I understand that some meds can kill the bacteria transforming the ammonia in nitrites and then in nitrates...
Additional big water changes (with heavy substrate cleaning) can also have a bad effect on the bacteria...
I agree with the above. Furan 2 can nuke the bio-filter and that is why you have high ammonia levels - it is not a false reading.
Make sure you do big water changes before dosing the tank and keep those levels down!
I would keep the antibiotics up for 7-10 days. If there is no improvement, then look at other options. I could not save my DG with the lesion, or another with a hole in it's fin.
I did not try Furan 2. Maracyn 1 and 2, Kanamycin, Meth Blue, Melafix, and high salt had no effect. Wish someone could diagnose this somewhat common ailment. Furunculosis is a disease that seems to have somewhat similar symptoms - but not exact. Possibly Aeromonas spp ???
If I should happen to come across this problem again, I would try a topical medication or a Sulfa drug.
If it doesn't improve with the Furan 2, I agree with topical medication. Also, agree on the water changes. Big ones just before you dose. The bb in the HT are most likely fried by the Furan 2.
I read that you can swab a wound with H2O3 and then apply neomycin, and this can have success in difficult cases. I think I read a thread in which Flaringshutter talked about that, maybe Lupin. I'm going to go check the archives.
Thanks for the replies all! I guess I do need to keep up the WC's to prevent NH3 and NO2 build-up.
To-wit, I just did a 60% WC. Then did another dose of Maracyn (dose #5) and Furan-2 (dose #4).
No change in head wound. I plan to continue dosing for a while more until the co-hospitalized bows look ok. If the dg's wound still looks bad I'll try one of the ideas you guys have suggested.
Tue 11/24: 60% WC, dosed Maracyn (6th dose) and Furan-2 (5th)
Thu 11/26: 70% WC, put the 2 sick bows back in the 55g, leaving the DG alone in the 10g hospital tank
Sat 11/28: Tested and got NH3=.5 (!!!), NO2=0, NO3=2 (super low)
Did a 60% WC, then applied Neosporin to head wound* (which is bigger now actually) -- DG still acting normal
* Steps I used to apply Neosporin:
Wet a towel in tank water, lay on table
Net out DG and place on wet towel
Put N on end of cotton swab and apply to wound
Return DG to tank
I think I'll skip other meds for now and just concentrate on getting the tank params settled. Along the way will consider more Neosporin treatments. After reading all of these sick DG threads, I feel like I have to try an aggressive treatment or else the little guy will steadily decline...
Started doing WC's on my other tanks and then saw my DG flip out! Frenetic swimming, then curled his body and froze up. I thought he had died, but then saw he was still breathing. Wasn't sure what to do so I put him in a tub and added some Ammo-Lock in case NH3 levels were too high again. He came out of his stupor and so I added him back to the 10g. I then did a 60% WC.
Since then he's seemed ok. I think I'll try to start doing 2x a day WC's and see if that gets him on the road to recovery (in line with the suggestions that pristine water conditions are neceesary).....
Woke up this morning and found that my little guy had jumped from the tank and died. Pretty sure that DG's don't normally jump, so I think he must have had another shock-like episode and convulsed right out of the tank....
Thanks to all those who have tried to help. Just wish I did a better job of treating. I guess more lessons learned....
