# Ich & Fin Rot?



## guppygurl08 (Apr 2, 2010)

I've got a 20 gal without any decorations at the moment (just took them out for a cleaning with a water change lastnight), and I seem to continue getting Ich and now the fin rot I think it is.. is also back.

There are several guppies, and newborns in the tank at the moment, with a bristlenose pleco, and two dalmation mollies (one a baby the other adult), several trapdoor snails to.

The temperature is about 82 in there, and it has been for a while in hopes it might get rid of the ich. 

But I need to know that if I medicate the water with one of the two medications I have; Prevent+Ich, or Ich+Attack by Kordon will harm anybody in there. I've heard pleco's don't sit well with medications, and neither do snails (yet I haven't seen any snails die from medication in the other tank).

And what I think is fin rot is the fact one of my black male guppies has a white film coating forming on his back, and one of my females died from it recently (like yesterday) and another female's mouth has skin/scales peeling away to.

I don't want to loose any more fish, and I was hoping what is the best thing to do asap. I want to get rid of the ich one last time (in hopes it wont come back again like does), and stop the cause of the supposed fin rot to.

*Edit 1:* Note that the medication I listed hasn't made a huge difference in the 20gal sometimes, but it has worked in the 15gal quickly. I don't know if I've put in too little than prescribed, or I haven't shaken the bottle enough (I shake it pretty dang hard for at least thirty seconds before use), or if this stuff just isn't working.


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## TankMAster (Oct 16, 2009)

A picture will give us an Idea of what this looks like.

It sounds like ich but also fin rot but another fungal infection.

Have you treated ich remembering to take out the carbon from your filter media?

Some people say use aquarium salt for any disease but you should look it up and see just how much to use.

If your water is constantly cloudy and water quality is of a low standard, this invites those parasites to have a party. Try setting the heater up a few degrees. 

Like I said, it sounds like a lot of things. If your fish is fading then it has an immune illness and is bound to die without proper care.

Treat the water for ich again but turn up the heat and remove your carbon from the filter. 

If the fish stops eating, isolate it in a hospital tank with a slow sponge filter and treat for ick at half a dose for the first 24hrs but later add the other half dose. This lowers the stress levels caused by your treatment. 

Be sure to read the instructions on the chemical carefully before you treat your fish. Some fine scaled species require a lower dose than catfish. This wont harm your pleco.

Don't do too many water changes. Try to keep the water in the tank for about 5 days. Change the water and treat it again if the spots are still visible.

Feed them some live or frozen food after and during the treatment. This stimulates blood circulation in the fish which speeds up the healing of the fin rot issue.

These are just some things to take into consideration. Many people take feeding during illness for granted. Flake food wont get your fish through the illness. 

Hope your tank is healthy again.

Regards

EDIT:

The other "stuff" i am talking about with regards to what you described is Body Fungus or a columnaris infection.

Columnaris looks like this


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

It almost sounds like flexobacter columnaris, I would get my temp down to 74-76F, increase the aeration by adding a couple of airstones and start making 50% water changes daily with deep gravel vacuum to get the ich out, salt would help but not with the pleco, you could QT all the other fish and use 1tsp/gal aquarium salt up to 3tsp/gal on them and just do the lower temp, daily water changes and increase oxygen in the main tank with the pleco or Qt the pleco what ever is easier.
Water change percent also depend on your nitrate reading, if it is 30ppm or less you can safely make 50% water changes, higher you need to make smaller percent until you get it down to a safe level of 5-10ppm.


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## guppygurl08 (Apr 2, 2010)

I've always removed the carbon, but it might be because I put it back later.. I easily forget I'm treating, and put it back usually.

But the columinaris sounds, and looks like what my male guppy has. It's hard to get a picture of it because it's only when he's under the tank light at an angle can you see it clearly, but it's there for sure. I've had that outbreak in the same tank a couple months ago with my betta females, they died like flies to it everyday (I don't have anymore now).

I'm going to retreat the tank again, and hopefully it will get better. Thank you for giving me tips on what to do to, I'm always greatful for help.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Flexobaterm columnaris- is always in the tank waiting for the right conditions to attack the fish, sudden rise in temp, poor water quality, stress are the most common causes, this bacteria thrives best in high water temp and low oxygen...so lower the water temp, increase the oxygen and get the water clean and you fish will have a better chance with the slow moving type, however, the fast moving type will kill the fish within 24h regardless of treatment.....


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## TankMAster (Oct 16, 2009)

It's so weird but one of my female mollies (Velvet) just died of this disease!

I found her dead with this white film on her. My tank temperature was always set at 30C and have crystal clear water. I have experienced 4 fatalities in the last week so far but don't know why.

I probably will have to lower the temperature to a safe 28C 

With 5 adult mollies left, I doubt I will get my tub pond project started with many survivors.


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