jollysue
Fish Connoisseur
I had three clowns. I have been battling culimnaris in two tanks for 3-5 months. I don't know, it seems forever. It came in with some diamond head neons from the lfs. Bad me I saw there was trouble and accepted a foolish explanation and bought them.
So it started in the 12 usg quarantine tank which I treated with several combinations of Maracyn products. It seemed to clear up, but a few weeks later it reapeared in the quarantine tank and the well planted 100usg. 8 diamond head neons and four green neons: might as well catch the wind. I started treating the 100 usg and the small tank with a combo of maracyn and maracyn2 . The manager of the lfs heard of my dilemma and offered to let me use what he uses if the treatment I was using didn't work. I did two complete treatment cycles of the maracyn. I still saw signs of the culimnarus.
So I got the med from the lfs, did some water changes and filter changes, gave the fish a small break and dosed the tanks as I understood the directions. There were some contradictions between what the manager told me and the bottle said on the Naladixic acid. I missaplied the med and overdosed the tanks. The Tetras were fine but the bottom fish payed a heavy price. The three clowns went to ground. The otos (I had about 12 or 15) dropped like doves on opening day of doves season. I thought the plecs would survive, but one by one they dropped. A cockatoo boy stiffened up and hit the floor. The two pepper and three spotted (maybe leucomelas) cories seemed to survive.
In the end two clowns reappeared, but one of the peppers showed up with cotton on his dorsal. I caught the spotted and put them in a cory tank. One bronze subsequently got a quick spreading infection. I put him down.
Inchworm got hold of me and kept at me (I was worn out with the battle) until I caught the pepper and treated him with salt dips and Mela/PimaFix. He is on the mend and I have hopes that he will make it. He earned the name Rocky Balboa.
Several fish have survived; more have died. Most of the tetras dodged the bullet as well as the cories.
But now one of the 2 surviving clowns is showing colorless/washedout dorsal and anal (?) fins. His whole body is out of color. This is a very slow progressing infection, but also very tenacious. I believe the original bacteria I inherited had been treated by the lfs and they inherited it from the seller/transporter who had treated it and who knows about the farm. In other words I believe that I have an infection that has survived a variety of treatments and antibiotics. My last treatment of the tank was a treatment of Mela/PimaFix which worked well for awhile. I can try something different after I move and get reset up.
In the meantime, I want to know what will be the best chance for the clown. Does anyone have specific and extensive experience treating clowns that will give him a fighting chance?
So it started in the 12 usg quarantine tank which I treated with several combinations of Maracyn products. It seemed to clear up, but a few weeks later it reapeared in the quarantine tank and the well planted 100usg. 8 diamond head neons and four green neons: might as well catch the wind. I started treating the 100 usg and the small tank with a combo of maracyn and maracyn2 . The manager of the lfs heard of my dilemma and offered to let me use what he uses if the treatment I was using didn't work. I did two complete treatment cycles of the maracyn. I still saw signs of the culimnarus.
So I got the med from the lfs, did some water changes and filter changes, gave the fish a small break and dosed the tanks as I understood the directions. There were some contradictions between what the manager told me and the bottle said on the Naladixic acid. I missaplied the med and overdosed the tanks. The Tetras were fine but the bottom fish payed a heavy price. The three clowns went to ground. The otos (I had about 12 or 15) dropped like doves on opening day of doves season. I thought the plecs would survive, but one by one they dropped. A cockatoo boy stiffened up and hit the floor. The two pepper and three spotted (maybe leucomelas) cories seemed to survive.
In the end two clowns reappeared, but one of the peppers showed up with cotton on his dorsal. I caught the spotted and put them in a cory tank. One bronze subsequently got a quick spreading infection. I put him down.
Inchworm got hold of me and kept at me (I was worn out with the battle) until I caught the pepper and treated him with salt dips and Mela/PimaFix. He is on the mend and I have hopes that he will make it. He earned the name Rocky Balboa.
Several fish have survived; more have died. Most of the tetras dodged the bullet as well as the cories.
But now one of the 2 surviving clowns is showing colorless/washedout dorsal and anal (?) fins. His whole body is out of color. This is a very slow progressing infection, but also very tenacious. I believe the original bacteria I inherited had been treated by the lfs and they inherited it from the seller/transporter who had treated it and who knows about the farm. In other words I believe that I have an infection that has survived a variety of treatments and antibiotics. My last treatment of the tank was a treatment of Mela/PimaFix which worked well for awhile. I can try something different after I move and get reset up.
In the meantime, I want to know what will be the best chance for the clown. Does anyone have specific and extensive experience treating clowns that will give him a fighting chance?
