Advanced Columnaris, I Need Help!

[girl4God81]

I am going to post this in the emergency section too but I wanted to see if you guys could help me (incase you didn't read in there). My male betta has had some sort of white cottony looking growth on his face that I've been trying to treat with betta fix (apparently not working though). I just changed his water maybe yesterday and I check on his frequently. I just looked at him and noticed his back fins are literally falling off!!! I feel so bad for him! He still has some back fin left but where the colored part was, it's looks like he has very light blonde hair attached instead of fin, and I even saw fin at the bottom of the tank! What do I do? He also seems to be twitching around the tank a little, swimming normal except with a sort of dart ot twitch maybe.

 

[Jaded12]

Sounds like colmunaris, and pretty far advance colmunaris. add 1 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon of water to his tank, treat him with maracyn 1 and maracyn 2. If it doesn't start clearing up in 24-48 hours give him a salt bath.

 

[girl4God81]

Wilder said the same thing. Ok the only prob is that store is closed and Walmart hardly carries anything fish related ever since they took their fish out. Should I do a full water change? He's also not eating , he ALWAYS eats! What do I do until tomorrow? I will do whatever water change you think, and add some salt, but anything else until tomorrow?

Poor little guy

Thank you soooo much!

 

[girl4God81]

Ok I didn't have maracyn last night so I did a full water change, moved him into something a little smaller and added salt and copper safe. i read on a website that adding copper sulfate would be ok. He ate a little last night (good sign), and this morning I noticed he had a shimmer to him. He's been looking very gray and well, almost dead in appearance, and this morning was the first in awhile that I've seen some color to him (poor little guy)! I'm hoping the shimmery blue/green color is a good sign.

Do you think I should still get some maracyn or just stick with the copper safe?

 

[girl4God81]

*sigh*

 

[davidnso]

if a fish w/ columnaris is in the tank, is it contagious to the other fish in the water?

 

[davidnso]

nm just read up on it...i think my male fish has caught this without me noticing! well i just noticed his top fin was EXCEPTIONALLY lacking today...then under his belly seems to be a gray area that is a sympton of columnaris i guess...i have none of those meds with me! =( i should do a complete water change in my 10g! =/

 

[girl4God81]

Yeah, I had no idea what was going on. Mine had the symptoms of sluggishness and the white patches, but was fine otherwise, then BAM, his fins began falling off within an hour. Really freaked me out!

I would definitely get Maracyn I and II and combine the 2 and she suggested to me. I tried Copper Safe (b/c I had it on hand and I read that it could work) and did a full water change. That was the night before last and since then he's moving around more and eating again, but growth on his face looks worse, and he's still kinda gray. His fins are still falling off too (which may happen for awhile anyway, I have no idea). But I plan on buying Maracyn today b/c I've heard it's better anyway. Also, I read that turning the temp down to about 76 and adding some salt (for better gill function) as well as lowering the water to allow the filter to hit in the water a little harder (more oxygen in the water) should help to. Let me know how the little guy is doing! I plan on putting a pic up by Sunday but part of me is too ashamed to show how horrible he looks. I have been doing water changes VERY grequently, but I think he had it when I bought him

 

[davidnso]

i read that it could take up to 10 days to cure

 

[girl4God81]

really? ok, I'm kinda hoping so. I'm going to go buy some more meds today after work...reallllly hope I don't walk out with another fish, husband wouldn't be too happy..kinda been fish happy lately. but one died the other day, so I could use that excuse...hmm...

 

[dogan]

my betta yesterday started turning white around the head, he was darting around like he was going mad, this morning he died. I really hope you can save him. Also if there are other fish in the same tank could it be contagious? someone else asked this before me but i dont think there was an answer.

 

[davidnso]

my betta yesterday started turning white around the head, he was darting around like he was going mad, this morning he died. I really hope you can save him. Also if there are other fish in the same tank could it be contagious? someone else asked this before me but i dont think there was an answer.

i read that it can be contagious, ill try to find the link about it if i can for ya

 

[jollysue]

These are bacterial infections. They are very definately contagous. Columnaris is very contagous and dangerous. I'm glad that the CopperSafe was helpful. I think treatment with a mild anti parasitic like CopperSafe is wise in many cases. Nevertheless the fish need treatment with an antibacterial that treats both gram positive and gram negative bacteria: Maracyn I and II are a safe choice. Frequently opportunistic secondary infections can set in. Just like any bacterial infection any treatment must be completed in it's intirety to avoid the risk of breeding stronger bacteria.

It is not uncommon for fungal and parasitic infections to take hold when the fish's health is weakened. Columnaris is a virulent and dangerous bacteria. It should be treated as very contagious and everything should be kept sterile. Whatever is being used with the sick fish should be kept separate from the healthy fish unless the implements are steralized. A 10% bleach solution is effective and boiling (and RandomWitkor would add) alternated with freezing.

Nevertheless it is not uncommon for some fish to remain unscathed while others succumb.

 

[girl4God81]

Thank you SO much for the reply..it's nice to know someone can offer advice when things get scary like that. Well I did the copper safe at first, but waited too long. I should have takena dvice here and tried Maracyn right off and maybe it would have saved him. He died last night . I had added maracyn but I think it was just too late.

The good news is that despite appearance he had begun eating yesterday morning and even making a bubble nest, he was more responsive and alert, in other words he didn't appear to be suffering. I think the suffering came around the time I got home from work. He had saddleback, and a huge white growth on his face. I did a full water change and added mroe copper safe and maracyn I and II, but he just went down from there. He never seemed to be suffering except breathing heavy for about 30 minutes off and on. I lowered the water temp a couple degrees and the water to help him breathe better. he was taking gasps of air at the surface every 4 or 5 seconds, and then eventually just kind of sank to the bottom and stopped breathing. So to sum it all up, I don't think he suffered too much dying, and if he did it was quick. I was worried he would suffer through the night.

Yes, I would definitely recomend maracyn, and maybe had I have used it faster, it would have worked. Mine was in my larger tank with the other fish for about 10 minutes once when he had the beginning stages of this, and while I haven't seen any of my fish display the symptoms, they are being treated with copper safe for a month and maracyn I and II for the next 5 days, just in case. Better safe than sorry.

I miss him but I'm glad he isn't suffering anymore.

 

[leanne_129]

my betta yesterday started turning white around the head, he was darting around like he was going mad, this morning he died. I really hope you can save him. Also if there are other fish in the same tank could it be contagious? someone else asked this before me but i dont think there was an answer.

i read that it can be contagious, ill try to find the link about it if i can for ya

I wouldnt buy another fish utill the tank is totally cured! otherwise your just going to be spreading the problem on to new healthy fish! its a good idea to get it all sorted first!
also try not to get to fish crazy i no its hard but u shouldnt really add alot of fish in a short space of time! u should let them settle in 4 a week or 2!