Cycling and potential disease

[Wishful]

Hi all

I'm new here. I've kept tropical fish before many years ago with (luckily) very few problems. A couple of weeks ago we decided to purchase a new tank and start up again.

We set up just over a week ago and got the tank up and running. After seven days, on Saturday, we went out to buy some hardy fish for cycling the tank. We ended up with two Black Phantom Tetras. two XRay Tetras. two Leopard Danios and two Bengal Danios, although we had to work the last two lots ourselves because the shop where we bought them left us completely misled!

After having one of the leopards jump out of the hole in the lid that tubes go through on his first afternoon (he recovered - I know he was out of the tank for at least 5 minutes) we now have one of the Begal Danios with a white area on his mouth. I first noticed it Sunday morning. Now I'm not sure that the other Bengal isn't showing signs of the same thing, I could just be being paranoid.

I phoned the shop and got a very stroppy woman who told me to put anti-fungus medicine in the tank, or to take the fish down so that we could look at them. Her attitude did not make me inclined to do the latter. The one question I did not feel confident that she answered was - can you put medication into a tank that is being cycled? So early on in the cycle too?

Also, if it is mouth fungus (which I gather is bacterial rather than fungal), is it catching to the other fish?

We did water tests yesterday and everything looked fine.

Thanks for any help from anyone.

 

[jvis0606]

You know, I have heard you shouldn't medicate while cycling. However, during my cycling, I had noticed ICH, and decided to treat for a couple of days. Since then I have raised the temp and been adding salt. Hopefully that hasn't hurt.

 

[Wishful]

That's interesting - it seemed to me that it would probably not be wise - given that you're trying to achieve a balance of bacteria etc in the water, but it's good to know that it's not impossible.

Why raise the temperature? And salt? I thought that was just for marine tanks, can all fish cope with salt then?

 

[canarsie11]

Mouth fungus can wipe out an tank.


How big is you tank? What kind of filter are you using? What are you water test results?

 

[fishstix101]

I agree, try adding 1 rounded table spoon of aqaurium salt for every five gallons of water. You could also make the tank a warmer temp. I would not add any meds while cycling.

!GOOD LUCK!

 

[Wishful]

The tank is 127 litres/27 gallons without substrate etc.

The pH is around 7.5
The ammonia was 0.6
The nitrite was 0.3

The filter is a Fluval biological filter

 

[Wishful]

Well we've been to our LFS - a different one to the one that sold us the fish - and they have suggested using a product called Sabbactisun which is an all natural product that doesn't interfere with the filter bacteria, is biodegradable and besides dealing with bacterial infections, also helps to destress fish. Non-colouring and OK with plants too!

We were also told to remove the carbon pad from the filter since that would be removing the beneficial bacteria that we are trying to build up, and would also remove the treatment from the water.

I asked about the salt and he said that we wouldn't need it with this particular treatment.

Thanks to you for your advice - it really means a lot to know there are people out there with good advice and support. I'll let you know how they get on!

Regards