Is this fungus?

[Angela1108]

I am a little stumped. We went on vacation - just 4 days so we didn't bother with a dissolvable feeder or anything. When we came home 3 of our fish had a tiny bit of white fluffy looking stuff on them. They have no signs of anything else- no clamping fins, not lethargic, no heavy breathing and eating fine. It doesn't look like ick/white spot to me either.

Here is my Roseline shark- I got the best picture of him


I've started primafix and raises the temp in the aquarium a bit.

I was wondering if there is anything else you guys might suggest or if you think I am wrong about it being fungal.

Nitrite and ammonia were 0. I was thinking of doing a water change but primafix says to do 7 days if treatment and then do a water change


Also the other two fish that visibly have it are an Australian rainbow and a black skirt tetra so it isn't just one species of fish. I've been treating the whole tank as multiple fish have it and also because I don't have a qt big enough for the Roseline anymore as he has severely outgrown the qt we had

Thanks guys!


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[Angela1108]

In the pic it is on his back between the fin and tail fin. That white looking stuff. I know it isn't the greatest pic but he is flying around the tank


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[anteatergoanna]

Do they have any white spots like salt grains on them anywhere? I'm thinking maybe Ich. Hopefully someone else with more experience will chime in.


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[dcutl002]

What is your NITRATE level?


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[Delapool]

Is it around the top fin in all the fish? Other option is columnaris

Edit - is the colour of the infection consistently white?

 

[Angela1108]

Hi guys. It is definitely not ich. Not salt looking at all. And not spreading. Using the pimafix and melafix has actually cleared up the black skirt tetra and the Australian rainbow.

The Roseline shark looks a little better. The part near his tail is almost cleared and the part by his fin is a little better.

I thought col. For a while too but no clamping fins no other weird behavior still.

I ran out of nitrate tester. So I wi probably go to my lfs and have then do a water test for me.

I've only had this tank for about two months. I got it off of Craig's list from some one who was moving and couldn't keep the tank. I am pretty sure that it had old tank syndrome. The nitrate level was through the roof when I got it. Last I had checked it was down to 50 (right before vacation so about a week ago) it was around 120 when I got it. She gave us everything and there was t a gravel cleaner so I suspected that she never did correct water changes or changes at all. I've been doing water changes every few days with the new gravel cleaner since I got it- no major water changes because I didn't want to shock them. I will try and get another pic of the Denison since he is the only one who still has anything

Also it is an old tank. The clown loaches are about 3-4 inches each. She said she got then when they were tiny. Same with the Denison/Roseline and he is like 4 inches now


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[Angela1108]

The scales don't look lifted like col. Just white fuzzy.




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[Angela1108]

Yes it is always white. And on the other fish it wasn't always around the fin. The black skirt it was on his side.


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[Angela1108]

Do you think I should just get something to treat col.? I have some clown loaches in there which can be sensitive to stuff.


Which approach would you guys suggest? I know gram negative/antibiotics but which one would be the gentlest with the loaches?


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[Angela1108]

Just checked the nitrates. They tested at 40. So I know it is bordering on high but not crazy out if control


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[Noviceafter2yea]

Just checked the nitrates. They tested at 40. So I know it is bordering on high but not crazy out if control


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Can you quarantine the affected fish and treat them more aggressively? I think one of my fish had columnaris a while back. My entire tank was wiped out except for the sick fish. I ended up having to buy a new glass part and start from scratch because my water was so screwed at that point. Let someone else identify the illness for you because I am far from expert.

 

[Angela1108]

Not really. I could. But the tank I have is far far too small for him. (He is about 4 inches) I've only ever had issues with my guppies so just used a small 1 gallon.

What boggles my mind about this is there are no other signs and the Pima and mela worked on the one other fish that had signs :/

I think that would stress him out and counteract everything


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[Delapool]

Hi guys. It is definitely not ich. Not salt looking at all. And not spreading. Using the pimafix and melafix has actually cleared up the black skirt tetra and the Australian rainbow.

The Roseline shark looks a little better. The part near his tail is almost cleared and the part by his fin is a little better.

I thought col. For a while too but no clamping fins no other weird behavior still.

I ran out of nitrate tester. So I wi probably go to my lfs and have then do a water test for me.

I've only had this tank for about two months. I got it off of Craig's list from some one who was moving and couldn't keep the tank. I am pretty sure that it had old tank syndrome. The nitrate level was through the roof when I got it. Last I had checked it was down to 50 (right before vacation so about a week ago) it was around 120 when I got it. She gave us everything and there was t a gravel cleaner so I suspected that she never did correct water changes or changes at all. I've been doing water changes every few days with the new gravel cleaner since I got it- no major water changes because I didn't want to shock them. I will try and get another pic of the Denison since he is the only one who still has anything

Also it is an old tank. The clown loaches are about 3-4 inches each. She said she got then when they were tiny. Same with the Denison/Roseline and he is like 4 inches now


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Go melafix and pimafix! Somewhat surprised but good news it is working. Are you dosing as per instructions?

I have used tripple sulpha with loaches without issue but haven't tried anything else.

 

[Mama Karoti]

If I were you, I would press pause on the medication and do some more water changes like you have been doing to get the nitrates down further. It may go away on its own. If not, then try meds.

I got behind on weekly water changes and my platy developed a similar white patch. I don't use pima/melafix because I have a labyrinth fish. I stepped up the water changes and it went away on its own in just a few days.


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[Angela1108]

Hmm ok. I will try that. I hate adding anything so that's why I had just done the Pima and mela. A little bit more natural. It just seems weird. The whiteness isn't matching anything completely.



I think maybe I will ramp up the water changes to like one every couple days. Like I said I think the tank has old tank syndrome and I don't want to shock them/change the parameters too much. I know a huge clean can be just as drastic and harmful as letting it go completely.


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[Angela1108]

Dela- I was doing the pima and mela as instructed on the bottle. Monday would be the 7th dose so Tuesday would be water change. (Bottle of pima said no changes until after the 7th day)


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[Angela1108]

Update: today the Denison/Roseline looks a lot better I think. The spots are still there but are smaller especially the one near his tail


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[Delapool]

Dela- I was doing the pima and mela as instructed on the bottle. Monday would be the 7th dose so Tuesday would be water change. (Bottle of pima said no changes until after the 7th day)


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Thanks for the update. Pima and mela I find are more for low level infections but have seen posts with spectacular wins with them as well. It seems there is little research - they either work really well or don't. I've had luck using it when the fish are off but no luck treating serious fungal or chronic columnaris infections. On use to date I find it needs to be well mixed with water before adding as I've lost otherwise healthy fish to it. This is just my observations on it to date - something of a hobby so I appreciate the information post.

The link below also has a link to melafix.


http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Pimafix

 

[Angela1108]

I think I caught it really early which helped. I am going to continue with it tonight and tomorrow I am going to do the water change and see what happens.

I might add some more if it stays the same/doesn't help and if it gets worse with the "skip day" I will probably consider a different treatment- only because it is only a week.




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[Delapool]

I think I caught it really early which helped. I am going to continue with it tonight and tomorrow I am going to do the water change and see what happens.

I might add some more if it stays the same/doesn't help and if it gets worse with the "skip day" I will probably consider a different treatment- only because it is only a week.




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That is good news

That's where I've found it most successful (I should clarify) in early cases. I was using at very first sign when fish was no longer schooling/eating but no problems really showing or just a little.