tank ASAP, and do a major water change - heat helps the bacteria multiply so dont bump that up.

GOODLUCK !!

Starry^