Fish fungus

[Sarah C Mckee]

I just noticed one of my tetras is covered in fungus. What should I do will it get the others sick?

 

[JuiceBox52]

Pics?
Water test results?
Anything new added to the tank?

 

[Sarah C Mckee]

Pics?
Water test results?
Anything new added to the tank?

Nothing new to tank , just did a water change on Saturday. I can’t get a good pic as it won’t stay put lol it looks cottony

 

[Sarah C Mckee]

Nothing new to tank , just did a water change on Saturday. I can’t get a good pic as it won’t stay put lol it looks cottony

I haven’t tested the water yet but I can, I just want to know if I should quarantine it or if the others can get it

 

[Sarah C Mckee]

Here’s another one

 

[Sarah C Mckee]

I did a 75% water change last night and lifted up one of my decorations and all the cotTon like substance cane floating up , so weird my tank was fine Friday when I did my water change. I tested the water prior and it was nitrate 20-40 nitrite 0 and ammonia barely 0.25 almost couldn’t call it that but had a light hint of lime. I increased the water temp and I’ll just do water changes every couple days. Any advice from anyone?

 

[FishGuest5123]

That looks like a bad case of ich instead of fungus. Does it look like it’s sprinkled in salt? You sure the spots are fluffy? Nitrates are way too high.

 

[Byron]

I concur that is not likely fungus, and it does look like ich. I would suggest you increase the tank temperature to 30C/86F, do a major water change now and increase the temp a few degrees with that, then turn the heater up for the remainder; at or a tad over 30C/86F is OK. Hold it for two weeks. Do the water change mid-way as usual. That may do it. Characins are very susceptible to any medications/chemicals so this is the safest treatment. Do not use any so-called ich remedy, it will only makes things worse for the fish.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Do exactly as @Byron instructs. He helped me cure my tank of ich. Don’t get inpatient, some ich are very stubborn and take the full 2-3 weeks to cure. I also used aquarium salt, very low dose, at 1 teaspoon per every 5 gallons. Make sure it’s dissolved in a little tank water before adding to tank or it will burn fish. If you do a 50% water change, add 1/2 teaspoon per every 5 gallons of salt back in. Tetras don’t like salt but this is a very low and safe dose. Ich hates salt. Also add an air bubbler as heat lowers the oxygen in water. Vacuum the substrate every couple of days to pick up any ich parasites in the substrate. Clean nets, syphon, anything you use in bleach/water at 1:10 ratio. Rinse well with Seachem Prime and water.