Saprolegnia

[Fintastic!]

Does anyone have experience with this?
Long story short. I've determined my german blue ram has this after much research. He has it almost two weeks now. I've read that methylene blue baths should clear it up but are there certain brands available in Ireland or the UK I should watch out for?
Apparently this is caused by decaying matter in the aquarium but I'm puzzled as my water changes etc are always up to date. I'm wondering if it's that greeny/blue gunk that builds up under the sand at the front. I clean this up but I don't know what it's like at the back as I have plants there. Needless to say I have a busy day ahead.
Sorry for the long post, any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[rolltide101x]

I replied to your other thread with some instructions on how to use it. But I have no experience with it, I researched this and those are the clearest instructions I could find. Good luck! Maybe someone else can help you more.

 

[Fintastic!]

Thanks Rolltide! I haven't read the other thread yet but I'll have a look now.

 

[Fintastic!]

I've looked through my fish meds and I have a Tetra General Tonic, for all sorts including bacterial infections. It has methylene blue in the ingredients 55.44mg per 100mls. Do you reckon this would suffice?

 

[Fintastic!]

I've added the Tetra med. 5mls per 20ltrs. The tank is pure green. It says to redose after 7 days if there's no improvement. Poor little fella isn't eating anymore, just sitting there.

 

[KittyKat]

Does anyone have experience with this?
Long story short. I've determined my german blue ram has this after much research. He has it almost two weeks now.

Unless you had a sample of it tested in a lab, you cannot be sure that your fish has specifically Saprolegnia and not some other type of fungus/mould.

I've read that methylene blue baths should clear it up but are there certain brands available in Ireland or the UK I should watch out for?

I recommend eSHa 2000 as it is very effective against all infections and it is likely that there is more than one here. It is relatively readily available in UK. Methylene blue is a bit of a more traditional "kill everything" cure, which is slightly… on the extreme side of things nowadays. If you do chose to use methylene blue, then be aware that it is probably more effective to treat the whole tank, that it will stain everything blue (including the silicone on the aquarium), that it is quite easy to overdose on it and that it can kill off the filter.

Apparently this is caused by decaying matter in the aquarium but I'm puzzled as my water changes etc are always up to date.

The most common cause (or partial cause) of fungus is water quality (which is different from what cleanliness). Soft water fish have less resistance to fungi and bacteria than hardwater fish because most fungi and bacteria are not as able to survive in soft water so the fish would normally not need much resistance to infection. If you do not have a GH kit, then check your water hardness with your water company: most allow you to input your post code on their website and return the water hardness in ppm.

I'm wondering if it's that greeny/blue gunk that builds up under the sand at the front.

Are you talking about cyanobacteria? The treatment for the fungus will likely kill this off. Read http/natureaquarium.co.uk/?p=487 for a bit more information (and let me know if something is missing).

I clean this up but I don't know what it's like at the back as I have plants there.

To be honest, syphoning is rarely an issue unless the tank is overstocked and does not have any plants (in which case lack of syphoning can cause problems).

I've added the Tetra med. 5mls per 20ltrs. The tank is pure green. It says to redose after 7 days if there's no improvement. Poor little fella isn't eating anymore, just sitting there.

If you change medication, do a 95% water change with temperature matched water and run carbon in the filter between medications. Don't worry about the not eating: well fed rams can survive without food for over two weeks, so just keep offering him little bits and hope that he picks up something occasionally.

 

[Fintastic!]

Thanks a million Kittykat! Very helpful. I treated the tank with Protozin last week in case of fungus or whitespot but it didn't work. I did a waterchange and added carbon to the filter. I removed the carbon before I put the current meds in. Should I leave things as they are and see how he fares with these meds and if there's no change treat with eSHa 2000? I hope my bacs will be ok. I'll test the water more frequently and hope for the best!

 

[KittyKat]

Should I leave things as they are and see how he fares with these meds and if there's no change treat with eSHa 2000? I hope my bacs will be ok. I'll test the water more frequently and hope for the best!

Yes, although I would only wait up to 4 days before trying another treatment because many medications are harmful to the fish to some extent as well as to whatever they are treating against, so there will come a point when the fish is too weak to survive a treatment.

I prefer to use eSHa 2000 because it does not harm the filter as the treatment is targeted to specific types of bacteria and because it is the only thing that works every single time that I have used it, while I found most other medications to be unreliable. If you do try it, read the instructions carefully because some situations do require a double dose. Also, it will make the water go luminous green.

The methylene blue in Tetra General Tonic is unlikely to be concentrated enough to affect your filter much, but you are right to keep an eye on water parameters… good luck trying to read them with the coloured water though!

 

[Fintastic!]

Ah thanks KittyKat, I'll give it 'til Monday and I'll take it out then. I'll add the eSHa 2000 on Wed then if he's still alive. As for checking the water, I forgot about the luminous green it is at the moment!

 

[Fintastic!]

Miguel is gone to fishy heaven.