What's Going On

[LolaLouie]

Hi,

Ok quick brief of the story....

Had a sick Kribs (I think internal bacterial infection) his symptoms were that he was lethargic, not eating and dark in colour. I moved him to the hospital tank and treated with Anti Internal Bacteria.

In the hospital tank I have 6 cherry barbs, 4 frogs and a cockatoo cichlid.

Krib seems a little better but definitely not back to normal but I just looked in the tank and all my cherry barbs have white fungus looking stuff on their fins. One even has fungus growing on his eyes!!!

Could the meds of caused this??

The second dose of the internal bacteria stuff is due tomorrow... do i still dose with it or should I treat the fungus??

I don't know what to do and the krib in there is my one of my favourite fish and it's really important to me that he's ok.

I'd really appreciate some help.

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Never rains but pours.
The fungus on the fins does it look like strands of cotton of just fluffy looking.

 

[LolaLouie]

Yup. I kept fish about 9 years ago and gave it up for this exact reason!!

The fungus is like long threads it's on their find at the sides, their tails and growing out of the center of their eyes. They are hanging at the surface and acting crazy darting around or swimming while still. They look like they're suffering a lot but the thing is the med that i'm treating the krib with says it can't be used with other meds and to wait 7 days before treating with another med but i think if i leave them 7 days they'll suffer so badly!!

Any solutions wilder?

Thanks as always for the help!

 

[WILDER]

Have you tested your water and increased aeration in the tank.

 

[LolaLouie]

Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0. I have increased airation by pointing the filter upwards so it is rippling the water a lot and also have been scooping water out and pouring it back in from time to time to get more oxygen in. Do you think the fungus is just coincidental or do you think putting the krib in caused it?

Also what do i do about treating them... i really don't want to leave them 7 days without meds? What happens if you don't wait before adding new meds?

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

You can add pimafix with the bacerial med, but I wouldn't recommend it just yet as the fish shouldn't be darting around the tank and hanging at the surface of the tank.
Have you added the correct amount of med to the tank, and not overdosed.

 

[LolaLouie]

Yep added the correct ammount as said on the box. Not sure whether the darting is because they can't see as the fungus is growing from their eyes.

They look pretty horrible!! The stuff i have for fungus is protozin.. it says not to use with other meds but that it's ok after 48 hrs.

When would you recommend adding the next med then?

Also what could have caused this outbreak of fungus? They were all fine yesterday and then suddenly this!!

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Don't like the sound of hanging at the surface and darting about.
Did you use the wormer plus.
Do you only have the bacterial med in the tank.
If its columnaris it can be fetched on by bad water quality, overstocking, unstable temp, stress.

 

[LolaLouie]

Haven't used the wormer yet but this is in my QT tank not my main tank.

Water quality is fine.

The only thing is that as it's such a small tank i usually do 50% water changes so it's possible that the temp fluctuates but normally i clean my main tank 1st and then use water from my main tank to clean the QT as this keeps temp more stable.

The tank is probably overstocked with the krib in there but they have plenty of room to swim still and the water parameters have stayed fine.

And yes bacterial med is the only med in the tank.

So should i wait 2 days and then treat with something for fungus?

 

[WILDER]

Yes its severely overstocked thought it was a 30 gallons not a 30l.
Are all the fish ill now in there.
Is it possible to put the frogs in the main tank.
To be honest it that overstocked I can't see water stats being that good.

 

[LolaLouie]

Frogs aren't in the tank at the mo. Right now it's just the krib 6 cherry barbs and cockatoo.

I tested as soon as i saw the fungus and stats are fine. I would put some fish in the main tank but am worried about infecting my main tank.

The cockatoo seems fine and the krib doesn't have fungus but has still not recovered fully.

Also the cockatoo is only very young (2cm) so they're not squashed in there or anything but yes i agree it's overstocked but i'm trying to rehome the cockatoo and once the krib is better he'll be back in the main tank!

 

[WILDER]

Ok was worried.
I would buy an airstone they could be stressed due to lack of 02 in the tank, and meds make it worse as you have to increase aeration.
If the fish was stressed due to this problem thats why they have come down with the columnaris.

 

[LolaLouie]

Ok thank you for helping. I will buy an air pump tomorrow evening. Then on satuday will do a large water change and then treat with the fungus stuff.

Thank you

 

[WILDER]

Ok good luck.
I'm off to bed.

 

[LolaLouie]

1 Cherry barb dead this morning.. i knew he was gonna die coz he was in bad shape.

The krib is still alive and seems fungus free (but the internal bacterial med doesn't seem to have helped him at all) the cockatoo is also alive and fungus free and the only one in the tank still eating.

I decided in order to save the cockatoo and also stop the krib getting fungus to do a large water change (I did 50% last night and then 50% this morning) and have now added protozin (for fungus).

I think it's a lose lose situation really, if i don't treat they die if i do treat they might still die but at least there's a chance they'll live. Gonna buy an air pump tonight and hope that helps.

Is there anything else I can do... maybe put the tank at a particular temp? Or add salt?

Really wanna save these fish... especially my Krib

Thanks