Sorry for the multiple posts... I'm having to multitask here. Lot's of things going on and I am the "go to person" here for anything and everything in this house, lol.
What is this? Fungus? Bacterial? Excess slime?
- Thread starter Saje
- Start date
She's in a 5 gallon acrylic. (Ironically, my males, who are or can be, a bit more showy, are in regular rectangular glass 5 gallons. She gets the showpiece, snazzy tank. <lol> Not finished decorating here (and now won't until this is behind us) so this needs a slew more plants, but this is the tank and her - she's down there bottom center:
Last edited:
If you have an extra airstone I would add it.
DAY ONE
Today, before your first dose of medication, I would do the water change, maybe 80%, and using 3 drops per gallon on this first water change.
Now dose the tank with the antibiotics.
I would take a cup of this new water from the tank, add 5 level teaspoons of salt and almost bring it to a boil in the microwave to make sure the salt is dissolved. I would wait until this cools and then slowly add this about a fourth of a cup at a time over the day. (over 12 hours) Now the tank is at 0.1% salinity.
DAY TWO
Tomorrow, 24 hours after the first dose of medicine, I'd take out at least 4 gallons, or 80%, but I would get the replacement water ready first before you remove any.
You want her tank again at 0.1% salinity again before you increase the salinity, so in this replacement water I would add 4 teaspoons of salt, the amount that has been removed, (make sure it's dissolved), and I'd put the amount of Prime in the replacement water for the 5 gallons the tank holds, which is 0.5mL.
You have now got the same .1% salinity in the tank as the day before at this point.
Again, remember to get the replacement water ready before you siphon off the water in the tank, this way the fish isn't stressed by sitting in an extremely low level of water in their tank for more than just a moment. I add the water back quickly, but gently of course, as soon as the water has been siphoned off.
Now, that the tank is full again and at .1% salinity, remove about a cup of this tank water and dissolve another 5 teaspoons of salt and thoroughly dissolve it. Go ahead and add the next dose of antibiotics to the tank and slowly add the cup of salt water over the next 12 hours.
Now the tank is at 0.2% salinity. I think that's the degree of salinity I'd stay with.
Now dose the tank with the antibiotic.
DAY THREE
Today, 24 hours after the last water change and dosing of meds, get your replacement water ready again. Add 8 level teaspoons of dissolved salt to the replacement water (to replace what was removed with the siphoned off water). This time I would do 1mL of Prime in the replacement water. This is the usual amount for a 10 gallon, but that's OK... you can even go 5X the usual regular dose when you have ammonia or nitrite spikes, so this won't hurt at all.
EVERY DAY UNTIL FINISHED THE COURSE OF TREATMENT
Do everything as on the third day until the treatment period is ended. Continue to feed only the medicated food, except you may want to feed one nuked pea to help keep her from getting constipated.
Test her water at the end of each treatment day and if you see traces of ammonia or nitrite, add about .5mL of Prime to her tank to carry her through the night safely. This won't hurt.
Do a gentle vacuum of the substrate as you remove the tank water, if this doesn't stress her too much. Don't stir it up vigorously, but just be gentle.
I'm going to recheck the recommened length of time for those meds and be right back.
DAY ONE
Today, before your first dose of medication, I would do the water change, maybe 80%, and using 3 drops per gallon on this first water change.
Now dose the tank with the antibiotics.
I would take a cup of this new water from the tank, add 5 level teaspoons of salt and almost bring it to a boil in the microwave to make sure the salt is dissolved. I would wait until this cools and then slowly add this about a fourth of a cup at a time over the day. (over 12 hours) Now the tank is at 0.1% salinity.
DAY TWO
Tomorrow, 24 hours after the first dose of medicine, I'd take out at least 4 gallons, or 80%, but I would get the replacement water ready first before you remove any.
You want her tank again at 0.1% salinity again before you increase the salinity, so in this replacement water I would add 4 teaspoons of salt, the amount that has been removed, (make sure it's dissolved), and I'd put the amount of Prime in the replacement water for the 5 gallons the tank holds, which is 0.5mL.
You have now got the same .1% salinity in the tank as the day before at this point.
Again, remember to get the replacement water ready before you siphon off the water in the tank, this way the fish isn't stressed by sitting in an extremely low level of water in their tank for more than just a moment. I add the water back quickly, but gently of course, as soon as the water has been siphoned off.
Now, that the tank is full again and at .1% salinity, remove about a cup of this tank water and dissolve another 5 teaspoons of salt and thoroughly dissolve it. Go ahead and add the next dose of antibiotics to the tank and slowly add the cup of salt water over the next 12 hours.
Now the tank is at 0.2% salinity. I think that's the degree of salinity I'd stay with.
Now dose the tank with the antibiotic.
DAY THREE
Today, 24 hours after the last water change and dosing of meds, get your replacement water ready again. Add 8 level teaspoons of dissolved salt to the replacement water (to replace what was removed with the siphoned off water). This time I would do 1mL of Prime in the replacement water. This is the usual amount for a 10 gallon, but that's OK... you can even go 5X the usual regular dose when you have ammonia or nitrite spikes, so this won't hurt at all.
EVERY DAY UNTIL FINISHED THE COURSE OF TREATMENT
Do everything as on the third day until the treatment period is ended. Continue to feed only the medicated food, except you may want to feed one nuked pea to help keep her from getting constipated.
Test her water at the end of each treatment day and if you see traces of ammonia or nitrite, add about .5mL of Prime to her tank to carry her through the night safely. This won't hurt.
Do a gentle vacuum of the substrate as you remove the tank water, if this doesn't stress her too much. Don't stir it up vigorously, but just be gentle.
I'm going to recheck the recommened length of time for those meds and be right back.
Last edited:
I just read your PM about the Binox. Binox has Nitrofurazone and sodium chloride in it, Furan 2 has Nitrofurazone and Furazolidone in it, so they are close to being the same thing, but not quite.
I'd try to get Kanaplex, Kanacyn, either of those is kanamycin. That's what I'd try to find if possible. If you can't find it I can overnight some of that to you. Petmountain.com has it... bigalsonline.com has it.
I don't know how fast they can get it to you, but I will overnight some to you if you can't find it. PM with your physical address ASAP if you would like for me to do that, I'd be glad to do that... just let me know.
I'd try to get Kanaplex, Kanacyn, either of those is kanamycin. That's what I'd try to find if possible. If you can't find it I can overnight some of that to you. Petmountain.com has it... bigalsonline.com has it.
I don't know how fast they can get it to you, but I will overnight some to you if you can't find it. PM with your physical address ASAP if you would like for me to do that, I'd be glad to do that... just let me know.
On the Furan 2 - I'd do the dosing every 24 hours as I described above. On the Kanaplex, if you get it, I'd do that dose every 48 hours.
I would make a determination after the sixth day of treatment, whether to continue for more days and how many more days, if so.
I would make a determination after the sixth day of treatment, whether to continue for more days and how many more days, if so.
Oops... just noticed that I got it backwards in the PM you sent me. You do have Kanaplex, it's the Furan 2 you're having problems with, but you do have Binox.
I think you would be OK using Binox and Kanaplex. I mean, there would be no problems using them to gether, but whether that combo would be as good as Furan 2 and Kanaplex, I don't know for sure.
I know that Binox and Furan 2 both have nitrofurazone in them, but Furan 2 also has furazolidone and methyline blue in it; how important those other two gredients are I'm not sure. If possible, I would still try to find Furan 2. If you can't, then I'd just go ahead with the Binox.
Keep us posted.
I think you would be OK using Binox and Kanaplex. I mean, there would be no problems using them to gether, but whether that combo would be as good as Furan 2 and Kanaplex, I don't know for sure.
I know that Binox and Furan 2 both have nitrofurazone in them, but Furan 2 also has furazolidone and methyline blue in it; how important those other two gredients are I'm not sure. If possible, I would still try to find Furan 2. If you can't, then I'd just go ahead with the Binox.
Keep us posted.
Okay I guess I need to get a read as whether I really need to get some Furan instead of Binox. If I do have to use the Furan, I'm going to have to put her in something completely different for treatment (I'm loathe to do that unless *absolutely* necessary) as the methylene blue will, I think?, stain the heck out of the acrylic tank. So how important is the methylene blue (and other stuff in Furan that's not in the Binox) is the pressing question.
I did try every shop within about 30 miles of here and had no luck with Furan. My LFS had the Kanaplex no prob. Go figure. So, unless someone chimes in and says that no, it's the combo of Kanaplex and Furan that's the best one, I'm just gonna start her on the Kanaplex/Binox.
Thank you SO much for the step by step and day-by-day. It makes it sooo much easier on an addled brain to just follow directions rather than figuring it all out. ((((hug))) for Mel for doing all the work of figuring for me.
Stupid question: I'm looking just for that little white bit to go away, yes? (And obviously nothing new to be there.)
Salt: Regular ol' API Aquarium Salt is fine, yes?
The pea: How often? Just once during the one week (or so) course?
I did try every shop within about 30 miles of here and had no luck with Furan. My LFS had the Kanaplex no prob. Go figure. So, unless someone chimes in and says that no, it's the combo of Kanaplex and Furan that's the best one, I'm just gonna start her on the Kanaplex/Binox.
Thank you SO much for the step by step and day-by-day. It makes it sooo much easier on an addled brain to just follow directions rather than figuring it all out. ((((hug))) for Mel for doing all the work of figuring for me.
Stupid question: I'm looking just for that little white bit to go away, yes? (And obviously nothing new to be there.)
Salt: Regular ol' API Aquarium Salt is fine, yes?
The pea: How often? Just once during the one week (or so) course?
Heck... I think I'd just not worry about the Furan 2 and go with the Binox and Kanaplex. We can watch carefully to see if it looks like things are not improving, but I'm having positive feelings that Diva is going to be OK.
I think the tiny patch is just the visible sign that she has this infection. We can hope that she has no internal infection going on, but it is very possible, so I think the treatment plan is important.
Regular table salt is fine.
I think the tiny patch is just the visible sign that she has this infection. We can hope that she has no internal infection going on, but it is very possible, so I think the treatment plan is important.
Regular table salt is fine.
I see you're there, Samantha. I just came to check on things and just read your PM's. I'm working on posting an answer here for you on the salt question.
