Help with diagnosis

[gwand]

One of my N. marginatus in a black water tank has this white fuzzy lesion. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, Nitrate 5 ppm. I just did a water change.

 

[Tomsfish]

White fuzz almost always says columnaris or fungal infection.
Fungus usually occurs on damaged/dead tissue.
It is not in the usual place many see columnaris but it is a common issue IMO.
Do you have a hospital tank?
It will be difficult to treat in a planted tank with substrate IME.
Bare bottom and clean water for treatments so the meds are not degraded by water quality.
This is why all meds say to do water changes before installing them.
I had a columnaris infection in a swordtail tank that I eventually cleared up using potassium permanganate but many don't use old school treatments like that and there is a learning curve in preparing it and installing it. Most antibiotics[ like Kanaplex and nitrofurazone/furan2] for columnaris.
Many don't like or have access to antibiotics so there is another approach;

How To Cure Columnaris Disease: The 5-Step Protocol I've Used for 25 Years

Struggling with Columnaris? I've treated dozens of cases at the fish store over 25 years. Here's my proven 5-step protocol — and why a basic salt dip alone won't cut it.

aquariumstoredepot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Fish-Diseases-Dieter-Untergasser/dp/0866227032/?tag=fishforums-20

^This is a great book even without a microscope to do all the test^
It is pretty straight forward and has flow charts to track down what you are trying to deal with.
When I suggest an issue is columnaris I always hope I am wrong.
It is contagious and hard to cure IME.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

White fuzz normally indicates a fungal infection. However, this is usually a secondary infection which takes advantage of another underlying injury or disease. Often there is an undrelying bacterial infection which is masked by the fungus.

My go to fungal medication is Fritz Maracycn Oxy. However, this may or may not help with an underlying bacterial infection if this is present. However, this is what Fritz says about this med:

Overview​

Fritz Maracyn® Oxy is a fast-acting treatment for true fungal infections on fish and fish eggs, as well as certain bacterial diseases. Maracyn Oxy works by slowly releasing a stabilized oxygen-chlorine compound that targets a broad range of tropical fish diseases, including both gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial infections.

Fungal infections look like white cotton tufts, similar to the mold you’d see on fruit or bread, but white rather than black or green. Infections typically appear at wound sites or areas recently damaged by parasites, making them secondary infections that follow an initial injury or illness. Because of this, they can be stubborn to treat without a targeted remedy.

Maracyn Oxy is formulated specifically for these cases, providing effective relief when used as directed.

I have used this medication since it was just called MarOxy until Fritz bought it and added their name and the full Maracyn name instead of the Mar. Here is what the Google AI says about this product:

MarOxy (commonly sold as Fritz Maracyn Oxy) is a fast-acting, non-antibiotic fish aquarium treatment used to combat true fungal infections and certain bacterial diseases in both freshwater and saltwater environments. [1, 2]

Key Features & Benefits

• • Targeted Treatment: Successfully controls fungus infections caused by Saprolegnia, Icthyosporidium, and egg fungus, alongside bacterial conditions like fin and tail rot. [1, 2]
  • Active Ingredient: It utilizes a stabilized sodium chlorite solution that slowly releases an oxygen-chlorine combination to destroy pathogens. [1, 2]
  • Biofilter Safe: It does not inhibit nitrifying bacteria and will not disrupt your tank's biological filter. [1]
  • Invertebrate & Plant Safety: It is completely safe for live aquarium plants and most invertebrates, though it is not suitable for starfish or related echinoderm species. It is also safe for scaleless fish. [1, 2, 3]

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Oddly enough the disease I have had the most success in treating and having the fewest deaths from is columnaris. The things about this disease is that there are a number of strains which vary in how virulent they are. The most virulent strains will kill fish before we see any external symptoms. The less virulent strains can linger for some time in a tank before causing deaths. his gives us a better chance to diagnose and treat for the disease.

Further, different strains of columnaris infect different fish with different results. Making life even more difficult for us when dealing with columnaris as that some strains are resistant to specific antibiotics. All of this can make it very difficult to overcome some outbreaks and very easy to handle others. The problem is we lack the means to determine the exact strain with which we may have to deal.

I have lost entire batches of imported Altum angels from columnaris but managed to have a box pf 50 redline barbs which developed symptoms shortly after arrival where I had only one death. They responded very well to the treatment I use while the Altums did not do so.

The one thing I know for sure is this disease is very infectious and a hospital tank is not a solution. The entire tank in which the infected fish are must be treated.

Incidentally, in all of the cases of columnaris I have had to treat, I never saw any signs of fungus on the fish at all.

 

[gwand]

Oddly enough the disease I have had the most success in treating and having the fewest deaths from is columnaris. The things about this disease is that there are a number of strains which vary in how virulent they are. The most virulent strains will kill fish before we see any external symptoms. The less virulent strains can linger for some time in a tank before causing deaths. his gives us a better chance to diagnose and treat for the disease.

Further, different strains of columnaris infect different fish with different results. Making life even more difficult for us when dealing with columnaris as that some strains are resistant to specific antibiotics. All of this can make it very difficult to overcome some outbreaks and very easy to handle others. The problem is we lack the means to determine the exact strain with which we may have to deal.

I have lost entire batches of imported Altum angels from columnaris but managed to have a box pf 50 redline barbs which developed symptoms shortly after arrival where I had only one death. They responded very well to the treatment I use while the Altums did not do so.

The one thing I know for sure is this disease is very infectious and a hospital tank is not a solution. The entire tank in which the infected fish are must be treated.

Incidentally, in all of the cases of columnaris I have had to treat, I never saw any signs of fungus on the fish at all.

Thanks for your response. When you successfully treated, what medication did you use?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I used Erythromycin. I would buy either that or Maracyn whichever was cheaper.

What Maracyn is and what it treats

• • Active Ingredient: Erythromycin.
  • Common Diseases: Treats columnaris ("cotton wool" disease), fin and tail rot, popeye, and gill disease.
  • Symptoms to Watch For: Clamped fins, heavy or rapid breathing, swollen eyes, corner-hiding, and patchy coloration.
  • Safety: It is non-toxic to aquarium plants, snails, shrimp, and other invertebrates. [1, 2, 3, 4]

I have heard it called "mouth fungus" or "saddleback disease" moreso than "cotton wool" disease.

I cannot tell from the pics what is wrong with the fish as the pics are a bit out of focus so the details of the affected are are a blur.

 

[Innesfan]

I had a columnaris infection in a swordtail tank that I eventually cleared up using potassium permanganate but many don't use old school treatments like that and there is a learning curve in preparing it and installing it.

PP and kosher salt (not used simultaneously) are the only treatments I keep in the house.

 

[gwand]

White fuzz almost always says columnaris or fungal infection.
Fungus usually occurs on damaged/dead tissue.
It is not in the usual place many see columnaris but it is a common issue IMO.
Do you have a hospital tank?
It will be difficult to treat in a planted tank with substrate IME.
Bare bottom and clean water for treatments so the meds are not degraded by water quality.
This is why all meds say to do water changes before installing them.
I had a columnaris infection in a swordtail tank that I eventually cleared up using potassium permanganate but many don't use old school treatments like that and there is a learning curve in preparing it and installing it. Most antibiotics[ like Kanaplex and nitrofurazone/furan2] for columnaris.
Many don't like or have access to antibiotics so there is another approach;

How To Cure Columnaris Disease: The 5-Step Protocol I've Used for 25 Years

Struggling with Columnaris? I've treated dozens of cases at the fish store over 25 years. Here's my proven 5-step protocol — and why a basic salt dip alone won't cut it.

aquariumstoredepot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Fish-Diseases-Dieter-Untergasser/dp/0866227032/?tag=fishforums-20

^This is a great book even without a microscope to do all the test^
It is pretty straight forward and has flow charts to track down what you are trying to deal with.
When I suggest an issue is columnaris I always hope I am wrong.
It is contagious and hard to cure IME.

Do you remember the concentration of the PP solution and the amount of the solution you added per gallon of tank water. I have PP and a chemical scale that weighs into the mg range. I have a hospital tank. I have tried to net the troubled pencil but the tank is too heavily planted. I can’t catch him.

 

[Tomsfish]

Mix 7.5 grams PP into 100ml water.
That is the solution^.
Youse 2 drops of the solution per gallon to dose to 2ppm. Each drop installed equals 1 ppm. 2ppm is the recommended dosing rate.
This is a good article about PP

Potassium Permanganate

It is important to follow all safety warnings in article.
Have H2O2 there to deactivate it if necessary or after the treatment has timed out [ 4 hours or less in most cases].