Fungal bloom taking over my aquarium?? What is this?!?!

[Delapool]

Sorry have to sign off again - I hope you get a solution.

 

[Fresh2o]

I had a similar experience with a 20 g long FW tank. Luckily I was doing a fishless cycle. Even before dosing with ammonia, it was reading 8+. There was a white slime all over the tank, gravel, and plants. It was clumpy more like bacterial rather than fuzzy/hairy like fungal. Daily 95% WCs did not help; ammonia would go from <1.0 to >8.0 w/in 24 hours. This went on for a few weeks.
Ended up tossing everything including the filter media. Tried to save the plants but did not do a h2o2 dip and whatever it was took residence in the plant holding tank. Cleaned the tank and filter with vinegar and started from scratch. No reoccurrence.
Hope you find a solution.

 

[Abbitha]

The plants holding tank has slime in it too the h2o2 dip didn't work. Perhaps do a longer dip. Idk anymore, really. At this point I just want to quit lol

 

[Mebbid]

Try maracyn plus. It's a fantastic antibiotic that should take it out.

 

[Delapool]

I had a similar experience with a 20 g long FW tank. Luckily I was doing a fishless cycle. Even before dosing with ammonia, it was reading 8+. There was a white slime all over the tank, gravel, and plants. It was clumpy more like bacterial rather than fuzzy/hairy like fungal. Daily 95% WCs did not help; ammonia would go from <1.0 to >8.0 w/in 24 hours. This went on for a few weeks.
Ended up tossing everything including the filter media. Tried to save the plants but did not do a h2o2 dip and whatever it was took residence in the plant holding tank. Cleaned the tank and filter with vinegar and started from scratch. No reoccurrence.
Hope you find a solution.

Yikes! Did it spread/grow rapidly as this?

 

[Fresh2o]

Yikes! Did it spread/grow rapidly as this?

Yes. Started out with milky cloudiness and then on the plants and eventually other surfaces there was a coating. Water cleared up somewhat but the slime persisted. There was a persistent oily surface film and sky high ammonia.

If you search for a thread called "Unknown Ammonia Source", then you will see the gory details of what I went through.

 

[Delapool]

Yes. Started out with milky cloudiness and then on the plants and eventually other surfaces there was a coating. Water cleared up somewhat but the slime persisted. There was a persistent oily surface film and sky high ammonia.

If you search for a thread called "Unknown Ammonia Source", then you will see the gory details of what I went through.

Thanks - wow, can only imagine the stress. Eye-opening.

 

[Abbitha]

I went from crystal clear water and perfect water parameters to this over night (8 hours)

Giving you guys an update. I broke down and purchased bleach and sanitized everything with bleach yesterday and I'm letting it sit out for one more day to dry. And their temp home, I'm no longer seeing slime. The fish are also beginning to look really stressed. Mainly one oto, one guppy, and my neons. Every one else seems okay. The one guppy that is looking stressed was one I got when the aquarium was first set up a couple of years ago. All her other ones from the same group have come and gone and she's still here. She's very old so I hope she makes it. She has come through so many things at the beginning of the tank setup. I got her when someone was getting out of the hobby and he said he had them for about a year. So she has to be a few years old.

Oh and also, I just came home to one of my poor assassin snail dry and stuck to my carpet. It bummed me out and I was hesitant to throw him out so just in case, and it was a long shot because he was bone dry, I threw him in a tiny cup of aquarium water to soak him. And he's alive! I was so happy to see him finally come out! He must've pushed himself back as far as possible into his little shell.

 

[Delapool]

I went from crystal clear water and perfect water parameters to this over night (8 hours)

Giving you guys an update. I broke down and purchased bleach and sanitized everything with bleach yesterday and I'm letting it sit out for one more day to dry. And their temp home, I'm no longer seeing slime. The fish are also beginning to look really stressed. Mainly one oto, one guppy, and my neons. Every one else seems okay. The one guppy that is looking stressed was one I got when the aquarium was first set up a couple of years ago. All her other ones from the same group have come and gone and she's still here. She's very old so I hope she makes it. She has come through so many things at the beginning of the tank setup. I got her when someone was getting out of the hobby and he said he had them for about a year. So she has to be a few years old.

Oh and also, I just came home to one of my poor assassin snail dry and stuck to my carpet. It bummed me out and I was hesitant to throw him out so just in case, and it was a long shot because he was bone dry, I threw him in a tiny cup of aquarium water to soak him. And he's alive! I was so happy to see him finally come out! He must've pushed himself back as far as possible into his little shell.

Good news on the snail!

I found really nothing that can treat it except the antibiotics as suggested.

The only ones I found were to use carbon to remove the organics and/or to add heterotrophic bacteria - I guess a more sedate type (which seemed like fighting fire with fire to me ...). I always thought of aquariums as peaceful environments - live and learn.

 

[Abbitha]

That's the main reason why I love aquariums! They are so peaceful to look at. Unless something like this occurs and then it's more of a nightmare lol that's the main reason why I don't like cichlid set ups because I would stress watching them chase each other and nip. It makes me stressed seeing one stressed haha if I ever get a fish that turns to be aggressive I give him away and get a different one. I'm always shooting for the coexistant personalities! That's why when my husband said to rid the fish too and start from scratch I was just like...NOOO! Finally found the perfect bunch. That's why nothing new has come in because I'd hate to add a nippy angelfish or gourami or something I just hope my angel fish makes it through this and the gourami and betta everything else is easy to replace because those breeds of fish are all naturally peaceful.

I'll be sure to update when I get my aquarium back up and running. Or if anything else surfaces that I need advice on. Thank you guys so much for all the help! Without y'all's encouragement and brainstorming ideas I'd probably just quit. Who knew a tank could crash so fast. Thanks again!

 

[Abbitha]

When should I start seeing the ich come back? I haven't seen any white spots on the fish since moving them to the tote two days ago...

 

[Masha]

When should I start seeing the ich come back? I haven't seen any white spots on the fish since moving them to the tote two days ago...

You might be lucky on that, since you're doing so many water changes, and the parasite is mainly in the water and gravel.

If you've not seen any spots for 2 weeks, that should be it for the ich.

 

[Abbitha]

Do you think it's safe to do two water changes a day? The "slime" seems to make such a quick come back by the next day...

 

[Masha]

Yes. I think it will be fine to do 2 water changes. I think it would be more stressful for the fish if that slime were to take over again.

 

[Abbitha]

It's coming back steadily. Their holding tank has yet to get above ammonia .25ppm. I've been testing twice a day to try and keep them comfortable. I just don't know how to treat the fish with maracyn if I'm going to be so many frequent water changes. How am I to be sure I don't get this stuff in the aquarium when it's back up and running

 

[Masha]

It's coming back steadily. Their holding tank has yet to get above ammonia .25ppm. I've been testing twice a day to try and keep them comfortable. I just don't know how to treat the fish with maracyn if I'm going to be so many frequent water changes. How am I to be sure I don't get this stuff in the aquarium when it's back up and running

That is a good point. The medication has to be in there for a certain period of time, I guess? I would suggest don't feed them the day before you medicate them, or during the time they are being treated. That will help keep the water cleaner. Also I think overdosing with prime will help neutralise the ammonia being produced during that time.

 

[Abbitha]

Yes I've been double dosing with prime and the maracyn says treat day 1,3, and 5 or something along those lines...that's an awfully long time to go without a water change :/

 

[Abbitha]

I basically just did a 75% change so I guess today would be the best day to start. Just not seeing them making it to day 7 with no water changes... I'll just continue doing tests and if it reaches .50 change their water. I'm not too sure lol

 

[Delapool]

I basically just did a 75% change so I guess today would be the best day to start. Just not seeing them making it to day 7 with no water changes... I'll just continue doing tests and if it reaches .50 change their water. I'm not too sure lol

I'd love to know a solution. I tried api nitra-zorb which is meant to remove ammonia, etc but not sure if medicines are also removed. It was hard to tell. It was just a mess in the end, I tried it with/without and still had ammonia up to 1ppm with it. In the end I took it out for a week of treatment. The fish all survived but the bacteria infection was just getting steadily worse after 3 weeks and had to put most neons down.

 

[Mebbid]

I would suggest running some ammonia removal media on there or at the very least daily dosings of prime throughout the treatment.