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Post by coco on Apr 30, 2015 21:21:51 GMT -5
Hello, this is my first posting. I am treating two new emerald green cory cats in a hospital tank. They were originally quarantined in my quarantine tank, and developed fungus. They have very stubborn fungus on their pectoral fins. I am currently giving them their second round of baths with salt & MB. In their hospital tank, I am treating with API fungus cure & Triple sulfa. Their first round of baths consisted of salt/MB/Kanaplex/furan 2, for columnaris and fungus they developed, which was treated successfully. I released them into my main aquarium, only to have them redevelop the fluffy fungus on their pectoral fins and mouth  . My main aquarium is a 55 gallon, heavily planted, LED lighting, half sand & half fine gravel, 2 HOB filters (Aqauclear 70 & API super clean 50), fusion air pump 500, & Vecton 8 sterilizr. PH 7.2, KH 50, GH 200-300 (depending on how evaporated wondershells are), ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates run 10-20, temp 76. Inhabitants are 2 tiger striped angels, 5 pearl gouramis, 6 true siamese algae eaters, 1 BN pleco, 7-9 otto cats, & 4 cory cats. 1 cory (I call him Grandpa catfish), I have had for aprx 17 years. By far the oldest fish I have eve had. I wish I could clone him, he obviously has strong genes. All fish in main tank are healthy. I do believe it is just weak genetics with these new cory's, but I have to try. Even if it is over and over. They are one of my favorite fish. In Carl's articles on meds, he states to use Malachite green at half dose with sensitive fish like cory's. So, my question is, am I suppose to dose the API fungus cure at half dose with the MG only being the secondary ingredient? I am using the Triple sulfa for buffering of the MG. Does anyone have any other combinations to try? Thanx for the help. |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on May 1, 2015 10:28:33 GMT -5
Hello, this is my first posting. I am treating two new emerald green cory cats in a hospital tank. They were originally quarantined in my quarantine tank, and developed fungus. They have very stubborn fungus on their pectoral fins. I am currently giving them their second round of baths with salt & MB. In their hospital tank, I am treating with API fungus cure & Triple sulfa. Their first round of baths consisted of salt/MB/Kanaplex/furan 2, for columnaris and fungus they developed, which was treated successfully. I released them into my main aquarium, only to have them redevelop the fluffy fungus on their pectoral fins and mouth . My main aquarium is a 55 gallon, heavily planted, LED lighting, half sand & half fine gravel, 2 HOB filters (Aqauclear 70 & API super clean 50), fusion air pump 500, & Vecton 8 sterilizr. PH 7.2, KH 50, GH 200-300 (depending on how evaporated wondershells are), ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates run 10-20, temp 76. Inhabitants are 2 tiger striped angels, 5 pearl gouramis, 6 true siamese algae eaters, 1 BN pleco, 7-9 otto cats, & 4 cory cats. 1 cory (I call him Grandpa catfish), I have had for aprx 17 years. By far the oldest fish I have eve had. I wish I could clone him, he obviously has strong genes. All fish in main tank are healthy. I do believe it is just weak genetics with these new cory's, but I have to try. Even if it is over and over. They are one of my favorite fish. In Carl's articles on meds, he states to use Malachite green at half dose with sensitive fish like cory's. So, my question is, am I suppose to dose the API fungus cure at half dose with the MG only being the secondary ingredient? I am using the Triple sulfa for buffering of the MG. Does anyone have any other combinations to try? Thanx for the help. Welcome welcome! Sounds like a wonderful set up. Parameters in check too. I'm not the expert in treatments, but I would your right about the MG... |
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Post by Carl on May 1, 2015 11:57:46 GMT -5
I am sorry to read about your Cory's fungus issues (or likely Saprolegnia). You appear to be doing everything correctly too. I dd not see where you were using Malachite Green or were you thinking of adding this to the "in tank" treatment? If so it should be at half dose Other considerations are direct swabs on the stubborn fungus on their pectoral fins using Potassium Permanganate. "An even more important consideration is the use of Potassium Permanganate for direct application/swabbing of certain infections such as external symptoms of Columnaris or Saprolegnia/Fungus (see the next section for more about swabbing/dips).
Potassium Permanganate should be diluted at least 3/1 up to 2/1 (water/PP) for this use and often more so depending upon the fish in question (testing on a healthy part of the fish in question or a related fish may help determine tolerance). "Reference: www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2009/07/fish-baths.htmlAn "in tank" alternative is Mar-Oxy Product Resource: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/FritzMardelKordon.html#maracynoxyDo NOT use this with API Fungus Cure and Triple Sulfa or in new aquariums Further Reading: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html#fungusCarl |
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Post by coco on May 1, 2015 13:35:04 GMT -5
I am treating the two cory's with the API fungus cure & Triple sulfa in a 2 1/2 gallon hospital tank. Along with twice daily baths of MB & salt. This second round of baths have been going on a week, the Fungus cure & Triple sulfa for the past 3 days. I had been dosing full strength of the API fungus cure, due to the fact that the MG is the secondary ingredient. I thought maybe the solution was milder than the straight MG? Hasn't gotten rid of it yet. Maybe I will try the diluted PP. I do have it on hand.
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Post by Carl on May 2, 2015 11:35:07 GMT -5
OK, sorry, I thought you were adding Malachite Green directly into your aquarium. The amount of Malachite Green (Victoria Green) in API Fungus Cure is diluted as it is in the Medicated Wonder Shell, the Fungus Cure should be used at full strength for all fish because of this for best results From our API Fungus Cure Web Page: "Contains 3 mg of Victoria Green and 30 mg of Acriflavin per packet (Acriflavin is an effective anti-fungal) "Resource: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumPharmaceuticalsAPI.html#fungusAs you can see, MG is just 10% of the active ingredients and to dilute this medication for this smalll amount could render the treatment useless. Carl |
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Post by coco on May 2, 2015 12:16:24 GMT -5
Ok, thank-you. I will give the Fungus cure/Triple sulfa combination a chance to work. I am so nervous about trying to swab their pectoral fins with the PP due to the fact it is so close to their gills. ...BTW, about a month ago I found one of my otto cats with thread wrapped around his head/gills. I use it to tie my christmas moss to a net. He must have got caught in it. He was in rough shape. The thread had embedded into his gills and body. Fungus growing on the wound. Septicemia through his fins and belly. Rapid breathing. He was on deaths door. I caught him and cut the thread off. Let me tell you how hard it was to cut embedded thread off an otto cat! I felt like I was doing surgery. I placed him into a breeder net hanging on the main tank. I started twice daily baths of MB/salt/Kanaplex. It cured him in 10 days. Thanx to your articles. I never knew about baths before finding your site. Or the meds to mix in them. So, my little guy thanks you. He is now eating algae & playing with his buddies.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on May 2, 2015 12:21:51 GMT -5
Ok, thank-you. I will give the Fungus cure/Triple sulfa combination a chance to work. I am so nervous about trying to swab their pectoral fins with the PP due to the fact it is so close to their gills. ...BTW, about a month ago I found one of my otto cats with thread wrapped around his head/gills. I use it to tie my christmas moss to a net. He must have got caught in it. He was in rough shape. The thread had embedded into his gills and body. Fungus growing on the wound. Septicemia through his fins and belly. Rapid breathing. He was on deaths door. I caught him and cut the thread off. Let me tell you how hard it was to cut embedded thread off an otto cat! I felt like I was doing surgery. I placed him into a breeder net hanging on the main tank. I started twice daily baths of MB/salt/Kanaplex. It cured him in 10 days. Thanx to your articles. I never knew about baths before finding your site. Or the meds to mix in them. So, my little guy thanks you. He is now eating algae & playing with his buddies. Intense, double thumbs up for this one! |
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Post by coco on May 9, 2015 21:20:37 GMT -5
Update. Knock on wood, the two cory's seem to be responding to the fungus cure and triple sulfa in their hospital tank. Finally. Their pectoral fins are healing and regrowing. One of them has still got a little bit of fluff on one fin, but looking much better. They have been eating well again for the past 5 or 6 days too. I am also still giving them their MB/salt baths. I have a couple questions. How long can I continue treating with the Fungus cure & triple sulfa? It has been 11 days now. I just received the Mar-oxy I ordered, just incase they didn't respond to the current treatment. Of course, last time they responded to their baths of MB/salt/Kanaplex/Furan, only to redevelop the fin rot/columnaris/fungus. However, they were not receiving in-tank treatment like they are now. Maybe the baths alone were not strong enough. I change 100% of their hosp tank water every 48 hours with addition of fresh meds. I didn't know if there was a limit at how long they should be exposed to these meds? Also, (on a sour note), when I had placed my cory's into the main tank after their first treatment, and they got sick again, they allowed for a mild infestation of parasites. I don't believe they were carrying them in the first place( I never saw them scratch), I just think their sickness and stress allowed for the parasites to get an upper hand. My SAE's and cory's have been scratching like crazy. Very jumpy. Mild mucus on one or two of the SAE's. No white spots, it's not Ick. It has not effected my angels or pearl gourami's. Just my bottom dwellers. I am now treating the main tank with paragaurd at half strength & Triple sulfa. They seem to be responding pretty quickly to it. Thing is, I was using water from my main tank to bath my cory's in. Can I still use it for the MB/salt baths when there is Paragaurd(Half strength), & triple sulfa in it? Thanks for the help anyone.
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Post by Carl on May 10, 2015 11:32:40 GMT -5
I have a couple questions. How long can I continue treating with the Fungus cure & triple sulfa? I would provide 2-3 treatments past the cure date Quite possible, or this med combination was not enough to fully knock of the infection. Often in serious cases, a bath is not the cure, rather a back up and way to make the in tank treatment more effective. Also if a pathogen is rampant in the aquarium, the bath will only stop it temporarily. Water changes are to improve effectiveness of the medication, although 100% is not usually needed. The the Aquarium Medications Article; Part 1 "Changing water immediately prior to each treatment can improve effectiveness and lower the possible toxicity of treatment.
A 20% water change can cut back on organics in the water column that can often absorb many medications, thus lowering effectiveness.
As well some medications break down after 24-48 hours and can leave mildly to moderately toxic chemicals behind which a water change prior to the next treatment can help lower or remove completely. As noted in the previous section, placing carbon or similar products such as SeaChem Purigen in a filter for an hour or two prior to a treatment can help remove ineffective or exhausted medications.
The use of small water changes and short term carbon, Purigen, etc. can also allow for longer use of many medications. This is especially important if using a medication such as Triple Sulfa to buffer malachite green medications and treat secondary infections of an Ich outbreak."Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Medication.html#change_waterStress may be the cause, but there also might be a pathogen in the gravel. Assuming you do not have an under gravel filter, skimming off the top surface of gravel and washing it well in tap water may help. This assumes you have good bio filtration elsewhere, so make sure to monitor ammonia/nitrites if done. And no, use of this water should not be an issue for a short term 20-30 minute bath Carl |
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Post by coco on May 10, 2015 16:13:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply. I will continue the treatments I have been using. I have been vacuuming the gravel in my main tank very thoroughly in between med treatments( Paragaurd every day & Triple sulfa every other). I am guessing it's parasites, not just due to the scratching, but the SAE's would jump up spastically out of the blue like something bit them in the butt. Rapid breathing. They are already responding after 3 days of treatment. When it rains, it pours, in aquarium world. I just want my little people to be healthy and happy again.  ....BTW, it is nice to see all the people who have been reading my posts already. Hopefully my questions and your answers can help someone with similar issues. |
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Post by coco on May 12, 2015 18:58:18 GMT -5
Hello. My main tank is in it's 5th day of treatment of the Paragaurd & Triple sulfa. I do a 20-25% water change every 48 hours before addition of meds. Add Stability aprx 12 hours after meds. I placed carbon in filter today for aprx 2 hours after water change to take out degraded meds, before addition of new meds. My question is, since the carbon was only used for 2 hours, can I use that same carbon for the same limited amount of time after the next couple water changes? Thank-you.
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Post by Carl on May 13, 2015 9:50:28 GMT -5
Yes, but as a method of disease prevention, I would suggest speading the carbon out on a flat surface and placing in sunlight for a day or two. This is a great/natural way to sterilize the carbon
Carl
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Post by coco on May 13, 2015 10:04:55 GMT -5
Great! Thanks! |
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Post by coco on May 16, 2015 19:23:16 GMT -5
Hello. Tomorow will be the 10th day of treatment in my main tank of Paragaurd/Triple sulfa for parasites. My SAE's seem to have really responded well. I still see an occasional scratch or shimmy, but so much better than it was. They are definitely algae grazing more the last several days too. I thought they had just gotten fat and lazy( they are very large), but now I am thinking it was due to irritation from the parasites. There is one SAE who has had a spastic "epileptic" fit twice in the last 2 weeks. He/she seems fine otherwise, and I have been watching them regulary. I will keep an eye on that one. Hard to tell with my cory's, they are still mostly hiding. I did lose one of my cory's that I have had a couple years. I was very crushed about that. His best buddy has been swimming around after lights out looking for him. He had been showing signs of stress for a couple weeks now. Isolating himself most of the time. Maybe a tiny bit of septicemia in his tail fin, but it was so faint, I wasn't sure. (It was definitely there at the end). He would still play in the bubbles with his buddies, maybe almost every day for a short time, before going back to sit by himself, so I was keeping an eye on him. When I started the Paragaurd/ Tsulfa treatment, I was also giving that cory MB/salt baths at the same time. I had treated my tank a week prior with General cure. I thought it was gill flukes with the gill scratching from my bottom dwellers. I used two back to back treatments (4 doses/8 days). There was no response. I didn't want to over treat the tank, so I waited a week and started the Paragaurd/Triple sulfa a week later. My "Swimming" fish(Angels & Gourami's) were never effected by the parasites. I was researching parasites, and it states Trichodina mostly resides in the mulm and gravel. Could that possibly be what I had? Due to the fact just my bottom dwellers are effected? I was hoping to finish this treatment in 10 days. I am trying to follow all of Carl's directions to safely treat this tank without stressing out fish or damaging my bio filter. I am treating Paragaurd every day at half strength, Triple sulfa every other. I have done a 20-25% water change every 48 hours before fresh meds. Vacuuming the gravel thoroughly. Put carbon in for 2 hours before addition of fresh meds to take out the old. Stabilty aprx 12 hours after meds. I am monitoring for ammonia every day. It is still at 0. Fresh wondershell in there. I don't want to stop treatment to early, but I also don't want to treat for too long either. I am noticing a little stress with a couple of my pearl gouramis. I read that Seachem advises 3 weeks treatment with the paragaurd. I don't know if my fish(Especially the cory's) or my bio filter can handle 3 weeks of this combination. I was really hoping to be done after the 10 days. Anyone have any input on this? Thanx in advance.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on May 18, 2015 11:38:40 GMT -5
Are you vacuuming regularly during this treatment period? I'm wondering if the disease is coming from the substrate, if kicking that up into the water column is the best.
I'm not the best for treatment questions, but I generally take a break between treatments to see if the fish can kick the by them self. I feel like your doing everything right.
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. My main aquarium is a 55 gallon, heavily planted, LED lighting, half sand & half fine gravel, 2 HOB filters (Aqauclear 70 & API super clean 50), fusion air pump 500, & Vecton 8 sterilizr. PH 7.2, KH 50, GH 200-300 (depending on how evaporated wondershells are), ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates run 10-20, temp 76. Inhabitants are 2 tiger striped angels, 5 pearl gouramis, 6 true siamese algae eaters, 1 BN pleco, 7-9 otto cats, & 4 cory cats. 1 cory (I call him Grandpa catfish), I have had for aprx 17 years. By far the oldest fish I have eve had. I wish I could clone him, he obviously has strong genes. All fish in main tank are healthy. I do believe it is just weak genetics with these new cory's, but I have to try. Even if it is over and over. They are one of my favorite fish. In Carl's articles on meds, he states to use Malachite green at half dose with sensitive fish like cory's. So, my question is, am I suppose to dose the API fungus cure at half dose with the MG only being the secondary ingredient? I am using the Triple sulfa for buffering of the MG. Does anyone have any other combinations to try? Thanx for the help.
....BTW, it is nice to see all the people who have been reading my posts already. Hopefully my questions and your answers can help someone with similar issues.