Strange Behaviour

[Flute]

So the second course of meds has just finished, and it still hasn't cleared up the infection on their fins. Does anyone have any ideas for a more affective treatment? I've been treating with King British Bacterial meds. It's cleared up the infection in the least effected cory's, but the peppered are still suffering from it, and the baby bronze has started to develop the same symptoms but in a more concentrated way which has me worried

Thanks for any more ideas

 

[Loops]

Whenever my boyfriend has any trouble with his fish he does a water change every day for a week and it always seems to sort it. (not any good if you are dosing meds though)

See what Wilder says though

 

[Flute]

I've been doing water changes every 4 days (when ever the med cycle finishes) so the water is as good as it could probably be.
I think I just need to try a stronger/better medication, and just wanted to check here before I order anything offline

 

[WILDER]

What bacterial med did you use?
The only time you half dose is with parasite med for sensitive fish.
You need to use full dose with bacterial meds. Except for melafix.

 

[Flute]

Maybe I got mixed up with bacterial meds then- I thought I had to half dose with corys because of their scales (or lack of, or something like that).
I'm using King British bacterial medication. I'll do another water change tomorrow and then continue with a full dose of meds then
Wilder to the rescue again

 

[WILDER]

Corys are fine with bacterial meds. It's more the parasite meds they don't handle to well.

I agree use the full dose after water change. So if you still have half dose in the tank, add the other half to take it to full dose for tank size.
Good Luck.

 

[Flute]

So I lost the other baby peppered and now one of the elderly peppered looks like she's dying
I'm really not sure if this is a bacterial infection any more, as the meds don't seem to be doing anything. Albinos and the adolfoi are fine, the baby bronze is okayish but is starting to look like it has ragged fins. Still no other fish showing symptoms.

I've medicated with bacterial meds at full dose, but I'm wondering if I should try a different tacit and use a fin rot and fungus treatment instead The peppered have lost all their barbels now and are just in such an awful condition that I'm considering euthanizing them. One of them certainly seems to be loosing the battle, can barely swim, is on it's side a lot and has red sores on its face where the barbels should be. But when I go to pick it up with the net it makes an effort to swim

I don't know whether to put both the peppered in a floating hospital tank and let nature take its course, or to euthanise the worst one and try to save the other (which is still active and swimming around).

I just feel so awful that I've not been able to help my peppers.

EDIT: I've managed to get a picture of the worst effected cory- You can see in the picture how that cotton thread stuff has spread and built up over the fins and the sores on her face

Please excuse the hair algae on the anubias.

 

[WILDER]

Lfs uk meds won't work on severe bacterial infections.
You really need antibiotics.
A severe columnaris strain can cause sores, peeling, or shedding of the skin.

Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Darting, erratic swimming.

I would get you a good link to a jbl med you can buy in the uk.
There also jbl furanol 2 but you can't seem to get hold of it in the uk.

You cna buy the med here.
http/www.seahorseaquariums.com/store/product/1509/JBL-Furanol-2-20-Tablets/
Not sure if the furanol 2 wipes the beneifical bacteria out in the filter. As the old med furanol did.

 

[Flute]

No signs of flicking or rubbing, and although they are swimming around quite a lot, they don't seem to be darting around. They just look awful- they have the stuff all over their fins, and have lost their barbels. Skin doesn't appear to be peeling or shredding.

If I got that furanol 2 meds and it wiped the bacteria in the filter, large daily water changes would be required, wouldn't they? And after medicating would it result in my tank going through a cycle?

I'm off to uni on Saturday, although my bf has said that he will look after the tanks for me and knows what he's doing. I just wish I could have sorted this out before I leave

 

[WILDER]

It's a fairly new med and haven't used it myself.
I don't think antibiotics are an ingredient in the med.

If it does wipe the beneifical bacteria out in the filter the tank will have to cycle again.
But a bad strain of bacteria wants wiping out.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

 

[Flute]

Doesn't look as fluffy as what the examples are on that website. But like you said, it needs wiping out.
I have other tanks in the house (that are disease free) that I would be able to seed filter media from so I guess it wont be end of the world.

Shall I go with that med in link that you provided me then?

 

[WILDER]

Columnaris has many disguises. Can show it's self it so many ways.

JBL meds are fairly good. So it worth a try.
The only other thing I can advise it phoning a vet for some antibiotics.

Also lower your tank temp so the bacteria dosn't multiply so fast.

I've wiped tanks out with antibiotics. As I had other tanks that I could take mature sponges from to kick start the tank again.

The hospital tank should be heated to approx. 74 degrees. 76 and above is the ideal breeding temperature for columnaris. Though there is some dispute over lowering the temperature, my experience has been that 72 is too low for the medication to work rapidly, 76+ causes the disease to breed more rapidly than the anti-biotic can kill, and 74 is "just right." Remember to keep this temperature stable!

 

[Flute]

I'll give the local vets a go first as they're only down the road, if not then I'll order those meds online.

I've been wanting to get a new external filter anyway, so I think I'll buy one and get that up and going on one of the other tanks to mature it whilst I medicate my community tank.

So gutted that this seems to have resulted in Columnaris D: Heard so many horror stories about it.

The worst effected cory seems to be only just breathing. If it's still alive in the morning but just as bad or worse, do you think it would be kinder to put it out of it's misery?

 

[WILDER]

How are things today. Is the corys still alive.
Did you manage to contact the vet?