cotton type stuff in guppies back.

[Keepers_girl]

I just got up and took a look at my guppy...she is the only one in the 10gal now after I removed the smaller one. The smaller one was nipping at her top fin constantly. Well, now my large guppy has a cotton like substance on her back and I have no idea what it is. I don't have a digital camera, otherwise I would take a picture.

Any ideas????

 

[Menagerie]

Possibly fungus or a bacterial infection.
Take a look through these:
http://www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#ich
http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm
http://www.everythingfishy.com/med_info.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health.htm
http://www.aquatronicsonline.com/hobbyist/hobbyist3.htm

 

[Keepers_girl]

it looks just like fungus.; If I administer meds in the tank she is already in, will it kill my good bacteria in the filter? I don't have a QT tank yet

There are no other fish in with her

 

[Menagerie]

Any meds that kill fungus will kill the bacteria. Keep in mind that bacterial infections can look like fungus.

 

[Keepers_girl]

ackk!!! She was attacked in the same area yesterday. Is it more likely to be a Bacteria infection? Should I invest in a QT tank today and treat for Bacteria and if there is no improvment, treat for fungus? This is my first experience with a *sick* fish.

Also, a QT tank includes about a 5-10gal tank, filter and heater right? What media should go in the filter?

Thanks Menagerie for the help so far

 

[Menagerie]

Since she is the only one in the tank and the tank is only 10 gals--treat in the tank, just check to see that the meds do not stain the sealant--only some do.
I will guess that it is bacterial since an area was exposed.

There is an article on QT tanks in the Articles section--the brief description from me would be 5 gals, 25 watt heater and small HOB filter with whatever media comes with it. If it is used with meds (hospital tank), you will loose all bacteria and will need to be doing frequent water changes anyway. If you use it as QT tank for new fish before adding them to the maimain tankse some established filter media or do a squeezing from the established filter to the QT filter.
Back to the ill fish--get a med to treat a bacterial infection, follow directions and watch your fish get well (hopefully).

 

[Burkey]

Hi Keepers_Girl
We are have a similar problem with a black mollie. And, interesting, we had just added a smaller lyratail mollie who also has nibbling on the back of our now infected fish. We placed the black mollie in a "hospital tanka and are treating for cotton fungus with "Fungus Guard" from Jungle. So, if that's the only fish in your tank I would begin treatment immediatlely. BTW, salt allegedly helps too. Good luck.

 

[Burkey]

By the way, should we not have a fungus problem what should be used for a bacterial infection?

 

[Burkey]

By the way, should we not have a fungus problem what should be used for a bacterial infection?

 

[Keeper]

By the way, should we not have a fungus problem what should be used for a bacterial infection?

Most fungus meds will help with bacteria as well! How is your treatment going?

 

[Burkey]

Not real well or, if I stay in the positive, very slowly. Re-treated with 100% water change in a small approx. 1 gal. hospital tank. Salt now being added.

 

[Keeper]

I do know tha tkeepers_girl has been dosing with salts and mela fix and things are starting to look a bit better. Hopefully all works out for you!

 

[Burkey]

What's mela fix? We're new to this and I haven't seen that in the Fish supply area of our local store.

 

[Keeper]

Mela Fix is a antibacterial/fungus remedy from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. It seems to be working wonders in her tank

 

[Menagerie]

Burkey, do you have a heater in your tank? How often are you doing water changes?

 

[Burkey]

Yes, we have a heater in the mian tank - we keep it around 76* F. We do a 25% water change every week. In the hospital tank we are changing the water daily as well as treating for the fungus. We ordered Mela FIx this morning. Hopefully it will arrive on time.

 

[Burkey]

Yes, we have a heater in the mian tank - we keep it around 76* F. We do a 25% water change every week. In the hospital tank we are changing the water daily as well as treating for the fungus. We ordered Mela FIx this morning. Hopefully it will arrive on time.

 

[Burkey]

Oops. Sorry about the double post. Our isp is not running well today. An since I'm posting again - We're noticing that the newest fish to the tank a lyratail mollie continues to "nibble" at the remaining mollie. Gotta' wonder if the sick black mollie got an infection from the nibbling.

 

[Menagerie]

Quite possibly a bacterial infection. If the QT/hospital tank is not heated, the fish will be further stressed and not able to cope with the infection.

 

[Burkey]

Hospital tank is unheated internally but located fairly near a heater. We'll measure the temp in there. Thanks again for the tip.
. . . David