UPDATE: Colomnaris or Velvet and some Parasite

[BrookeLea]

My pleco has been making me nervous all day... I bought him a couple days ago at my LPS, and when I saw him there, I noticed some clearish/white stuff kind of stuck to him. The store owner assured me that it was normal. Anyway, today I noticed him shooting up to the surface and it looked like he was taking quick breaths of air, then going back down to the bottom again. Just now I noticed that he had himself situated so that he was all the way up at the top of the tank with his hole nose out of the water! I moved the filter to get a better look at him, and he swam back down to the bottom where he still is now, looking perfectly normal. I'm trying to get some pics of the stuff hanging off of him right now. Is this nose out of water thing normal or something that I should be worried about? I'm really worried...

 

[WILDER]

Can you describe the clearish white stuff, is it stringy fluffy, or like a slime patch.

 

[BrookeLea]

Sort of slimey and stringy. I just got a couple of pics. I'm uploading them now. He's really, really freaking me out...

 

[BrookeLea]

 

[WILDER]

Bless him looks like columnaris,
http/www.nippyfish.net/flexibacter.html

 

[BrookeLea]

Oh man...what should I do? What about the other fish in the tank?

 

[WILDER]

Do an immediate water change, get some maracyn one and two, do daily water changes and add the correct amount of med back to the water removed, good luck.

 

[BrookeLea]

What if I can't get ahold of maracy one and two? Should I put the pleco in a hospital tank? Have the other fish been exposed and need to be treated also?

 

[WILDER]

If you could issolate him that would be great, just then do some water changes on the main tank, do you have antibiotic called tetracycline.

 

[BrookeLea]

I have no antibiotic. I can run out to the LPS now and look for some.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

 

[WILDER]

I would go for an antibiotic if you can issolate him, and also try and get some maracyn one and two, just in case you need to use it on the main tank, i would hurry as you can't leave this desease long as it can kill a fish in a very short time.

 

[BrookeLea]

Had to get dressed. I'm on my way out the door right now. THanks for the help.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck and keep us all posted.

 

[black angel]

It looks like velvet to me.