White fungus

[Adana]

Hi everyone
I have a 2 year old Betta fish who has a bio orb to himself - he’s eating well but about 3 months ago he developed a white growth on his tail fin.
I was advised to use Protozin white spot and fungus treatment- I removed the carbon from the bio orb filter and I’ve been treating him over the last couple of months but it has now spread on the edge of his tail - it is a long white edge on his tail fin now and I’m worried about it spreading further. The treatment is on days 1,2 and 3 and then day 6 - he’s now on his 4th treatment - any advice please?
Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

It's a bacterial infection and you are wasting your time using Protozin because it won't help. You need antibiotics or something that kills bacteria.

Methylene Blue might do it but can stain things blue. If that doesn't fix the problem in a few days, then antibiotics.

As a general rule, if there's no improvement after several days (a week at most) of using a medication, it's not helping and you need to try something else.

 

[Adana]

It's a bacterial infection and you are wasting your time using Protozin because it won't help. You need antibiotics or something that kills bacteria.

Methylene Blue might do it but can stain things blue. If that doesn't fix the problem in a few days, then antibiotics.

As a general rule, if there's no improvement after several days (a week at most) of using a medication, it's not helping and you need to try something else.

Thankyou - would I obtain antibiotics from a vet or is that something I can get from an aquatic centre?

 

[Essjay]

Antibiotics are available only on prescription in the UK. If you can find a vet willing and able to prescribe for fish.


There are other non-prescription anti bacterials available but whether they'll work is the question. Look at Waterlife Myxazin or eSHa 2000.

 

[Adana]

Thankyou - would I obtain antibiotics from a vet or is that something I can get from an aquatic centre?

Antibiotics are available only on prescription in the UK. If you can find a vet willing and able to prescribe for fish.


There are other non-prescription anti bacterials available but whether they'll work is the question. Look at Waterlife Myxazin or eSHa 2000.

Thankyou so much - appreciate the advice

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I agree re finrot. Is is normally either fungal or bacterial, but sometime it can be both. Either one opens up the ability for the other to attack. However, Have you tried this product available in the UK?

Interpet Anti Fungus and Finrot​

Use for:Treating against mouth rot (Columnaris sp.), fin rot (Pseudomonas sp.) and cotton wool (Saprolegnia sp.) fungus​

Finrot, Mouthrot/Mouth Fungus and Cotton Wool Disease are common diseases of aquarium fish. Anti Fungus and Finrot is both an antibacterial and antifungal treatment that treats affected fish and prevents the disease spreading in your aquarium preventing fish death.

I could not find the ingredients fin this product but I was not willing to look for them really hard. Yhe above if from the Interpet site. And antibacterial may not be an antibiotic.

 

[MaloK]

It's a non antibiotic medication. There is only one ingredient, Phenoxyethanol (40000mg/100ml): This is a broad-spectrum biocide. including bacteria, fungi, and some viruses.

Pretty harsh. commonly used in cosmetics, disinfectants, and some household products.

Harmful to invertebrates. But has great chances to do the job.

 

[Essjay]

The UK store Pets at Home has photos of the packaging of Interpet meds including the side of the boxes with the ingredients. Useful as Interpet's website doesn't list the ingredients.


Waterlife Myxazin contains malachite green, formaldehyde and acriflavine

eSHa 2000 contains ethylacridine lactate, copper sulphate and proflavine hemisulphate


None of these are antibiotics just anti bacterials as they are available without prescription.

 

[Colin_T]

If you struggle to find medications, it might be cheaper to euthanise the fish and replace it. Sorry if that sounds heartless but vets cost a lot of money and replacing the fish is a lot cheaper than a vet.

 

[Fishfunn]

Try a Methylene Blue bath for 30 minutes.