Saprolegnia on my catfish (Spotted Raphael)

[bumblebee]

Hi !   Anyone out there today  

I am quite certain that I have a Saprolegnia problem.  Your website info confirmed for me. We have a 20 gallon tank with only one fish, a Spotted Raphael catfish, about 4" long.
How can I treat a catfish ??

      After reading your info, I now know that I have contributed to the problem, or maybe created it.  Three weeks ago we bought new food, shrimp wafers, which I thought were too big, so I would break them into thirds, then drop in the tank. As I broke them, teeny tiny crumbs of food were apparently settling to bottom of tank.  Never noticed before because the shrimp wafers blend in with the color of gravel.

       Four days ago, I noticed that the normally nocturnal catfish was out of it's hiding spot during the day, staying in corner of tank at the bottom. Seemed weird. I saw that one eye was cloudy looking. I rarely see it out, so I don't know how long it was like that. I also notice food bits with white fuzz around them.  We did a half tank water change.

      Three days ago, I noticed a small white fuzzy spot on it's back, at base of top fin.   Also not eating food.

      (Two days ago, we were not home)

       Yesterday, did another half tank  water change. Used API brand Stress Zyme. Fuzzy cotton-like spot on fish has grown in size. Maybe 1/2 cm in diameter.  When I stirred up gravel with a net, more fuzzy food tidbits arose.  I netted them out.

As of this moment, (according to color cards) tank is:
      pH  6.0
      Nitrate  80
      Ammonia  .25


Thank you, Nadine

[devonjohnsgard]

Hi there!

What's the temp of the tank?

Have you tried anything from this article?

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/columnaris.html

[Carl]

Do you know your GH & KH too?

I would definitely suggest using a gravel vacuum to change water, also an Eheim Sludge Remover might be helpful between water changes to remove residual debris.

Product Resource:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquariumvacuum.html


There are many potential remedies in the article Devon referenced, one possible mild remedy that will also address water condition issues that contribute to Saprolegnia are the Medicated Wonder Shells

Product Resource:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/MedicatedWonderShell.html

BTW; Welcome to Everything Aquatic!

Carl

[cptcaveman]

I assumed the fuzzy on the food was from good bacteria breaking it down.

Would epsom salt help clear up the issue?

[devonjohnsgard]

May 21, 2016 12:45:56 GMT -5 cptcaveman said:

I assumed the fuzzy on the food was from good bacteria breaking it down.

Would epsom salt help clear up the issue?

No.

This is actually from when there's no or a very weak nitrite cycle in the tank and the food just sits there and rots instead of going through the cycle. So, it's a lack of good bacteria and higher amounts of bad bacteria.

[devonjohnsgard]

As an example:

"The only risk of the fish food method is the possibility of Saprolegnia (mold) growing on rotting fish food which can become pathogenic to new fish that will be introduced later."

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html