Columnaris!?!?

[AngelFishGirl]

oh my god PLEASE help me I was just told I have columnaris and that my affected fish are going to die!!! It's affected my two breeding angels that just started breeding yesterday!! PLEASE HELP these are my precious babies please tell me they aren't going to die please I'll do ANYTHING for them!!

 

[AngelFishGirl]

My two breeding angels both have cottonmouth.
Been there since yesterday - maybe a little longer. They just started breeding yesterday tooz

And one other angel has milky white patches that aren't ich on her pectoral fins. Been therefor 2 weeks no improvement - not getting better or worse.

Tank parameters:
Ammonia .50 (mini cycling from a 75% water change done a couple weeks ago)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10-20
PH: don't remember but it's in the high 7's and has been stable.
Temp: 82

Stock:
7x angels
10x red eye tetra
7x diamond tetras (added two days ago - bday present for a friend - rehoming)
2x goldfish - leaving tonight. Added two days ago
1x red tailed shark
2x kissing gourami - leaving soon
1x juvenile Oscar - Walmart rescue - leaving soon
1x Cory cat - leaving soon
3x swordtails
3x mollies
5x platys
2x glass catfish
1x dwarf gourami

 

[Berylla]

Angel, read my post in your other thread.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

Angel, read my post in your other thread.

I did. I was looking for other opinions and hopefully someone who's an expert on this topic.

 

[Berylla]

okey dokey.

 

[Oohitsae]

take my advice in your other thread. I dealt with this plenty of times in my beginner days (and actually dealt with it 2 weeks ago because of poor QT on my part). Nitrofuracin green is also a great medication I forgot to list. It's what I used this last time and it cleared it all up within a week

 

[haleybeth30]

I've dealt with this many times too, and failed. I think partly because I relied on melafix to get rid of infection. IMO it's good as a qt for new fish or helping with healing injured fish.. maybe, but not much else. The medications listed on your other thread are good kanaplex (sp?) methylene blue bath can work to stop infection, but as said is risky. My only other thing to add is that if you change water daily in the qt tank you might reduce the effectiveness of the meds.. However if you treat in your tank you wipe out your cycle =( For future reference, (I got this great advice on this forum) keep a sponge filter in your main tank and if a fishy gets sick grab it out stick it in a tank and you have instant qt. How close is your 10g to cycled?

you could also pm HUKIT, ask him to look at thread, see if he can ID disease from pics and get his advice on treatment, he knows his stuff

 

[5x5]

oh my god PLEASE help me I was just told I have columnaris and that my affected fish are going to die!!! It's affected my two breeding angels that just started breeding yesterday!! PLEASE HELP these are my precious babies please tell me they aren't going to die please I'll do ANYTHING for them!!

Here is what I did for my father's tank about a year ago when he introduced columnaris from a LFS purchase.

1. I lowered the temperature to about 72-73 degrees to slow down the bacterial infection.
2. Dosed the tank with Fungus Clear by Jungle (I think its owned by Tetra these days) following the instructions on the back
3. Added aquarium salt (some columnaris strains cannot survive beyond .5% salt and others around 1%)
4. Repeated step 2 for 3 rounds over a 10 period

He lost 3 fish before treatment started, but once we started all infected fish made a full recovery.

QT practices are important to prevent columnaris from being introduced into an aquarium. Do you know which fish introduced columnaris?

 

[haleybeth30]

Here is what I did for my father's tank about a year ago when he introduced columnaris from a LFS purchase.

1. I lowered the temperature to about 72-73 degrees to slow down the bacterial infection.
2. Dosed the tank with Fungus Clear by Jungle (I think its owned by Tetra these days) following the instructions on the back
3. Added aquarium salt (some columnaris strains cannot survive beyond .5% salt and others around 1%)
4. Repeated step 2 for 3 rounds over a 10 period

He lost 3 fish before treatment started, but once we started all infected fish made a full recovery.

QT practices are important to prevent columnaris from being introduced into an aquarium. Do you know which fish introduced columnaris?

sounds like a great plan to me, 5x5 another "cichlid guy" who knows his stuff =) good luck w your fish!

 

[AngelFishGirl]

HELP GUYS!!! Today when I woke up there's lots of white (sores?) all over their faces!!!!!! And they ate ALL of their eggs except 3!! And the cottonmouth is still there is it columnaris still???

Does that poop indicate anything?? I fed peas last night if that makes a difference...

 

[5x5]

HELP GUYS!!! Today when I woke up there's lots of white (sores?) all over their faces!!!!!! And they ate ALL of their eggs except 3!! And the cottonmouth is still there is it columnaris still???

Does that poop indicate anything?? I fed peas last night if that makes a difference...

It will continue to get worse until you treat it. I gave you the best treatment advice I have. Have you taken any steps yet?

I wouldn't be concerned about the poop right now or the eggs.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

I put Melafix in there and began to lower the temp but that was all I could do last night!

 

[AngelFishGirl]

UGH and of course while all of this is going on i'm pretty sure the Oscar has a problem too because of his poop.... Ignore the white patch under his belly he was a rescued fish from Walmart so I got him torn to shreds like that

 

[5x5]

I put Melafix in there and began to lower the temp but that was all I could do last night!

Lowering the water temp is good. It shouldn't be too hard to get aquarium or kosher salt, that should be your next step. You need salt and the medication asap.

Melafix is completely useless for this application.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

I have salt. What is the dosage for a 55 gallon? Do I add the same amount daily or just once?

 

[5x5]

I have salt. What is the dosage for a 55 gallon? Do I add the same amount daily or just once?

Add 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons slowly over 24 hours. When you do water changes, redose for the water you removed.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

How often should I do water changes? Won't water changes take out medication? (I'm gonna try to pick up medication today)

 

[5x5]

How often should I do water changes? Won't water changes take out medication? (I'm gonna try to pick up medication today)

Water changes are part of the treatment and will be explained in the Fungus Guard instructions.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

Okay. Well I'm not sure what I will have to treat it yet. But thank you

 

[AngelFishGirl]

A website is saying a salt bath would work. Is that safe for angels and effective? Want to double check.