Tank under treatment very foggy

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AquaticAustin

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Sep 29, 2011
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So I am on day 3 of a 5 day treatment for columnaris, last night I rigged upa 10 gallon filter to use and its running but no other filtration. Now heres the odd part, the tank actually is getting cloudier and cloudier, it has also begun to smell if I put my head in the tank. Not strong but noticeable it doesnt smell like nice clean water. The fish in it are fine I fed them a very small amount today just to check their appetite and everyone was very hungry. Also I just checked the ammonia and it hasnt risen by any appreciable amount?? Its the same color as the tank was healthy (0ppm-.25ppm I cant tell really like its much more like the 0ppm but even when I tested before it wasnt a bright yellow like the other tests yellow is). But the fish seem fine and I have had no deaths since I begun treatment. Heres my thought, the smell and cloudiness kind of lead to me believe its bacteria in the tank, but is this a good or bad thing? Or is there another explanation? I can take a pic but it doesnt look nearly as bad in the pic as it does in person.
 

Rbishop

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What are you treating with? IMO, I would nuke the whole tank and euthanize all fish, healthy or not.
 

AquaticAustin

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Maracyn-2 is the treatment. The fish seem fine and I wont euthanize all the fish if they are fine... I am just wondering why my water turned so foggy?
 

rufioman

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnaris

Are you using a proper test kit or strips? Did you use too much of the treatment? Was it a previously used filter you added to the tank? And what do you mean, the fish are healthy? Pics always help as well.
Lots of questions :) Will check back tonight.

Cheers.
 

stephcps

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You are only running a 10 gallon filter? Is that what I understood? If so, why aren't you running your regular filtration?
 

AquaticAustin

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I used the liquid test kit to my knowledge thats the best one currently (also its brand new so not expired). I used exactly the correct amount (trust me this stuff isnt cheap! lol). The stuff dissolves and is fine but I mean my tank has gotten like 75% cloudier since I posted this this morning! Ill take a pic now its probably bad enough to be seen. The tank had a columnaris infection, 5 fish died rapidly with tell-tale signs of the disease, I started treatment 3 days ago now and since then no fish have died and all survivors are alert, eating when I fed them, and always come beg for food when I walk by. The filter I am currently using is a used filter but there is zero media in it. Its the simplest top fin filter that sucks water up and spits it back out basically, nothing to contaminate. The filter has been unused for a few weeks but before this it was running on my RCS tank (which is healthy). Ill post a pic now, also despite being cloudy the smell earlier is now gone. I am pretty sure I have this infection beat, for the Maracyn 2 treatment its a 5 day treatment but I wonder do you have to continue the entire time? I am fully prepared to do so I am just wondering.

Note: I treated the tank not to help a already infected fish (I knew they were goners) but rather to prevent the infection from taking hold in any new fish. The only reason I think the medication is working is no new fish are exhibiting any signs of the disease.
 

AquaticAustin

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Stephcps Ill show you in the picture I am posting here in a minute. I had to lower the tank to do the treatment, my usual filters will not work at such a low water level ( I use HOB not canister unfortunately my canister broke recently). So I rigged up this 10 gal filter to get SOME filtration in there since I cant do water changes. But all levels are normal in terms of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite which is admittedly kinda odd.
 

stephcps

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I am more worried about the oxygenation in the tank. The meds will limit oxygen level as well. Can you just run a sponge filter or some airstones? It is hard when you lower the level...cheaper, but more challenging!! Sorry to hear some of the other fish died. Sometimes the meds finish the job unfortunately.
 

AquaticAustin

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Sep 29, 2011
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Oh I have plenty of oxygen, I am running 3 separate pumps to the tank. A pump rated for 40 gal is running a bubbler in the back, I have a 20 gallon rated one running a bubbler decoration, and another 40 that usually runs my UGF that I pulled out and is bubbling in the tank. The fish arnt showing any signs of lacking oxygen, thats luckily the least of my concerns. Unfortunately I dont have a TON of money so the half price of medication at this level necessitated it. College eh? lol I wasnt too hopeful for that fish that have died already when I saw them. Actually the last one showed almost no signs at all and just went belly up. The pic is taking forever to be emailed to myself... After I post the pic I have to go bleach everything in my QT tank to get that up and running again...

Added note on oxygen, the tank is now much colder (around 75deg) than it usually is so the capacity for the water to hold oxygen has been increased from this aspect so that will also help! :)
 
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