Seeking Advice re: Resiliant White Tufts

[Hunter_Koerner]

I have a male German Blue Ram Cichlid that I noticed was sporting a few tufts on white fuzzy something on his side between his pectoral and caudal fins.

Assuming it was a fungus , I treated with API's Fungus Cure Powder. Specifically, I used 2 hour dips in a double-dosed sick tank 2 days apart. After a third treatment of this, the spots had not diminished at all, and so I switched to a new medication.

I began using SeaChem's Paraguard, also with 2 hour dips spaced 2 days apart. The fish seemed less stressed in this chemical, but still showed no signs of improvement. I began using SeaChem's Focus to bind the medication to brine shrimp for feedings and continued both methods for 4 dips (8 days). Still no response from the spots. I discontinued the baths in favor of a topical treatment.

Tropical Fishlopaedia suggested a topical treatment; Gentian Violet. After extensive searching, I was able to find some at a pharmacy counter at the correct dilution. I've applied it three days in a row now, and still haven't observed any improvement.

If anyone has any other suggestions on treatment, I'd love to hear them. If it would help, I can post a picture of the fish in question later on this evening.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[KarlTh]

Some pictures would help. It doesn't sound like a description of a fungus to me, but a picture would be really useful. I would suspect bacteria.

 

[mel_20_20]

Sounds like Columnaris, but pics really would help. Fungus tends to have longer, whispier, hair-like fuzz in contrast to Columnaris which has more of a short tuft cottony look. Here are some pics to help differentiate


This above picture is fungus. The pics below are Columnaris, though these show a diffuse distribution on the red Betta, you can see the cottony look around the mouth of the pale Betta. Columnaris can be a dull patch on the body or small, well defined, puffs, or patchy areas of filminess.











.

I hope this helps.

 

[mel_20_20]

If this is what it looks like then post back. We can recommend some antibiotics for Columnaris. KarlTH is an expert, and others, too. I've treated this as well, but I may not be back until later.

Please try to post pics of your Ram, so a definite diagnosis can be made.

 

[Hunter_Koerner]

Pics of the Ram in Question

Ok ~ got home and took a couple quick shots.

And from a little bit of an angle:

You'll have to pardon my algae. Thanks in advance for all your help! I'm sure Jak (named for Jak Airport from the X-Ray Spex) is also thankful for any advice you could offer.

 

[mel_20_20]

What are the parameters of your tank, please?
ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, temp,
size of tank, how long set up, number and types of other occupants
filtration
maintenance schedule, water changes and vacuuming
type of testing equipment: liquid or strips

I'm leaning towards Columnaris and it looks like he has some fin rot there on the dorsal fin. Could you have some water quality issues or other stressors? Have you added new fish lately? What is your quarantine procedure?

I would start treatment for Columnaris. I would use carbon to remove any meds you have in there right now and then start treatment with Maracyn and Maracyn II.
If you have a hospital tank that would be good.

Here is a link discussing this infection. Flaringshutter has written a very informative thread on this topic and has treatment protocol detailed. Here is the link:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134928

Someone with more expertise than me may come along and offer a different opinion and I would welcome that if I am in error. I hope your Ram gets well soon.

 

[msjinkzd]

that is my favorite columnaris link! And I agree, I would also consider salting the water in addition to those meds. Please be aware that the meds can effect your biofilter, so large volume water changes may be needed.

 

[Hunter_Koerner]

Tank Specs

Here are my basic specs:

20 Gallon Freshwater - 4 months old
FILTER: Marineland Penguin 200 BIO-Wheel Power Filter
LIGHT: Satellite Single Compact Fluorescent, 1X65 Watt, 24"
MINERAL: Petrified Wood, River Gravel, Laterite.
PLANTS: Java Fern, Bronze Crypt, Rotala Wallichii, Mayaca fluviatilis, Borneo fern.
FISH: 5 White Cloud, 4 Rainbow Praecox, 1 German Blue Ram Cichlid, 1 Cobalt Blue Gourami, and 1 Bristlenose Catfish.
INVERTS: 5 Ghost Shrimp

I just started doing my partial changes weekly.

And as of today (tested with strips);

6.7° dGH
3.5° dKH
7.25 pH
.5 NO2
50 NO3
80.1° F

There aren't any meds in the main tank now. I've been avoiding salting the tank since it's heavily planted, and I was concerned about damaging the plants.

I have a 10 gallon sick tank set up with an airstone, and I've been using that for two hour dips.

I'll grab some Maracyn tomorrow and give that a shot. Thanks for your help!

 

[mel_20_20]

I would get a liquid test kit tomorrow, too, if you can. The strips are very unreliable and most often don't give accurate results. The gurus here taught me that, and I learned from experience, too. Also, the strips are more expensive. The API Master liquid test kit lasts for months. I've bought two kits in a year and a half and I test every day, sometimes many times a day.

Monitor closely the main tank and its occupants to watch for signs of infection in any of the other fish. Test the water every day in the main tank and if you find any detectable ammonia and nitrites you need to do water changes, maybe 50% each time. Then test again, and if you find ammonia and nitrites do it again.

Really, the ammonia and nitrites need to be at 0 and the nitrates at 20ppm or less, but your plants will soon help with the nitrates.

Keep the water pristine in the hospital tank as well. You won't have nitrites since you won't have a cycled tank, but the ammonia can creep up.

Get Prime by Seachem to condition the water, both in the hospital and the main tank. It will help with traces of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, as well as removing chlorine and chloramines.

Prime detoxifies ammonia and nitrite for about 24 hours giving you some breathing room and time to do the water changes, because Prime only detoxifies for about 24 hours and those toxic by-products must be removed.

I personally like to do a big water change every 24 hours just before dosing with antibiotics to help fight the infection. Pristine water is very important. I would treat for at least 10 days.

Best wishes for your Ram's recovery. Don't hesitate to post for more help.

 

[SubRosa]

First thing would be to raise the temp. 80 is on the low side for Rams, 83-85 is better. Second I can't really make out in the pics whether the patches are fuzzy or lumpy. If they're lumpy it's lymphocystis which is viral and won't respond to any antibiotic. If it is columnaris Furan would be my first choice.