Help Pls - Betta with white fungus

[o2bndsea]

After finally finishing my fishless cycle I added fish on Sunday afternoon. This afternoon my betta has a white fungus on his mouth. I have had the betta for 3 months and kept him in one of those small "betta" tanks and he was quite happy and healthy... Put him in the 29 gallon with 4 peppered cory's and 10 neon tetra's on Sunday to populate the newly cycled tank. I lost one neon tetra by the next morning and assumed it was stress/rough handling by LFS, didn't notice anything on him after we removed him. I have moved the betta back into his small "betta" tank. Have looked at the other fish in the 29 gallon and don't see anything unusual... Also have sent my Husband to the LFS to get some Melafix... My big question is... Should I treat both the betta tank and the new big tank? Will it screw up my biological filter? Anything else I should do?

Tank specs are:
29 gallon
Penguin 150
Small pea gravel
Artificial driftwood and silk plant
Heater

Water Parameters:
Am 0
Ni 0
Na 10
pH 7.0-7.2

Inhabitants:
4 Peppered Cories
9 Neon Tetras

1 male Betta now in small "betta" tank

[kcooley]

pick up some salt, pimafix, and mela fix. dose all of them at normal amounts together.

[o2bndsea]

Should I dose both tanks? Is salt ok for cory's?

[kcooley]

yes. 1tbsp salt per 10 gallons. melafix and pimafix will take care offungus and bacterial infection and salt helps with slime coat and gill function

[o2bndsea]

Thanks - one more question...

Will it screw up my biological filter that I just established?

[corykid]

Just a thought after u are done dosing the salt and meds keep dosing the salt for the amount of water u take out of ur tank during water changes...make it a regular thing ur fish will benifit

[Bitsy]

Just a thought after u are done dosing the salt and meds keep dosing the salt for the amount of water u take out of ur tank during water changes...make it a regular thing ur fish will benifit NONONONONO!!!! Do NOT continue to add salt to your tank once everything is settled down. It has been shown to be detrimental to fish if used LONG term. This has been debated many times on AC (you can do a search if you'd like) with the same outcome each time: Salt is beneficial for disease treatment, once whatever you are treating has been eradicated from your tank it is imperative to remove the remaining salt through water changes. :rolleyes:

[webcricket]

I wouldn't use salt in with your cories unless the fish in that tank are showing signs of illness. Cories and salt do not mix - if you buy the pet store aquarium salt, there is even a warning on there for use with cories. You could use the Melafix on the bigger tank though for a few days, that stuff is safe.

[o2bndsea]

Sadly, the betta (Henry) died overnight. When I woke this morning his whole face was covered in soft fuzz. I'm glad I moved him back into the little betta tank, but I should have never put him in the big tank. Is it possible it was just the stress? I have read that the fungus is always present in the tank it just surfaces when there ar other underlying factors, in this case new environment and stress? My water parameters are good.

I have tried to observe the cories and neons in the tank but they are so fast, it does not look like anyone has any fuzz. Is it still advisable to dose melafix for 7 days as a preventative measure?

[bettagurl]

I would dose the tank with melafix,better safe than sorry.
I have had a betta die from the same kind of fungus,it spreads very fast,I rescued this guy from my LFS.but he died overnight :(

[corykid]

Man sorry bout ur betta that sux but ya that was a good call to take him out of the tank and put it in the smaller one! ARE U SERIOUS about the salt? i was at the big als show and a guy (i do not know who he was lol.....i guess he is important cause he was takin about all the other shows he had talked at what ever lol) anyway he was talkin bout how important it is to add aquarium salt to ur water cause it added electrolights (srry if spelling wrong) he said just to take some water out and mix the salt with it in a bowl then add it so that the crystals of salt are not sitting at the bottom of the tank.

[Bitsy]

Nope, not kidding about the salt. Here are a few things to read through, might help explain it a lot better than I can!! :read:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76044&highlight=salt+myth

http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/salt.html

[corykid]

Dang i had no idea! thanks alot for the info. but it is good to know that the salt i have put in for the short term will help my fish while the tank is cycling