what would you do ? I need sugestions. help )))))))))))))))) !!

[grannylvsfish]

My cories are sick, I believe cotton mouth though only one has the signs the other 3 are listless and just laying on the bottom to.
here is my questions........

1. do i follow what the web says and destroy them?
2. keep treating the whole tank?


I have done a 30% water change yesterday.

3. do I keep doing them or just not, and let the meds work?

4. If you say I should do daily water changes do I just keep adding the meds over and over?

I am so sorry, but I am so confused. I read many places on the web that say this is pretty hopeless. I cvan not find anything local to treat besides pimafix, and melafix, and maracyn.

I will treat today when I can find the Maracyn, this to may be hard to find. :(
Please can you help me ?? I am so sad for my cories, but I now worry about my bristlenose pleco's in there . and my snails.

[Carp37]

I'd do as Barbie suggested on your other thread- keep up the water changes every day (I'd do more than 30% personally) don't feed much if anything, the corys might still pull through, as fungal infections are normally a sign of deteriorating water conditions.

[Barbie]

If you can't find maracyn, talk to a local vet and see if he'll prescribe cephalexin. I dosed 250mg/10 gallons with a 40% water change daily with great results on some altum angels that were struggling with fin decay issues on arrival. Why you're supposed to euthanize fish rather than try to treat them in a quarantine tank is beyond me. It may not work, but what have you got to loose? As I said before, you already know you had fouled your tank. Now you have them in a clean tank (with a cycled filter I hope!), and you're going to be keeping the conditions optimal. If you clear up the source of the infection, and give them the antibiotics needed to cure what they've already got, the prognosis should be good.

Barbie

[grannylvsfish]

I did another water change, and yes my tank is all clean. gravel all clean to!! tank has been running on pristine conditions for 2 years. what the food was is food I fed not realizing they were already sick and did not eat it. I did not know they were sick as they hide in there home a lot. I have ceflexin !! will this harm my other fish, or my snails? plants? biological ?
No Maracin, no where in town :(
I am so appreciative of you guys and your help !!

and I read on the web several places that usually always cotton mouth is fatal, and that treatng would in most cases not work. thats why I am here to get your help!

[lucy42083]

You're sure it's cotton mouth? I believe Columnaris (cotton mouth) is actually bacterial, although it looks like a fungus. I don't know anything about ceflexin, but generally antibiotics are recommended to treat it, or I've heard copper, but using that comes with it's own drawbacks that would make me hesitate to use it. Sorry I can't help any more than that, I hope you have some luck treating the tank!

[msjinkzd]

I would still recommend removing the snails if at all possible, even to a larger tupperware container (tote) with an airstone/sponge filter. It should not hurt your plants, biological it could probably effect. But since you will be doing daily water changes anyway, it shouldn't cause you too many problems.

[KIM_TMA]

O do be careful if you use copper or maracin. Your snails will not tolerate it. It will kill them.

[Barbie]

You should be doing all of this treating in a quarantine tank. You shouldn't ever try to treat your fish in the main tank. The excess dissolved organics can exhaust the good the meds can do, without letting the fish take the benefit from it. Copper works on parasites because it disrupts their nervous system. It can also disrupt the nervous system of many other things, including the fish. I never recommend it, personally.

Barbie

[grannylvsfish]

ok, I am listening to great advice here, the snails are moved, into my nice little ten gallon with the 2 month old guppies, I am getting a small ( 5 gallon tank set up in an hour and will treat in that. what do I do to treat ? Ceflexin ? add a filter? or will this be silly at this point? heater will be added as well. just air stone, or sponge filter?? I will put clean water from my 55 gallon tank as well.

[vtx-coley]

If it is columnaris, I had success with maracyn and maracyn 2 together. I treated the tank for 10 days, doing a 50% water change after 5. I also lowered the temp to 75-76 because the bacteria thrive at higher temps. I would also suggest treating the entire tank because columnaris (if it is columnaris) is very contagious and moves fast. Do some more research, look at pics and compare them to you fish. Columnaris not only shows up on the mouth, it also shows up other places. My fish had white saddle back type lesions on their backs.

Watch your bio-filter. It may crash.

I also had an Apple snail in the tank and it was fine.

There's a good article here......

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/disease/freshwater/columnaris.html

[grannylvsfish]

If it is columnaris, I had success with maracyn and maracyn 2 together. I treated the tank for 10 days, doing a 50% water change after 5. I also lowered the temp to 75-76 because the bacteria thrive at higher temps. I would also suggest treating the entire tank because columnaris (if it is columnaris) is very contagious and moves fast. Do some more research, look at pics and compare them to you fish. Columnaris not only shows up on the mouth, it also shows up other places. My fish had white saddle back type lesions on their backs.

Watch your bio-filter. It may crash.

I also had an Apple snail in the tank and it was fine.

There's a good article here......

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/disease/freshwater/columnaris.html


None of my fish have lesions, no where. just the one fish and it looked like a cotton ball by his mouth. I took it off. I just did another water change and that tank is spotless. Do you have pics of this stuff? ( cotton mouth) I am just not sure thats what he has, the other fish do not show any sign of cotton, or lesions. but there tails are very short so tail rot comes to mind.

[vtx-coley]

I don't have any pics of my fish, but do a google search for Flexibacter Columnaris .

Your best bet would be to post pics of your fish and let the experts (not me, for sure) give you their opinion.

[grannylvsfish]

They all look fine, Once I removed that piece on my fish lips he looked fine. not one has any other lesion on them so I am assuming there not infected with cotton mouth, if they are they do not look like the pictures. I thought it was that since the big cotton like growth by one fishs mouth, but now who knows. I am going to contine to treat with pimafix and melefix and water changes. I do not want to ruin my Bio on what may or may not be.
I am going to pray for the best out come. I cleaned all the gravel, and I moved plants and such around. My tanks are usually very very clean, I think they may have had something when i got them and slowly went down hill. I fed them as usual every day and did not notice there not eating as they did before. hence the food not eaten. I have a good moving water flow ( 2 large HOBs ) so the food floated behind there drift wood and thats where I found the food un eaten.

Thank you all for your help, your the best!!

[vtx-coley]

Keep us posted.

[grannylvsfish]

my fish are looking better today, 3 were out running around so maybe just maybe the other 2 will get better to !! been doing pimafix and melafix.

[msjinkzd]

i will send all my positive thoughts their way!

[grannylvsfish]

well, so far all 5 are doing well. I had not seen 3 of them so I went searching and water cleaning again. all three are fine well as the other 2. I am so glad. 2 of the corys have hardly no tail, but moving well and I am sure with the water changes I am doing and adding pimafix and melafix they will grow back. I have been doing 30% water changes every 4 days.

[msjinkzd]

keep up the good work, hopefully all will turn out well.

[grannylvsfish]

it is turning out great , one of the cories is pregnant :) there all over the tank, chasing and playing once again!!