White Fuzzy Patches, Not Spots?

[blur411]

I have a hospital tank with fish I got from a LFS, that I thought had ich. They had small white spots all over. I have been treating them with Mardel Coppersafe for over a week now, and it seemed a lot of the spots diminished and honestly I have't looked at them in two days with my work schedule. I looked today when I got up and 2-3 of the 4 fish have larger spots of white on them, more like patches, not spots. What could this be? Could it have been ich, and now something else?

Tank size: 10 gallon
pH: 8
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 80 degrees F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): White patches, they appear raised.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: Right now, daily, except the last two days and about 50-75% because even though I used mature filter media from my main tank, it doesnt seem to be cycled. So I have been adding new medication with each water change, depending on how much I take out. There is no cabron/charcoal in the filter

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Mardel Coppersafe and Aquarium salt

Tank inhabitants: 4 female guppies

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals:

Digital photo (include if possible):

This last picture is a before picture, to show no large white patches.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

That looks like it could be a fungal infection to me, but you need to finish the Ich medication directions/course first, before doing a big water change (~90) and then usually giving the fish two days grace before adding a different medication to their water (in case there is a compound overlap which can be fatal to the fish).

I don't know if it is available in the USA, but over here I have recently been enlightened to Esha 2000 and Esha Exit, which can be used alongside each other safely to treat bactrerial/fungal infections and Ich respectively.

 

[blur411]

Ok thank you, it says it lasts 30 days for the ich medications, but carbon removes it. Should I put Carbon in the filter and remove the ich stuff and then buy fungal infection medications?

 

[tomtomtom1230]

I would add carbon, let it run for a couple of days and then still do a 75% + water change.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Sorry, I missed the followup question...

You want to have at least 7 days of seeing no spots on the fish, having raised the temp (to quicken the Ich cycle) and added meds to kill the free swimming form, otherwise you could do a big water change and add carbon before tackling the fungus 2days later... To only then discover Ich back in your tank.

 

[blur411]

All the fish died except one, who has no spots of ich or fungus... There are currently no meds in the tank, how long should I wait before I add this one sole survivor? She has been spot free all along, somehow more immune maybe? I figured I'd wait 7 days? How do I clean the hospital tank?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Sorry to read this has ended badly.

As to when to add the survivor to your main tank, only you can decide that, it comes with the risk of contaminating your main tank. I have had problems in my 5x2x2 recently and I will not be adding or removing any fish until at least mid August, ~4 weeks following the last death.

Was it fungus that seemed to kill off the other 3 females?
Did you start medicating for the fungus, or were you still waiting on being sure the Ich meds had worked?
Did you do a big water change and give the fish ~2 days gap between different medication?
What fish are in your main tank?

 

[blur411]

I never treated the fungus, because they pretty much all died pretty shortly after noticing it. I treated the Ich, and I've done many large water changes since that tank seemed to not cycle well with the filter media. The levels are reading well now though, so I can put some charcoal in and then maybe wait 4 weeks to see if she is still clear of disease? I don't want to contaminate the main tank, I spent too much time and I'm VERY attached to the members of that tank. In the main 55 gallon I have 1 apple snail, 5 yoyo loaches, 5 male guppies, 1 female guppy teenager (why I bought the females to begin with, looks like I will need to find more females somewhere else and QT them next), 1 panda platy, 2 Dalmatian looking platies, and 1 Dalmatian molly. Also, 1 Pleco, who I've been trying to rehome for some time now.