# fin rot and cottony stuff floating around HELP!!!!????



## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

Thanks for reading any help would be appreciated. Without going into major detail of my set up (which is a 75 gallon freshwater close to 10 years old) I am absolutely stumped after bringing home a few additional dojo loaches a couple months ago. The following symptoms began within 48 hours. They keep breaking out in fin rot, and there is some white (cottony, ummmm fluffy, ummmm slimey) stuff that appears to float around and collect on the intake of filter. I am unable to locate any source of this goop, it just kind of floats around, not alot of it by anymeans just enough to notice.

I've been treating with an assortment of antibiotics/antifungals lastly "Binox". And I seem to get them looking healed (though the white goop still appears on intake of filter). When just as I'm about to put carbon back in and think I got the problem licked, BLAM there go the fins looking all ratty again.

I've contacted the store where I bought these last fish imploring for some insight because I am positive that something funky came from his shop. No I was not rude, I understand no one has complete control. Still I was met with deniability. As stated before this tank has been a hobby of mine for years and I've never seen anything like this. The only new factor was a few dojo loaches.

In advance thanks again if anyone knows of a disease with these symptoms (fin rot, white goop free floating in water). A treatment is desperately sought after.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi Scott.:wave:

Can I ask for your pictures? Pictures will help make faster diagnosis.


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## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

*pic*

I have tried to post an image but "upload picture" is not working for me?


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

*Re: pic*



scott0402 said:


> I have tried to post an image but "upload picture" is not working for me?


Have you tried the procedures in this link?
http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2500


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## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

Phew ok had to resize and such, thanks. Anyway this was just taken a few moments ago showing the goop on intake. Maybe I can get a better pic later of that. And the loach who looks ratty now dosen't wanna hold still so I don't have a pic of the fish but it simply looks like tattered fins.

Oh the water is yellow from the binox medicine.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

I would ask for your water parameters. The white stuff surely can't have been formed due to the binding of the med to the suspended particles in the water, can it?:squint: What are the ingredients of 'Binox'?


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## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

all of the water parameters are the same as they have been for years. And fall within safe ranges on tests that I've used.The ingrediants of "binox" are sodium chloride, and nitrofurazone.

The white goopy stuff showed up before any meds were added. Just a reminder I have had this tank up and running for years with no trouble (after learning about checking ph years ago that is). Not over crowded, not aggressive fish. I've had dojo loaches all of this time. I decided to add a couple more dojo loaches and within 2 days fin rot and this white goop have appeared.

My main question is does anyone know of any disease or ichy type thing that creates white goop free floating in tank? I'm able with medication to get the fin and tail rot to heal, but the white goop continues to show up, then the rot comes back. So I am guessing if I can terminate the source of the white goop I can then heal up the fish and I can have my crystal clear healthy tank back.

Thanks again for any input.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Scott, what other meds were you using? You said the white goopy stuff already showed up before you add any meds. *I have my inference that the nitrofurazone failed to be absorbed by your dojos' bodies.*

Just for once, loaches are often scaleless and sensitive to medications especially nitrofurazone.
http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/Treatment-of-Choice.htm


> Nitrofurazone is another good choice for treating many different bacterial infections and is packaged by Aquatronics as FuracynT. This antibiotic is also well absorbed by the fish and can be used like Minocycline for either internal or external infections. *You should note that some scaleless fish have been reported to be sensitive to Nitrofurazone, and it is carcinogenic.* Nitrofurazone is used as a one-time dose (first day only) of 30 to 40 mg per gallon for a three- to five-day treatment. Dim the lighting when using antibiotics. Nitrofurazone in particular is inactivated by light. This antibiotic has some antiparasitic action and can be helpful when used along with formalin dips for treating Uronema marinum.


I wonder if users of Bettamax and Spectograms also have the same situation as yours like that white stuff. Both meds I mentioned also have nitrofurazone as their ingredient.

I got this from another site as an information regarding the use of nitrofurazone.


> Prolonged exposure to nitrofurazone can cause fish to stop breeding, but this usually does not occur the way we use it on our aquarium fish.


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## herefishy (Dec 14, 2006)

White stringy growth is a fungus. Do a 50% water change and treat the tank with a fungicide and watch how much you are feeding your fish. The condition has occurred in my tanks, mostly new setups, where I have pushed the parameters of a new tank. It has occurred once in an established tank when I decided to change the neighborhood and stretched the capacity of the bio-bed. You may have to do a gravel sweep to make sure that minimal detritus is trapped in the gravel bed. Also, monitor the situation and perform water changes as needed. Maybe as often as every other day. Good luck.


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## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

ok I will try a "major" water change. I've only been doing 10-20 gallons at a time so far. Any suggestions on a med to use? Binox(nitrofurazone) is what I have on hand so It's what I'm gonna use tonite and hopefully not "stop fish from breathing". Plus I'm thinking to pull all decorations and let them dry out to hopefully kill the fungus on them (or should I just pitch them?) . So it will be 5 dojo loaches and 2 chinese algae eaters in a (gravel and marbles only bottom) 75 gallon freshwater tank. 2 emporer 400 filters with the carbon removed from cartridges. And will turn off the light on tank.

Another fungacide (fin and tail rot fixer upper) safe for scaleless fish recommendation would be appreciated.


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

How often are you feeding the fish? What foods? 
What are your water params for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH?
Binox is probably the best med out there for what you are dealing with. I would do the larger water change, and while doing it, try to suck as much of the white fungus as you can out of the tank at the same time. It sounds as if another treatment with the Binox is needed. Do you have a quarantine tank? I am thinking that moving the fish to a tank without the fungal issue may tell you if the issue in the tank itself is causing the fish to remain sick or to be reinfected. Treating them in a quarantine tank would be the safest way to be sure they are responding to the medication. This would also remove nutrient level from the main tank, and give all of us a better idea of how to get rid of the fungus in the tank. Some strains of fungus can be tricky to kick.


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## scott0402 (Jan 30, 2007)

I generally have fed once a day a mix of tropical flakes, algae wafer, tubifex, plankton, krill, shrimp pellets. I had tried mixing in some garlic powder (had heard beneficial) but discontinued since it didn't help with this situation. No I don't dump in a ton of food the above items get mixed up for variety and I throw in some extra now and again if they seem to be scavaging extra hyper (if that makes sense).

The parameters were all within safe zones (and steady for years). Which is basically the same as my tap water (I use a dechlorinator like "genesis" drops). Speaking of which after the "major" water change I just did (between half and 3/4) pretty sure nothing is out of whack parameter wise. Though I would have to guess the biological filter is probably shot. And I added a healthy dose of aquarium salt, along with another dose of binox. Turned out the light.

No I do not have another tank, but I have been debating getting some containers to seperate fish from each other and tank. At least maybe I can get a few if not all to "stay" clear of that fin rot. Right now only one of the loaches is showing a rough looking top fin.

Hey folks thanks! I mean it!! This has been a very depressing situation. And well I just had to vent. 

Oh I did try something "super genius" I hope. I wrapped (clean) old socks around the empty media containers to act as a floss. Those emporer cartridges are just to expensive to cut open and throw away the carbon. And I thought it would be a good idea to have fresh mechanical filters.


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## somethings_fishy (Apr 21, 2007)

We have white cottony stuff floating around too, almost slimy at times, and it started when we got 2 rock shrimp a couple weeks ago. At first we thought it was the shrimp molting or something but every couple of days there is more white stuff floating around the top of the tank, mostly in the corner and around the filter and heater. We asked at the pet store and they didn't have a clue what it could be. I would post a picture but we just scooped out the most recent stuff today, but don't worry, there will most likely be more within a couple of days. Anybody have any ideas what this could be... we do regular water changes and all the water tests come back good, and we had no problems until we got the shrimp.


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## sxcsamman (Apr 21, 2007)

i agree with herefishy that it would be a fungus,
most likely from over feeding or not enough cleaning of tank. if you leave detritus on the bottom of the tank it will quickly turn into the white stuff, with adding a new fish and adds more bio load onto the tank which the filtration needs to "adjust" to and the best thing to do is keep the tank clean and do regular water changes. scott0402 you keep saying your water paramounts are at a safe level but what level are they at, what are the exact readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and . 

sam


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

if I may finish... "and pH"
sxcsamman, you are on the right track here... and it is likely that the biological filtration is shot at this point, which won't help the fish when the tank cycles again. Slowing down the feedings (*1/2 the amount of food every other day*) will help a lot, and small 10 - 15% water changes on the days you don't feed will also help to keep the nutrient levels under control while the tank is cycling again. This will make the water params much safer and leaves a better chance for the fish to survive this ordeal. 
I will warn against using medications at this point because of the expected cycling. Any ammonia or nitrite in the water, or nitrate over 40 will make medicating safely impossible. The best thing to do at this point is to keep the water clean by doing the water changes and decreasing the food, and wait it out. Once the tank is cycled completely, then if still needed, you can use medications to help cure the fungal or bacterial issues that may remain.

Moving the fish to "containers" would be the worst thing to do for them right now. The stress alone would likely kill them, especially if they are sick. I would advise avoiding large water changes (50% or more at a time) in the future. Small and frequent is always the safer way to keep things healthy or to fix a problem.
Good Luck with it!


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