Sick Fishie

[Emz]

I lost a fish yesterday, i thought through old age, he had no obvious signs of illness so i thought. I had a look in my tank today and noticed that one of my neons has little marks on one side and on the other a tiny cotton wool spot.

What can i do?

Emz

 

[sylvia]

Test your water to see if everything is ok and also check the temperature. That 'cotton wool spot' could be fungus. You also mentioned marks on one side... what sort of marks? What color? Is the fish in question acting normaly and what size tank/what other fish are in with it? You can try treating with a little salt if your other fish will allow for it and an anti-fungul medication. If there is no sign of improvement, try melafix (as a general medication) and some kind of anti-bacterial med. Check the meds won't effect your biological filtration first, that your other fish can take it or use a seperate tank for treatment.

 

[Emz]

I am heading off to my LFS first thing tomorrow to buy some testing kits. I have a 20g with a gibby pleco, bumblebee catfish, 4 cory's, 1 guppy and 5 neons. I am waiting for my new 60g tank to come through.

As for all that other stuff? i have no idea about bilogiacal filtration? or about salt??

Only been keeping fish for a year so still pretty new to all this

Emz

 

[WILDER]

What colour are the marks if they are white or greyish in colour the fish has columnaris.

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

Hi Emz, how's the fishy going?

I can't recommend that you add salt (aquarium salt, & definitely not any other kind!) because none of your catfish will like that. It's sometimes used as a general tonic type of thing, but fish without scales (ie. catfish, & probably a few others) are generally said to be rather intollerant of it.

Biological filtration - by this, I'm guessing that Sylvia means look for a med that won't kill off the good bacteria that keeps your tank's Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate levels as they should be (there's some good info on this sort of thing at http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099 if you haven't read it already). I'm not sure how one would tell this about a med, but I guess just check that it's ok to put in if your filter has carbon in it (or else take out the carbon before adding the med).

Also, where is this "cotton-wool spot", & definitely what does the other spot look like? Because as Wilder pointed, this could be a fungus or Columnaris disease (a bacteria).

Hope your fishy is doing ok

 

[Emz]

The cotton wool type thing on the right side of the fish has gone but now it looks like the marks on the left side, they are very tiny and almost a grey colour, the fish look ok in themselves, eating fine and swimming around happily. My Filter packed in last night so i need to get a new one, i have a bubble wall in there at the mo, will my fish be ok until i can get to the LFS on monday?

Emz

 

[WILDER]

It is columnaris you will need to keep giving the fish a couple of salt baths aday, as the desease hates salt also you will need anti internal bacteria med.

 

[Emz]

I thought i couldnt use salt because of my other fish (cat fish) and also will this infection affect my other fish?

 

[WILDER]

Take him out of the tank and put him in a bucket or jug of salt water, 1 tablespoon of salt to a gallon of water 5 litres, medicate the whole tank as columnaris can spread, do water changes to keep water quality as it's finest.