Do My Fish Have Columnaris?

[fishboytoo]

Today I noticed some problems with a few fish in my community tank. The lemon tetras are acting a bit wierd, one was flashing but I can't see any spots or anything obvious on it. Another one was kind of hiding and breathing hard. Upon closer inspection some of them and a few of my neons have developed ragged fins and tails pretty much overnight- it looks like tail rot. The ragged edges are slightly whitish. And finally I've just noticed what looks like a little string of slime hanging off one of the lemon tetras fins.

Does this sound like columnaris? I'm not sure if it is or not and I would like some confirmation of my diagnosis. I believe this bacteria moves quickly so I've already dosed the tank with maracyn-two and I was going to pick up some tetracycline tomorrow. Should I dose with both meds or is mixing them a foolish idea?

Damn that Petsmart for selling diseased fish, and stupid me for buying them. I won't be so lackadaisical when purchasing fish anymore, and I will not be dealing with Petsmart anymore. And from now on two weeks quarantine for anything new.

BTW, NH3-0, NO2-0,NO3-0

 

[WILDER]

No if it slime hanging off the fish it's slime desease which is a parasite, plus you have a secondary infection of finrot on top.
Columnaris look like strings of cotton thread hanging from the fish.
You will need a med by interpet called slime and velvet med.

Sorry in canada you will need a med called coppersafe.

 

[fishboytoo]

Thanks for the reply Wilder,

If it is parasitic could I instead use Maracide(it says-for ich,velvet, and other external parasites), as coppersafe is harmful to invertebrates which I have in the tank?

Will maracyn-two be sufficient for the tail-rot or should I get the tetracycline also?

BTW, after my initial dose of antibiotics yesterday the fish seem to be behaving normally and the rot has not progressed. I can't see any more of that slimy/stringy thing that was hanging off of the one fin yesterday. I think I caught it very early.

Thanks again, Fb2

 

[WILDER]

Let find out if it is slime first rather than columnaris, slime is a string of mucas usually a greyish white colour, have you noticed a build up of slime on the tank more than usual.

 

[fishboytoo]

Let find out if it is slime first rather than columnaris, slime is a string of mucas usually a greyish white colour, have you noticed a build up of slime on the tank more than usual.

No i havn't noticed any slime on the tank. I only saw one fish with a stringy bit hanging off its fin. The tails look like they have small whitish-greyish patches by where they are rotting. They seem to be a bit better than yesterday.