Eye fungus

[Karackle]

Hello hello,

I'm sure there are many a thread on fungus and the best way to cure it and I will do research tomorrow, right now it is late though and i just have one quick question. I have a female platy with some fungus on her eye. I noticed it a few days ago, but i know on of the best ways to get rid of diseases is pristine water, so I did a water change and kept an eye on her. The fungus looked like it was getting better yesterday but today it looks worse. I gently removed her from the tank and put her in my Bettas old 2 gallon home with a small filter and some extra anachris that i pulled from my 20g (her home) I added a teeny bit of fungus cure.

My question: is this an ok option? or would i be better off putting her back in the 20 where she came from?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Zagz]

Usually whitish coating over the eyes is a bacterial infection rather than a fungus. If it isn't cottony and white, and if water changes aren't getting rid of it on it's own I would try a broa spectrum antibiotic rather than an antifungal medication. Do a water change in the QT tank to remove most of the fungal meds and use an antibiotic.

If it is cottony and white then it is a fungal infection and you should continue to treat with anti fungal meds. Can you get a pic at all?

 

[Karackle]

It is or at least started out Cottony and white, i will try to get a pic but I'm not sure i'll be able to, for now i guess i will continue treating with anti-fungal meds though.

 

[Karackle]

Well I tried to do a little research on fungus's and what not but there's SO much information, the only thing I came across that i had never heard was a thread on disease cures and using H202 (hydrogen peroxide) as an anti-fungal? does anyone know anything about this? and how effective it is? and how to do it?

Also, here's a couple pictures of her eye. I'll try to get a better one later....it looks like she's got a loose scale on her upper side (the lower one is a white spot)

thanks!

 

[pitt420dude]

Ugh, sorry to hear that your fish is in pain OP, I hope it gets better. Is it getting picked on or bullied?

 

[Karackle]

thanks. No she wasn't as far as i can tell, just started developing a fungus on her eye, could have been a run in with someone or something and an opportunistic infection, she seems to be doing quite well, possibly a little unhappy about her smaller surroundings, still eating etc. She just has a puffy eye....i hope she gets better!

 

[Zagz]

Keep treating with the antifungal meds. Also make sure there is no active carbon in the filter.

 

[Karackle]

Well, the fungus is starting to go away! The eyes on both fish are starting to look clearer. It's been 4+ days (I'm using Jungle Fungus cure and the directions say 4 days, then a water change and if there's still fungus you can redose) I was wondering though whether it might be a better idea since the fungus us clearing to switch to a salt treatment since the salt helps more with regeneration and healing as well as an anti-fungal? Or stick with what's working and give them the salt as a healing aid once the there are no more signs of fungus? Any and all advice is welcome.

Stats:
There are currently 2 mollies QT'd in a ~1.5g tank that used to house my Betta before he got upgraded to my 5g (it was the only thing i had available for QT) It has filtration (small world UGF) and I've been doing daily PWC and adding more Fungus clear instead of leaving it for 4 days before PWC.

Thanks!

 

[Karackle]

Thanks everyone again for all of the advice! The fungus looks like it's totally cleared from both fish and they are healing nicely. I'll leave them in the saltier water to heal for a few more days before putting them back in the big tank.

When it is time to put them back in the big tank, should I drip acclimate them back to their old tank water? Or float them and add a cup of water every ~15 minutes? Or just dump them back in? (i assume not the latter).

Any and all advice, as always, is welcome and appreciated!

THANKS!

 

[Zagz]

Glad to hear he is better. I would float them and ad tank water to their bag or bucket whichever you are going to use. Drip acclimation should not be necessary if the temps are the same.

 

[Karackle]

Ok thanks! I figured drip acclimation would probably be a little bit of overkill, but it never hurts to ask! Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[Karackle]

My platys seem to be fungussy again. The one that was really fungussy on the eye has fungus thee again, the other seems to have gotten fungus on his lip, and maybe starting in the eye again, and the third one has seemed lethargic, sitting on the bottom a lot, so i've isolated all 3 (i'll be doing LOTS of water changes to keep the ammonia down). I put them in the 1+gallon tank i used last time (might be time to upgrade my iso tank) this time i was equipped with PimaFix, so i dosed with that as well as some extra salt.

Everyone else in the tank looks happy and healthy with no sign of disease, tank parameters are normal, aside from a slightly low, but stable pH. (by normal i mean ammonia = 0, nitrIte = 0, nitrAte ~15, pH ~6.0) Perhaps i caught it too late last time and they just can't fight it off?

I'll keep an eye on them and see if i can't get them healthy again. It might be time to run to PetSmart and grab a 10g tank and filter to use as a hospital tank.....or to upgrade my 5g and use the 5 as the hospital tank...heeheehee __________________

 

[Karackle]

Alas...I lost my platys. Everyone in the main tank is still in good shape so far though, so that, at least, is promising. I think my slightly more aggressive treatment plan was possibly too aggressive, or the water temp was too cold, or that the fungus just got the best of my poor little fish...sigh...thanks for all the advice!

 

[Zagz]

So sorry for your loss. I do agree though that another tank would be a good idea. Not that I promote MTS, LOL.

 

[Karackle]

Zagz - Thanks so much for the kind words and for your help!
Losing fish is probably the hardest part of the hobby, but unfortunately it does happen, and while I may be new to planted tanks, and new to forums where I've learned so much and more about how to care better for my tanks, I have been keeping fish on and off my whole life, so I am well aware of the ups and downs, i'm happy my original treatment gave the fish a few more weeks, and i'll just have to look at it that way.
In other news, I do believe it's time to think about a better QT setup, though i do fear i'll simply set it up as a new tank! hahaha But I think an actual tank (as opposed to a 1g bowl) with a heater and a filter will be much better as a QT setup, perhaps just one of those plastic "critter carriers" would do the trick, but keep me from setting it up as a real tank haha or if I see a tank kit on sale perhaps that would work. I'll have to do some shopping and just hope the rest of my fish stay happy and healthy in the mean time!