Columnaris

[HUKIT]

I have been fighting columnaris for 4 days in my mbuna tank. I have lost the 2 largest male/female kenyi with a 3rd showing signs around his mouth. I'm treating with daily pwc,salt,lowered temps, Maroxy, Maracyn 2, Pimafix and Melafix. How long after treatment begins should i start seeing improvement? I have 20 other fish with no signs of trouble. The Maracyn 2 will cost me over $90.00 to treat the tank over five days which will hurt the checkbook.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Sounds like you're doing what I did, only I also did a daily 50% pwc... It took mine two weeks to get over it... I kept up the treatment for an additional 2 weeks to be sure. IMO, I would ditch the meds and just go with salt, pimafix, and melafix, low 70's on the temp, and daily big water changes... save your money

 

[HUKIT]

Did you lose any fish? The third male kenyi who's showing signs around his mouth is slowing losing his appetite which seemed to be near the end for the other 2 I lost.

I have read your other posts regarding columnaris and was encouraged by the fact you used Pimafix and Melafix which everyone says won't work. I agree the meds are way to expensive. Heck it takes 30 tablespoons of salt to treat the tank daily.

 

[mfdrookie516]

yeah, i have also read/heard that pimafix and melafix are useless for columnaris. I actually spoke with a local african breeder who told me he had cured it for as long as he can remember doing the exact thing I did. The lower temps is a big thing, and the water changes are too. The salt and melafix/pimafix combo is what actually kills the bacteria. I think it may be one of those "YMMV" things. I lost 3 acei (the ones who brought in columnaris... learned my lesson on qt'ing) and a yellow lab. Im pretty sure thats all I lost, though i may have lost a female kenyi too (its been a while, cant remember exactly). Mine did start to look worse before they got better as with most diseases. I bought aq salt from walmart, they forgot to take the take off of their 3 packs, the cashier said since theyre bundled i get them all for the price of one, so i only paid about $3 for 12 school milk carton sized things of salt.

 

[HUKIT]

Thanks Rook...In my 15 years of keeping fish I have never ran into this before.

Two more questions if I may. Do I salt every day after a water change? And I'm seeing a few fish with white stringy poop is this due to the infection or a parasite?

Thanks

 

[mfdrookie516]

Not sure about the poop... I never really payed any attention since I was more worried about the white 'fuzz' on their mouths and bodies. I did salt every day. I used one carton for the initial dose in my 150g (says it does 107 gallons), then I did half a carton with every water change (figuring the rocks took up enough space to offset 20-30g or so). Btw, in case I didnt specify enough, I also dosed the pimafix and melafix every day as well. I got a few of the big bottles at walmart for like $6

 

[HUKIT]

Thanks, I measured out 30 tablespoons of salt that totals 2 cups just seemed like alot to add everyday.

 

[HUKIT]

Came home today to find 2 of my ice blue zebra's dead and 2 more showing signs of stress. This sucks!!!!!!!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

yes, it sucks really bad. I hate it for you too. Just dont lose faith, keep doing your daily treatments. It'll all be over before long

 

[ChileRelleno]

Columnaris is a hardcore nasty pathogen... That sucks, I wish ya luck.

Years ago had it decimate a community tank, nothing stopped it, sterilized the tank afterwards. I'd choose to go nuclear on columnaris now.
<75'F, as much salt as the fish/plants(?) will tolerate (2-3 tblspns per 5gal), and I'd use Maracyn-2.

The familiar and seemingly ubiquitous infections we've named Cotton Mouth, Fin Rot, Body Slime, Saddle back, Cotton Wool, Columnaris & Fungus, are usually the result of one or more, of two types of nasties, either fungal or bacterial in nature.
Both are common in the aquarium, it being a good petri dish, and given the chance they thrive on our fish.
Stress of all kinds, e.g. over crowding, fighting, drastic changes in environment and etc, and injury/illness, leads to suppressed immune systems, thus giving them the chance to take hold.
.......................................

These bacterial infections are the result of gram negative, aerobic, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter and/or Myxobacteria.
Bacterial usually appear as white/gray powder coating, slime and cob webbing, combined with skin/tissue lesions in live tissue.
Effective treatment(s) includes, fix whatever is stressing the fish, good water quality (NO3 below 20ppm), lowering temp to less than 75'F for duration of treatment, Pimafix (mild cases), Salt, Acriflavin (mild cases), Maracyn-2, Kanamycin & Furan-2 and other gram negative specific antibiotics.
Do not use gram positive medications such as Tetracycline, Erythromycin & Melafix.

 

[HUKIT]

yes, it sucks really bad. I hate it for you too. Just dont lose faith, keep doing your daily treatments. It'll all be over before long

Trying to it's heartbreaking to watch the king of the tank rotting away in front of eyes. I hope your right. Thanks.

 

[HUKIT]

Here's 2 pics of the large male infected and slowly getting worse.

 

[HUKIT]

I put the large Kenyi down today when i came home he was in really bad shape. I have 3 three inch fish starting show signs of this but there are 18 other juvies with no signs of distress yet. Seems strange the smaller fish don't seem to be affected at this point(knocking the sh%t out of wood after I said that).

I started using medicated food yesterday but the infected fish refuse to eat. After that starts they seem to go within 2-3 days.

I just have this sinking feeling it's going to decimate the tank.

Does anyone know the lifespan of this disease or does it die when there's no longer a host?

 

[ChileRelleno]

"...Nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." ~ Ellen Ripley

75%+ Water change, dose salt at 2-3tblspn per 5gal, max dose Pimafix, temp 70-72'F and max dose Maracyn-2.
I'd go so far at this point as to dose the Maracyn -2 at 1.5 Xs..... KILL IT!

 

[mfdrookie516]

I agree with ChileRelleno, if funds allow, you might wanna go ahead and go for the maracyn. I guess my experience with it was caught earlier than yours, or wasn't quite as severe. I wish I had better advice to give you, and I hope everything turns out ok for ya.

 

[HUKIT]

I spoke to a local breeder that has had some good sucess with Jungles fungus clear so I dosed that tonight. I will check tomorrow if to see if there is any progression in the disease. The Marcyn 2 will get very expensive but cheaper than new stock.

Do you have any idea why only the adults are being affected?

 

[HUKIT]

Lost 2 more today...There is only one left showing signs around his mouth. The stange part the red zerba and ice blue zebra showed no signs of columaris when I inspected their bodies.

 

[HUKIT]

"...Nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." ~ Ellen Ripley

75%+ Water change, dose salt at 2-3tblspn per 5gal, max dose Pimafix, temp 70-72'F and max dose Maracyn-2.
I'd go so far at this point as to dose the Maracyn -2 at 1.5 Xs..... KILL IT!

Started the Maracyn 2 today as well. Temp already 72 degrees,50% daily water change,2 tlbs of salt, and Pimafix and Melafix.

Also by far the best alien movie...I hope I don't have to yell " game over man " - Cpl Hicks

 

[HUKIT]

Today was the first day in the last week with no casualties. The only fish left showing signs is my largest red zebra that I don't believe will be around much longer but the other 16 fish are eating and active. I hope this is the end of Columnaris 2010!

Thanks to mfdrookie516 and ChileRelleno for the advice.

 

[HUKIT]

Well I lost 13 fish in all but I'm no longer seeing any symptoms on the remainder of the heard. How should I keep the temps at 72 for? How long should I keep treating the tank? How long before my quarentined fish are added?