Red Platy still sick (pics)

[nsx]

Hi all,

I thought my Red Platy had fungus when large white spots (too large to be ich) appeared on her tail about a month ago, so I medicated with Waterlife Protozin. That seemed to get rid of most of it, and I followed that treatment with TetraMedica Fungistop. After I stopped the medication, about a week later, the large white spots came back, so I medicated again with Waterlife Protozin, but this time they aren't really going away. So, I'm wondering if it's really fungus now. Any idea what this may be? Also, during the initial symptoms a month ago, she lost some scales on her left side, and they never grew back. The spots are on the top part of the tail.

 

[Maillis]

Hard to say from your picture but it looks like it may be columnaris, it's a bacterial infection that looks like fungus. Try using Maracyn or Kanacyn to treat it.

 

[Menagerie]

Hey nsx! It sounds like you need to go with more of an antibiotic as suggested by Maillis.

 

[nsx]

Hey nsx! It sounds like you need to go with more of an antibiotic as suggested by Maillis.

Yeah, from reading other posts, it seems like the likes of Kanacyn, Maracyn, and Maracyn-2 are the next weapons in the medicine arsenal. Unfortunately, I don't think they're available here. I'm having one pack of each brought in, and they should arrive in a couple weeks. Let's hope that the Platy can hold on until then. She's showing a bit of improvement after 3 days of treatment with Protozin.

 

[Menagerie]

Geez, I am surprised there is no comparable products over there!! I will keep my fingers crossed for your platy--it's been a trooper so far!

 

[nsx]

Geez, I am surprised there is no comparable products over there!! I will keep my fingers crossed for your platy--it's been a trooper so far!

Well, I haven't looked specifically for Kanacyn or Maracyn, but when I was shopping for meds last time, I don't remember seeing anything like the pictures online of those products. I'll have to see if I can drop by a few of the local LFS and take a look.

On the other hand, it seems that since fish are so cheap, meds aren't viewed as important as they are in North America. A Red Platy costs the equivalent of something like 50 or 60 cents (US$) each. Hence, several people have asked me why I'm spending 30x that amount on various meds to to try and save one 60 cent fish. :?

BTW, what is the difference between Maracyn and Maracyn-2? Do they complement each other, or is Maracyn-2 an updated version of the original?

 

[Menagerie]

I ran across this and wondered if it would help:
http://www.everythingfishy.com/med_info.html

Maracyn 2 is Minocycline.
Maracyn is Erythromycin.
I need to do more research on the subject myself

 

[Menagerie]

http://www.mardel-labs.com/mardel/f_amedi.html

Maracyn: Antibiotic (Erythromycin) tablets recommended for the treatment of body fungus, fin and tail rot, popeye and gell disease.

Maracyn-Two: Antibiotic (Minocycline) tablets recommended for the treatment of popeye, gill disease, fin and tail rot, ddropsy, septicemia, secondary and internal infections.

http://www.aquarium.net/996/996_1.shtml

ERYTHROMYCIN: A broad antibiotic produced by Streptomyces and used against gram-positive and a certain few gram-negative bacteria.

Hmmm, that's all I have right now.

 

[Menagerie]

OH!!! I was just rereading http://www.everythingfishy.com/med_info.html and found this (I don't know how I missed it the first time):

One product may not treat all the fishes' problems, but all of the Mardel products (Maroxy, Maracyn, Maracyn 2 and Coppersafe) can be used together without negative drug interactions. Using more than one antibiotic or anti-fungal product in the same tank at the same time, or as a followup, may damage your tank's biological filter.

 

[nsx]

So, I was able to find something that looks like a generic version of Maracyn/Maracyn2, and I'm trying it out now.

http://www.azoo.com.tw/azoo_en/modules.php?name=Product_Review&bkid=295

After 2 days, looks like most of the fungus like stuff is gone, but she's still not eating.

In addition, my 3 Panda Cories have joined the platy in QT, because they have barbel damage, and were being terrorized by the Tiger Barbs while in their weakened state. It's not just one nasty Tiger Barb either. I had to act quick to get the Panda Cories out of there when I saw them being chased around by 3-5 Tigers at a time! 8O :? By the time I noticed, one of them had pretty much lost all of its barbels, and large portions of its tail and fins. It seems to be doing better in QT though, although the lost bits have yet to grow back. Since I saw elsewhere in the forum that barbel damage is often caused by bacteria, the Azoo antibacterial tabs that I'm treating the Platy with should be good.

Strangely enough, the Albino Cories seem largely unaffected.

 

[Menagerie]

nsx, when are you going to catch a break?? How many barbs are in the tank? I forgot--how big is the tank?
The barbels will grow back with time. Keep an eye on the little guys, to loose fins, barbels and overall getting tormented, they may be in a little shock!

 

[nsx]

Well, this just got more interesting. The sick Platy just dropped fry. So, I now have 7 Red Platy fry to join the mother and 3 Panda Cories in QT. I don't think there's any way around it now, I'm going to have to buy another tank to use as a nursery tank, because I don't think the fry will survive the med regimen that the QT tank has been going through. I've removed all the meds for now. Sigh....I told myself only one tank, and now I'll be looking for my 3rd. Not worried about the mother eating the fry, since she doesn't eat much of anything these days. Doesn't look like the Pandas are interested in eating fry either. For now, I've moved one of my plants over to QT too, in order to give the fry more places to hide.

As for my main tank, it's a planted 10 gallon, which will be upgraded probably to a 30 when I move to a larger place in a couple months. Actually, Maybe I'll just get the 30 now, and make the 10 the nursery tank.

Have 4 Tiger Barbs and 2 Albino Tiger Barbs in there (all juvenile).

Fishing one of the 7 fry out of the filter was an adventure too. I've got a sponge over the filter intake now.

 

[Menagerie]

AH...fry! Wow, things did just get more interesting. You might as well get that 30 gal
Good call on the sponge! I use them in my sand substrate tanks, one of which is housing brichardi fry.

 

[nsx]

I'm down to 4 fry now, but that's to be expected, since I'm not really giving them any special care except feeding them fry food, and 50% daily water changes. Not sure where the missing ones are though. Maybe the Panda Cories suddenly decided that Platy fry were tasty snacks. The mother is starting to pick at food again, so maybe she's the culprit.

Anyway, so, I'm on my way to work this morning, and my nursery tank problem is solved!! The trash bins for our complex are next to the elevator, and looks like someone was moving and throwing stuff out, and sitting on top of the trash bin is what looks like a 3-5 gallon fishbowl in perfect condition. I'm gonna wash it out, and use it as the nursery tank. I guess I have to get a sponge filter for it, since it's gonna be hard to use an HOB on a bowl. Unless there is a better way to filter a bowl.

 

[Menagerie]

After you clean out the bowl, make sure it holds water A sponge filter will be the way to go, but now you need to see how you are going to heat it.

 

[nsx]

Yeah, I was thinking it might not hold water, so this morning, before I left for work, I filled it and stuck it in the bathroom. So far so good. I was wondering how I'd heat it too. That's not as critical right now, because it's summer, and the ambient temperature in the room will keep the water temperature about 78.8. So, I'm good to go for the next few months. Can't a normal heater be used in a fishbowl? It's actually quite a large bowl, and I'm thinking one of the short 50W heaters should do the trick.

 

[Menagerie]

I guess. I never tried to heat a fish bowl. You want to make sure when you do use a heater that water is able to circulate around it and you don't have a warm spot in the tank.

That's not as critical right now, because it's summer, and the ambient temperature in the room will keep the water temperature about 78.8.

*sigh* It snowed three days ago

 

[nsx]

Got the Maracyn and Maracyn 2 last week, and just administered the first dose of Maracyn 2 now. Let's hope this gets the Platy to start eating again, although she must be eating something, because she is still generating waste. Strange, because she doesn't touch the food I give her, and hours later, it's still on the bottom of the tank. She's also really skinny. The fishbowl is set up and running as the hospital tank. It's a 3 gallon, and has a sponge filter. Amazingly, it has fully cycled in just 4 days, probably because there was only one Platy in there. I didn't feel comfortable administering the meds until it was fully cycled. The Azoo anti-bacteria capsules that I administered 2 weeks ago seemed to have taken care of the fungus like growths on the tail.

The previous QT Tank is now the nursery/Cory recovery tank. Turns out there are actually 5 fry. I've been feeding them frozen Baby Brine Shrimp several times a day (The Cories seem to love the BBS too!). One of them doesn't seem to be growing though, and is only about 1/2 the size of the other 4. I found one of the other fry dead in the filter. Not sure how it got sucked in though. That only leaves one fry unaccouted for. Now, it looks like one of the other Platy's is ready to burst. So, maybe more fry on the way! Whee!!

I lost the Panda Cory that was the farthest gone a couple days ago , but the other 2 are looking better now . One of the Albino Cories just joined the Panda Cories and Platy fry, because it looked like his tail was getting nipped.

 

[nsx]

Yay! The Platy is all well now! Looks like the Maracyn 2 did the trick. The scales that she lost haven't grown back yet, but I guess that kind of stuff takes time. She's rejoined the main tank, and is eating like a pig again, and swimming around vigorously.

One of the other Platies gave birth, so I now have 20+ fry in the nursery tank. Of the original first batch of fry, there are 4 left, and are getting quite large now at 3 weeks old. You don't realize how fast they grow until you put them next to newborns.

Now, a third Platy looks like she's ready to drop too!

 

[Menagerie]

Wow, nsx!! Looks like things are finally going well for you! What are you going to do with all the fry?