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Columnaris maybe fungus... White is hard.


Minanora
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@Colu, @Odd Duck, @xXInkedPhoenixX...

If a fish in a tank has columnaris should the whole tank be treated? Even if the fish is moved to quarantine? Does it survive in the tank if there's no fish in it?

I put a test fish in the 40B, she's got a grey white patch that's flat on her head and a bit of grey/white raised/fuzzy translucency on her fins and side... Gills look fuzzy. This could be fungal? It's been a long time since I've had to identify issues like this. Tank is seeded with good media, she's the only fish in there.

pH 7.8

gh 150+

KH 40+

0 nitrite

0 nitrate (was 5ppm on Friday before a 90% wc)

0 ammonia 

77°

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Edited by Minanora
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On 11/8/2022 at 8:12 PM, Minanora said:

If a fish in a tank has columnaris should the whole tank be treated?

For me.... if I ever ran into the stuff, I'm going to swallow the price and treat the tank.  That's just me though.  It's a tough call, I've seen it handled and mentioned both ways.

On 11/8/2022 at 8:41 PM, Minanora said:

I added 1tbsp of salt pet 5g a little bit ago.

I tend to land in the 1/2 cup per 10G range (closer to level 2).  I don't know if you have something sensitive in the tank, but you should be safe to increase it slowly if you wish over the next couple of days.  Especially showing external issues, it shouldn't hurt at all.
 

Quote

Level 2 Treatment

1 Tbsp Salt per 2 Gallons of Water

Use a concentration of 1 Tbsp of salt per 2 gallons of water for the next level of treatment. Level 2 treatment is capable of combating a wider range of illnesses. For example, you can use this recipe to treat ich (a common ailment also known as white spot disease) for a period of 10 days. However, if the symptoms are only getting worse after 5 days, try increasing the concentration again.

It looks like the blog is recommending to stick with it for 4-5 days and then increase as need be.

On 11/8/2022 at 8:12 PM, Minanora said:

I put a test fish in the 40B, she's got a grey white patch that's flat on her head and a bit of grey/white raised/fuzzy translucency on her fins and side... Gills look fuzzy. This could be fungal? It's been a long time since I've had to identify issues like this. Tank is seeded with good media, she's the only fish in there.

Is this the new tank you just setup?  Just for clarity sake if you can repeat what the substrate is in the tank.   Risk of injury on the hardscape or something that happened during transit to this tank?

You might be looking at 2 separate issues.  One of them being whatever is on the head and secondarily what is on the fins and gills being fungal.

Was there any drastic change from this tank compared to the previous one?

Lastly, you probably already did it, but add an airstone just for the sake of it if need be.  Especially on that size of a tank, it wouldn't hurt to have 2+ going.

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I can't be 100 % sure thats columnaris I would always recommend during one round of treatment on the main take just as precautionary treatment even if their not showing any symptoms and quarantine any showing symptoms what I would do is if you don't have live plants is up the aquarium salt to 1 table for 2 gallons monitor closely if it is columnaris you will notice rapid deterioration within 24hr then I would do a course of kanaplex and Jungle fungus clear fizz tab's containing nitrofurazone following this treatment plan @Minanora

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Edited by Colu
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From what I've read about columnaris, it exists in every tank, whether there are symptoms or not.  It comes down to the immune systems of the fish.

I move fish w/ visible symptoms out to quarantine. I've never had other tankmates affected after I moved them out.  I'm dealing w/ columnaris a second time though, but it is in a newly purchased fish.

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On 11/8/2022 at 11:32 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

For me.... if I ever ran into the stuff, I'm going to swallow the price and treat the tank.  That's just me though.  It's a tough call, I've seen it handled and mentioned both ways.

I tend to land in the 1/2 cup per 10G range (closer to level 2).  I don't know if you have something sensitive in the tank, but you should be safe to increase it slowly if you wish over the next couple of days.  Especially showing external issues, it shouldn't hurt at all.
 

It looks like the blog is recommending to stick with it for 4-5 days and then increase as need be.

Is this the new tank you just setup?  Just for clarity sake if you can repeat what the substrate is in the tank.   Risk of injury on the hardscape or something that happened during transit to this tank?

You might be looking at 2 separate issues.  One of them being whatever is on the head and secondarily what is on the fins and gills being fungal.

Was there any drastic change from this tank compared to the previous one?

Lastly, you probably already did it, but add an airstone just for the sake of it if need be.  Especially on that size of a tank, it wouldn't hurt to have 2+ going.

Yeah this is the new tank. In the very bottom there's UN aquasoil then eco complete on that then a deep cap of flourite black sand.

I literally scooped the fish up into a cup gently, walked 3 steps and put her into the new tank. She's the only fish in there right now.

Tank parameters are exactly the same as the old tank except lower nitrate.

There's a ziss air stone going full blast with super fine bubbles. I can add another, I'll dig one out.

 

On 11/9/2022 at 5:07 AM, Colu said:

live plants 

There are a few plants in here, not a lot, I can sacrifice them honestly. I make plenty of cuttings. I'll go ahead and dose the fizz tabs and kanamycin as well. I keep a healthy supply of both and it'll be good to cycle some inventory. My oldest expires mid 2023 so it's best to use it up rather than wind up   likely   pitching it later.

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I've treated Columnaris once- it was a B to get rid of and I had losses, so if I even slightly thought it was that I would treat the whole tank. I still am not 100% sure it was Columnaris because it wasn't manifesting in the classic way but it couldn't have been much else. I'd treat the tank at least once even with the infected fish pulled and treated in QT. 

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On 11/9/2022 at 6:03 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I've treated Columnaris once- it was a B to get rid of and I had losses, so if I even slightly thought it was that I would treat the whole tank. I still am not 100% sure it was Columnaris because it wasn't manifesting in the classic way but it couldn't have been much else. I'd treat the tank at least once even with the infected fish pulled and treated in QT. 

I've treated before in the 75 about a year ago. Everyone made it, my hardscape still has blue on a rock where a fizz tab landed. A forever reminder to quarantine new fish.

Oh and also a reminder to pre dissolve fizz tabs. 😂

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On 11/9/2022 at 10:16 AM, Minanora said:

I've treated before in the 75 about a year ago. Everyone made it, my hardscape still has blue on a rock where a fizz tab landed. A forever reminder to quarantine new fish.

Oh and also a reminder to pre dissolve fizz tabs. 😂

You can hold it in the tank with the aquascaping tongs. It dissolves quickly.

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On 11/9/2022 at 7:21 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

You can hold it in the tank with the aquascaping tongs. It dissolves quickly.

Totally, I could do that for maybe one or two. 😂 With 4-6, a taco bell cup works great. I'm a lazy bum.

Edited by Minanora
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On 11/10/2022 at 12:00 AM, Odd Duck said:

If no one else is affected, I would QT and treat the single fish.  Then watch like a paranoid hawk for 2 weeks on the main tank.  Treat as @Colurecommended.

I haven't checked on her this morning but as of last night she only had one area of concern left. The area that is still a concern looks to be a different issue all together. Not ich, but epistylis.

I saw great improvement with the addition of salt, she was improving within 8 hours. Then even better results with the fizz, kanamycin and 2 more tbsp of salt, with everything cleaning, except the one spot that appears to be epistylis in 10 additional hours.

 

I wonder if the epistylis looking spot is a result of the bacteria bloom from the new driftwood. Since this tank isn't balanced yet it's hard to tell, but it's the only major thing that's different between the rest of the tanks I have.

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It's interesting to think about because I've set up at least 4 other tanks over the year and had 0 issues, not even algae. Dropped fish in within 24 hours.

But those tanks had no new wood or new substrate. All recycled stuff from existing tanks.

This tank has new substrate and the wood. I set it up three weeks ago and fed it mulm from my other tanks. It's had two water changes. I'm glad I just dropped the one fish in... but I wasn't thinking she'd be a victim, just a lonely occupant. Poor girl. Mommy is sorry.

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