Slime Disease on Tetra?! Help!

[dramafreak21]

I had posted before here: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/bleeding-heart-tetras-very-sick-211531.html#post1981508 so that can give you some background. We did a 40% water change yesterday with Stress Coat Plus. We've only fed a little bit 1 x a day. Ammonia is still at 0.25. We are not treating with Melafix currently, stopping after 3 days and no changes.


On checking my fish today, the little one seems worse. It's not fluffy but seems to be on the body and not IN the body. The little I can find on slime disease, I wonder if this could be what it is? I understand maybe cycling is just affecting this poor fish more than the others but we're feeling helpless and don't know what to do. Could this be slime disease? What treatment could we use? We can't use salt as we have 2 cory catfish. This photo is from today.

 

[pocket22]

It's a 29 gal, u should have cycled it 2-4 weeks.

 

[dramafreak21]

I realize this but what's done is done. I'm trying to figure out what treatment to give my fish to help them. I'm starting to think it might be slime disease and wanting opinions.

 

[Aniistarr]

i think your fish has fungus infection, i am not an expert but my bf used to work at a pet store and he told me how fungus infection looks like so you fish might have that infection. Maybe you need Medications such as Jungle Labs Binox Crystal will treat fungus problems. Here is a link for more info

Fish Fungus

 

[Aniistarr]

i think is a fungus infection.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Fungus is like tufts of white cottony stuff. That looks like a bacterial infection to me.

Bacterial External Infections, Columnaris (specific to F. columnaris); Often Misnamed "Mouth Fungus", Fish Tuberculosis/TB Skin Infection (specific to Mycobacterium spp.)
Pathogen/Cause: Various organisms. Positive diagnosis not possible outside of lab culture & microscopy (not practical for most hobbyists). Gram positive: exceedingly rare in FW fish; small handful of SW species, but most primarily do not attack skin. Gram negative: Flexibacter columnaris, Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., many others not listed. Non-stainable: Mycobacterium spp., mostly M. piscium & M. marinum
Physical Signs: White, clear, red/pink areas of necrosis. Occasionally slightly ragged/fuzzy appearence. Inflammed patches and sometimes deeper ulcers develop. Various patterns of appearence and presentation. Columnaris usually presents near the head and sides of the body and is often mistaken for a fungus; it is characteristically white and patchy.
Behavioral Signs: Various: lethargy, hiding behavior, "hanging", clamped fins, loss of appetite, general constitutional signs.
Potential Treatment: Broad spectrum antibiotics. (Examples include but are not limited to: Maracyn I & II, Jungle Binox, Aquatronics Kanacyn, etc.). Frequent water changes a must to improve quality. Tuberculosis is difficult to treat because it attacks intracellularly.
Other Notes: Frequent water changes a must to improve quality. Test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Columnaris perhaps one of the most common skin infections of pet fish (livebearer fish and certain other fish especially susceptible). Specifically for F. columnaris, read this article by Dr. Barb. Fish tuberculosis (though not transmitted by the same species that causes human tuberculosis) can be transmitted as zoonosis called "fish tank granuloma" on hands with open wounds (again, another article by Dr. Barb discusses this issue. Use gloves if reaching in the tank with suspect animals.

Tropical Fish Disease Identification with pictures and cures.

Btw, the size of the tank has Nothing to do with the time it takes to cycle. There are Many factors.

 

[dramafreak21]

Yeah, it's not cotton tuft like so that's why I thought slime disease. No real different behavior, still eating. But she did bonk into the gravel twice with her nose and into one plant with her side.

Should we go back to treating with Melafix? 3 days did nothing.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Melafix is going to do nothing here. Your going to have to get an antibiotic. Usually one that treats gram negative bacteria is the one to get. Follow the directions and be aware it could knock out your bio filter. Treating in a QT would be better than the main tank.

 

[dramafreak21]

Thank you - that's what I needed to know! Any brands in the US you could recommend?

We do not have a QT tank but are more than willing to get a 10g one. We actually were going to go that route until the pet store person told us it would stress out the fish too much so should just treat the whole tank with Melafix.

If we get the 10g with the heater set up and it's not cycled, is that going to be an issue? Or are we hoping within a few days (even without cycling) the antibiotic could start working?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Thank you - that's what I needed to know! Any brands in the US you could recommend?

We do not have a QT tank but are more than willing to get a 10g one. We actually were going to go that route until the pet store person told us it would stress out the fish too much so should just treat the whole tank with Melafix.

If we get the 10g with the heater set up and it's not cycled, is that going to be an issue? Or are we hoping within a few days (even without cycling) the antibiotic could start working?

Ah now you've found my weakness. I don't live in the US so am only vaguely familiar with medication over there. I have heard of success with Maracyn II. Maybe someone else has a better suggestion?

Sometimes moving the fish for mild things is more stressful but when a fish is very sick the benefits of protecting the other fish in the tank and using less medication in the smaller tank outweighs the risk.

One little fish in a 10g won't produce very much ammonia so cycling won't be an issue. Just keep an eye on ammonia levels and change the water if any shows up.

 

[dramafreak21]

I was just checking out Maracyn 2 and will go pick some up tomorrow morning with the 10g tank. Once temp is up to where it should be, we'll put Baby Spice in there and see how she fares with the Maracyn 2. I'm hopeful now that we have a direction to go in!

You have been so very helpful - I cannot thank you enough!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Glad I helped. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[TheresaMcmurrough]

Thank you - that's what I needed to know! Any brands in the US you could recommend?

We do not have a QT tank but are more than willing to get a 10g one. We actually were going to go that route until the pet store person told us it would stress out the fish too much so should just treat the whole tank with Melafix.

If we get the 10g with the heater set up and it's not cycled, is that going to be an issue? Or are we hoping within a few days (even without cycling) the antibiotic could start working?

If u used old tank water and used some filter media it would kick start your cycle and have less harmful affects on your sick fish. Fresh water is the best thing for sick fish. In this case u need antibiotics but fresh water is always helpful

 

[dramafreak21]

I think the move to the hospital tank killed her Only got one dose of Maracyn 2 and within 4 hours Baby Spice was gone.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm sorry to hear that. The move can be stressful but it was for the best. Keep an eye in all your other fish just in case it was contagious.