It Can't Be...fungus Too ?

[Faythee]

Bought fish with tattered fins.

2 weeks later ICH.

Been treating with Coppersafe and Maracyn-2

Was looking bleak for a couple days and perked back up. Most white spots were gone. Happy again

Am on 3rd day of antibiotics and 5th day for Ich

Notice tonite a spot on each fin, white, at damaged areas (bigger...possibly cottony). See a few more white spots too.

Now what

Can I add Maracyn too ? This would be 3 medications !

 

[Tolak]

Often times torn up fins can be healed by large daily water changes. If I understand correctly, you do have an ammonia reading from your tap water. Prime or Aquasafe will convert ammonia to ammonium, a substance harmless to fish at levels found in an aquarium, but treated the same as ammonia by your nitrifying bacteria.

Often times healing fish will get a whitish appearance to the healing area. Fungus can be a secondary infection, if the primary bacterial infection is left untreated. Usually fungus can be avoided with clean water conditions.

50% water changes daily, remed daily, for 10 days.

 

[Colin_T]

you could add some salt if the fish are livebearers, mollies, guppies, etc. But don't add it if you have corydoras or discus.

 

[Faythee]

Okay...As far as putting the Ick meds back in after each water change....How do I calculate exact gallons ? I use a Python cleaner, not buckets. I think I remember seeing a way to measure from bottom of gravel to top of water but can't find it again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Colin_T]

try not to do water changes when treating for white spot unless you have to.

To work out the volume of water in the tank

multiply the length x width x height in cm
divide by 1000
equals volume in litres

when you measure the height, measure from the top of the gravel to the top of the water level. Remove any big rocks or wood before measuring the height.

 

[Tolak]

MaracynII is an antibiotic, Minocycline if I'm not mistaken. Anytime you are using an effective antibiotic you risk affecting the nitrifying bacteria in your filter, leading to ammonia & nitrite readings. Most bacteria that cause infections in fish are water borne, water changes reduce the levels of these bacteria. This is the reason for the suggested water changes.

If the tank in question were just being treated with the Coppersafe, water changes would not be needed.

 

[Faythee]

Thank you Colin. I do not think I can figure it out in cm. I need inches

I have to do water changes to remove the antibiotic I have in the tank. It was prescribed for 5 days....I am afraid leaving it in there longer will overmedicate my fish. Not only that it has colored my water yellowish and I need good clean water for my Cichlids health.

Antibiotic med said to do a 25% water change and put in carbon to remove. If I put in carbon it will remove the Ich meds too. Maybe I can do that and a few days later take out the carbon and re-treat the whole tank for Ich again ?

Do you think the carbon will remove all meds in a couple days ?.....maybe a few water changes during that time ? I do not want the Ich to reappear over those days. I am in a pickle !

Thanks !





Tolak my friend. We replied at same time. How does this sound ?

Do a 50% water change and put in carbon. 2 days later do a 25% water change and retreat entire tank with the coppersafe ?

The Maracyn is not supposed to affect the nitrifying bacteria in the tank. I have been testing twice daily and no ill effects. However the water changes on top of that may.

 

[Tolak]

The box says 5 days; ignore it. The only way you could overmed is by adding too much medication to the tank. Extending the time of medication assures that the problem is solved, as well as preventing any drug resistant strains from being created. These can be tough, if not impossible to treat.

If you look here http/www.fishyfarmacy.com/products.html you will see that any of your most common antibiotics, with the exception of gentimycin, suggests a 10 day treatment, with daily water changes. Do not believe that it will without a doubt not affect your nitrifying bacteria, Mardell is only responsible for the replacement of the meds, not your fish, this is on the box.

Trust me, I have made many long distance calls to National Fish Pharmacy, usually in the interest of other aquarists. You are free to call their help line yourself, they are a very knowledgable group of people. If you get Brian on the line expect a nice long distance bill, we've gone off on all sorts of tangents, for 1/2 hour at a time, after spending the first couple of minutes solving the problem at hand.

If you do three 50% water changes without adding antibiotics, you have lowered the level to 12.5% of the original dosage, without running carbon. If you redose with the copper after each water change you will have the copper in the tank, with a fraction of the antibiotics, not having to worry about removing the rest. The 12.5% will be removed with future water changes.

 

[Faythee]

Tolak

We The People

Gun Toting Lunatic



what you said/posted makes total sense....Thanks a bunch !

 

[Colin_T]

I agree with Tolak about the 50% water changes. Do a bigger water change because 25% doesn't do squat.

Faythee as for needing the measurements in inches, turn the tape over and use the cm side

If you don't have a tape with cm and inches go buy one.