Fuzzy stuff

[u8mypaygoo]

This Morning, I looked at my fishes and saw that one of them has fuzzy white stuff on its head. i have no clue wat it is. no other fishes have it. I don't believe it is Ich/Ick but i could be wrong. Anyone have any ideas??


thanx,
u8mypaygoo

 

[Megan]

Hi

I have a male flame dwarf with the same thing I think. Mine has little bumps that burst and then have a cotton wool like thing on them. When that goes it leaves a red lesion (sore).

My fish is fine in every other respect and eating well and good colour.

I have put him in a QT and have treated him with sulphur. The cotton wool stuff goes away to leave the red spots and (it may be my imagination or wishful thinking) but I think he is getting better. I live in Aust and we have no access to over the counter antibiotics, so sulphur is the best I can do I think!

Here is a link that may give you a clue - I think that the top one applies but my fish's spots are not in the same place on both sides of him. I'm not sure how to set up a link properly so you may have to copy the below and paste to your web browser.

http/www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GouramiDisFAQs.htm

Hope this is some help.

Megan

 

[jollysue]

You might also post in the emergency forum.

 

[Ethos]

Yeah, my blue gourami died from it because I recognized it to late

 

[Weaver]

Im no expert but it may be columnaris which would need to be treated right away.
I had a swordtail with this a month ago and treated it with antibiotics and salt on Wilders advice and it did recover.Again I would advise you to post this in the emergencies section asap.Sorry I cant be of more help

 

[sylvia]

Hi.

It sounds like your fish has one of two things.
http/www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html
Scroll down and take a look at columnaris/mouth fungus. This is a bacterial infection. If this resembles what your fish has developed on its head, try to move the fish to a (cycled) quarantine tank and treat with an antibiotic such as maracyn. If it looks particularly fuzzy and resembles a fungus infection more (there's a picture of that too under 'body fungus'), then treat with one of the commercial anti-fungus meds you'll find at your LFS. However, if it does look like it's a fungal rather than bacterial infection, keep an eye out as it's probably secondary and you'll likely find the fish has already got a bacterial infection underneath (which should also be treated and is even more important). Most likely your fish has columnaris though. Good luck but keep in mind that dwarf gouramies are a fragile fish so keep stress to a minnimum. Just a note at this point - antibiotics can cause serious fluctuations in water quality and even cause a re-cycle. That's one of the reasons using a quarantine tank is useful at this point. At least you'll save the remaining fish from excess stress (which would make them likely to catch the disease as well) if the gourami doesn't make it. Anti-fungus meds, on the other hand, don't usualy affect biological filtration. It's also usualy best to treat the whole tank with anti-fungus meds anyway (as a preventative measure) seeing as it spreads easily and often before it's been spotted.

 

[Megan]

Hi

I have the gourami and also a cory are in a QT tank and have been for about a week and a half. I initially treated witnh sulphur and have now been treating with pimafix for 5 days and melafix for 2 days with not a lot of change. From looking at the link you gave me I am pretty sure that it is columnaris/mouth fungus. My only problem now is that in Aust we are unable to get any antibiotics without a prescription from a doctor or a vet. My next idea is to speak to the vet and see what is available if anything. I have already checked the lfs and there is nothing available fron there.

Thanks so much for your help.

Megan