Fungus?

[GeekLikeThat]

Newly cycled (1 week) and I added some fish. Bentos tetras and harlequin rasboras. Water has been at 78F, 0 amm, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, ph 7.6 for the entire time. A few rasboras quickly developed fungus on their backs (they didn't look great in the store), so I moved all of them to a QT and medicated with API Fungus Cure. Not a single one of them made it.

I've been watching the tetras and they seem fine, but I am noticing some white "fuzz" on several pieces of decor. I am not sure if this is fungus or what it is, or if I should do anything about it. Here is a pic.

I'm worried about the tetras. I don't know if I am imagining things, but there might be a white spot near the mouths of a couple. So hard to tell as they won't sit still. I dosed the tank with Melafix last night. What should I do, if anything?

 

[Fishfur]

Whitish fuzz or film on things like wood is normal, and snails, among some other things, will eat it. You can wash it off but it probably will come back. Once the tank's been running awhile it goes away usually on it's own whether you do something or not.

White spots can be signs of ich. Look up ich and see if it corresponds to the description.. they look like tiny grains of salt, more or less, if it is ich. There's a great article here, that explains it better than I can. I'll just go find it.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php, says it all better than I could.

Fungal infections all by themselves are not that common in fish. But you do see them if a fish is wounded as secondary infections. In future, if fish don't look great in the store, don't buy them.. as you learned, the extra stress of moving to a new tank can be too much if they are already in poor condition.

 

[GeekLikeThat]

Thanks Fishfur, that is a great article. I am pretty sure ich isn't what killed the rasboras. It looked exactly like what every picture of body fungus I've seen. And since this fuzz in the pic started showing a few days after they went in the tank, I had a bit of a panic moment this morning.

I'm going to check on the tetras when I get home and see. If I wasn't seeing things this morning what they have looks more like columnaris/mouth fungus. I'm also going to do a good water change, prob 40% or so and vacuum thoroughly. The tetras have been in for five days now.

And yes, I will listen to my instincts a lot more when in the fish store and not bring my 7-year-old, she egged me on to get the "pretty rasboras" when I wavered about them.

 

[Fishfur]

Ah, yes, the please, can we have the pretty fish problem. I am not entirely sorry I'm childless. Cats, on the other hand, never want to go shopping .

Columnaris is one I've never had to deal with, thankfully. Hope that's not the problem.

 

[GeekLikeThat]

There are definitely white spots on the tetras. Four or five of the eight have small white patches under their mouth. It is small enough that I cant really tell exactly what it is. It definitely protrudes from their "chin" area. Kind of looks like they have small beards. There are no other white spots on them anywhere.

Here is the best pic I could get as they like to hang out in the dark corners whenever I come near the tank. You can see the white right under his mouth.

Based on what I have read, it looks like columnaris and the Melafix isn't going to help. I am probably going to get some Maracyn 2 tomorrow unless anyone has a different suggestion. Thanks.

 

[HN1]

There is little chance of cycling within a week. You are effectively cycling with fish. I would stop trying to chase symptoms and cure the underlying problem.

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice
Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

 

[GeekLikeThat]

Thank you, but the tank was fully cycled over the prior six weeks. It was processing 4ppm ammonia to 0 with 0 nitrites in 24 hrs. It has been a week since the cycle finished and five days since I added the tetras. Ammonia and nitrite have been at 0 the entire time.

 

[HN1]

"It has been a week since the cycle finished and five days since I added the tetras.

So, you added fish two days after the "cycle was complete"? What does ammonia test at now?

 

[GeekLikeThat]

Ammonia is at 0 and has not moved since the fish were added. Nitrites have been steady at 0, and nitrates have gone up. I followed all the steps on the Almost Complete Fishless Cycle thread right up through the 24 hr test, so I am confident it was cycled correctly.

 

[haleybeth30]

Some treat with maracyn and maracyn 2, I think, to cover all the bases. I can tell you have done your homework. Maracyn 2 is an effective med, so I've read. Good luck!