Male Endler...

[bogwood]

Whilst doing my weekly water change this morning I noticed that some of my male Endlers' fins have a white 'fluffy' covering... is this fungal fin rot? (He doesn't seem 100% either)...

If it is, what is the best med to treat him/the tank with? I've heard raising the temp. is a good idea too (currently stable at 77)...

...all the other fish seem fine ... I cannot see any of this 'white fluff' on them... how can I prevent this occurring in the future?... Thanks

 

[Bloo]

Almost certainly fungal. With finrot there is rarely and fluff (this is generally secondary) - finrot just looks ragged. Such as this image here.

Fungal infections usually stem from bad water quality. Isolate and treat fish.

 

[bogwood]

Almost certainly fungal. With finrot there is rarely and fluff (this is generally secondary) - finrot just looks ragged. Such as this image here.

Fungal infections usually stem from bad water quality. Isolate and treat fish.

Thanks bloozoo2... I reckon it is 'fungal' and not 'fin rot' from your description... the water stats have been fine (Am '0', Ni '0', Na '<20') but recently I have noticed a lot more particles in the water (I thought it was my Corys stirring up the sand substrate)... I've also got an attack of brown algae that isn't helping water clarity either... I was considering upgrading my Fluval2 + filter to the next one up: Fluval 3+, to increase the amount of filtering per hour and increase the media size and therefore the amount of beneficial bacteria...

... could this 'fungus' be due to overfeeding?... overstocking (see my sig)?... I think i'll increase my water changes to twice a week instead of just once for the immediate future too...

 

[WILDER]

Not the writer of this information below.
Columnaris (a.k.a. Mouth Fungus)



Symptoms:

An infected fish will have off-white to gray cotton-like patches on the head, fins, gills, body and particularly the mouth. In time, these areas will develop into open sores. Gill swelling may occur, gill filaments may stick together and excessive mucus may develop in the gill area. Rapid breathing can be seen. Fins may deteriorate to the point of leaving the fin rays bare. Muscles may be inflamed and capillaries may rupture. Fish, particularly livebearers, may exhibit "shimmying". Infection may be acute (killing an infected fish within hours), or chronic (lingering for several days before eventually killing the fish). As with most diseases, not all symptoms need be present.



Cause:

The bacterium Flexibacter columnaris.



Treatment:

Ensure that your water conditions (e.g., Ammonia, Nitrite, pH, Nitrate levels, and water temp.) are within their proper ranges. If not, perform a water change and/or treat the water accordingly. Recommended medications include: Furanace, Fungus Eliminator, Fungus Cure, Furacyn, Furan-2, Triple Sulfa, E.M. Tablets, Tetracycline, or Potassium Permanganate. Medicated foods are also recommended. Columnaris can be highly infectious and may quickly kill all aquarium inhabitants; therefore, early treatment is essential. All fish, including those not yet showing visible symptoms, as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.

 

[Bloo]

Almost certainly fungal. With finrot there is rarely and fluff (this is generally secondary) - finrot just looks ragged. Such as this image here.

Fungal infections usually stem from bad water quality. Isolate and treat fish.

Thanks bloozoo2... I reckon it is 'fungal' and not 'fin rot' from your description... the water stats have been fine (Am '0', Ni '0', Na '<20') but recently I have noticed a lot more particles in the water (I thought it was my Corys stirring up the sand substrate)... I've also got an attack of brown algae that isn't helping water clarity either... I was considering upgrading my Fluval2 + filter to the next one up: Fluval 3+, to increase the amount of filtering per hour and increase the media size and therefore the amount of beneficial bacteria...

... could this 'fungus' be due to overfeeding?... overstocking (see my sig)?... I think i'll increase my water changes to twice a week instead of just once for the immediate future too...

I don't really think you're overstocked on your 20 gallon and a Fluval 2+ "should" be fine. If you upgrade, just make sure it's not going to cause too much current for the smaller fish.

Generally one water change a week should suffice, but while you are dealing with a problem you can safely do with two smaller ones. Do you have carbon in the filter at the moment ? If not, add that and it should help with the particles. But obviously not while medicating, as the carbon will absorb the medication.

It might be that your endler got a nip from a gourami and then infected - hence forming some fungus. It might just be a once off, but if at all possible, isolate the endler and treat it with fungal meds. This is not generally contagious, though keep a close eye on your other fish.

Like all sorts of cold / flu virus in the air that humans pick up when they are stressed, so will fish pick up something when they are stressed or have a wound. Keeping the water healthy keeps the fish healthy