Fungus Among Us

[JBL]

I have two small angelfish in a ten gallon tank (I know, too small).  they have a small amount of white fuzz on top of their heads (where the hump is on the male).  Should I use a fungicide, and if so, which one?  The other fish (four neon tetras and a small cat) don't seem to have this.  thanks for your help!  

BTW, this is a new tank, less than a week old.

 

[biggun110]

Hi,

Do a 50-60% water change every day as your water chemistry is probably a mess due to new tank cycling thus causing the fungus. Sometimes a teaspoon of non-iodized salt per gallon dissolved before pouring into the tank will kill fungus, otherwise, get a good fungicide -- Jungle's Pond Fungus Remover is excellent. Follow directions, remove any carbon from the filter(s) and change 50% of the water daily. Do not add anymore fish for 5-6 weeks and feed lightly until the tank cycles.

Bobby

 

[JBL]

A little update! I (well, the fish) now have ich. I saw two spots that I thought were it Friday morning before I left for the weekend. Well, I'm back Sunday evening to find quite a bit. I used Bausman's Tonic at the rate recommended for ich (2 tsp/gallon of water). The water 80 degrees. Should I do anything else right now?

 

[jimscott]

There are a variety of things you could do, depending upon your philosophy. you could try to save the fish with an ich remedy, like a product that contains Malachite Green or Formaldehyde or Methylene blue or....or, you can get another vessel / tank and treat the fish separately or you can let the fish fight it off if they can or just start over and have the tank go through the nitrogen cycle. If it were me, I'd let the angelfish fight it out and wait. I'm more concerned about getting the tank cycled so you can get new fish.

About ich: Raising the temp speeds the life cycle up. It also needs a host present to do its dirty work. Supposedly, it is always present and has potential. But it will manifest itself when fish are stressed. It's similar to us and catching colds - resistance has to be down. Formaldehyde and dyes will kill the ich, but formaldehyde will also indiscriminantly kill bacteria. Not sure if the dyes kill bacteria, though.

We also have to be sensitive to your daughter's feeling on how to handle it.

 

[EntwinedScylla]

Melafix. Quickly.

 

[JBL]

Quote[/b] (EntwinedScylla @ April 17 2006,12:45)]Melafix. Quickly.

Can I use this with the saline bath?

 

[RamPuppy]

melafix is an intank treatment, a saline bath (hyper salinity) would be more of a 'dip'.

If I were fighting Ich, I would move the angelfish to a quarantine tank, nuke it with copper, and in the mean time, turn up the temp in the main tank (if nothing else is alive in there.)

meanwhile, get a product like Kent's Garlic extreme and soak the angels food in it, this will improve their feeding response and thus their immune system.

Keep in mind that I haven't kept freshwater in a while, and the fixs I reccomend work well with saltwater fish. I think they will carry over to fresh nicely.

 

[JBL]

Thanks Rampuppy. I picked up some Mardel's CopperSafe at the fish store. I took out my anubias on driftwood as a precaution to save the plant. I'll keep all posted. These fish have been through torture (by my ignorance) over the last 10 days and still look happy!

 

[JBL]

Update! After four days with the CopperSafe, the ich spots seem to have mostly gone away. I'll continue to treat for another week. Sadly, the catfish died and I think this was due to not tolerating the meds. All other fish are healthy and active.

 

[jimscott]

At least there is progress! Yeah, catfishes tend to be more sensitive to meds. They usually say to use half strength on them and Tetras.

 

[JBL]

Yup--read that about tetras, but the neons are buzzing around like there's no tomorrow! I'm keeping the anubia on driftwood out of the tank for another week. I'll put it back when I do a water change.

 

[JBL]

I changed 50% of the water today and put the anubias on driftwood back in the tank.  Had to scrub algae off it first--had it under plant lights!  Test strips show a high nitite level, which is to be expected (tank has been running three weeks).  But when I tested again after the water change, the level seemed to be the same.  I think these color tests strips are designed to make you repeatedly check, and buy more strips.  Nitrates are up too, but I understand that they aren't quite as toxic as nitrites, and they should rise if bacteria convert the nitrites, right?  The fish look great and I'll wait for the cycle to complete.

P.S. The last spot of ich disappeared 8 days ago, so I hope I'm ok with changing the water (without the CopperSafe added). Total treatment time was 14 days.

 

[jimscott]

Sounds like things are pointed in the right direction. When ammonia and nitrites are down to safe levels, then it's safe to add new fish. From what I have read, ich is always present in water, but stress is a catalyst for the parasite to take hold.

 

[JBL]

Ugh!  After last water change, both of the GMO danios croaked!  The only thing I can figure is osmotic shock as I did a hefty water change (50%) and used far less of the Bauman's salts than before.  The fish took turns hanging near the bottom with mouths opening and closing rapidly.  The angels snacked on them until I removed them.

The neons and the angels look stronger than ever.  I'll add another cat once the tank cycles.

 

[biggun110]

Hi,

  When you do a water change -- and 50% is fine -- make sure you let the new water hit the water surface as you pour it in to pull O2 into the new water and be sure to de-chlorinate it before adding it to the tank. If you fill a bucket with a hose with the tip of the hose underwater there will be zero dissolved O2 in the new water. Nitrites and nitrates are not really helped by water changes as the bacteria just release more into the new water almost immediately but the fish always love fresh water and water changes will speed the cycle. Make sure you use enough chlorine remover for your area of the country -- ask your LFS -- and watch putting in copper and too many other chemicals as these can reduce O2 in the water. Be sure your outflow on the filter is breaking the surface of the water so it can pull in O2.

Bobby

 

[JBL]

Thanks for that advice Bobby. I'm using mostly bottled RO water and some spring water and pouring above the surface. The angels think they're being fed bloodworms and bite at the water. The nitrite level appears to have dropped and all seems fine.

 

[jimscott]

You could also do as you have with the CP water - plastic milk jugs with water and left to stand, open to the air, so the chlorine evaporates. It wouldn't hurt to have a small tank set up with a sponge filter / pump as an auxiliiary with good bacteria.

 

[JBL]

With the CP I collect rainwater in barrels outside. I suppose I could use it for the fish tank. Would I have to boil it first? My barrels collect a lot of stuff.

 

[prizmbatch]

hey i know this is a little late but the last few months have been awful for my poor fish while i learn about care and all that goes with it. i killed a 75 gal. aguarium with ick feeding feeder fish to my oscars. i have since learned quickly that once you see it start treatment right away, i always did the stuff you buy at the pet stores but always lost fish anyways. the one foolproof method that worked wonders and saved my fish was raise water temp to 80 - 82, my fih are south american and can handle 82 but yours would be safer at 80. then along with the treatment stuff also use aquarium salt as directed and within a week everything should clear up. i just went through this last week with some firemouths and a bicher. i lost 1 firemouth and everything else is symptom free after 5 days of treatment, i was told my bicher which is a bottom feeder like catfish wouldn't do well but has pulled through and is very healthy. i wish i would have seen this earlier sorry for the late response if you have any questions just ask

 

[biggun110]

Hi,

Careful on the RO/rainwater water changes as you are dealing with very soft usually acidic water then and the pet store may be using harder alkaline water. I rapid drop in water softness especially can kill fish by causing water to fill and rupture their cells. Unless your tap water is bad use tap de-chlorined as this is what the store is probably using.


I have used rainwater all my life on fish when breeding soft acid water loving species. Just collect after it has rained for 15 minutes or so, so that the atmosphere is cleared out. Also, your tank will not cycle well if it has soft acid water as ammonia is non-toxic in such water so the processing bacteria never really grow well.

Bobby