# Columnaris, I think.



## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

Do you have any pictures of the fish? Also what are your water parameters? Before starting treatments what has your water change schedule been like, how often and how much?

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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Pictures of the fish are hard but it looks exactly like this (except on harlequin rasboras):












Parameters:
Ammonia = 0 
Nitrites = 0
NItrates = 10ppm
PH = 7,6
Keeping water around 26 C thats...roughly 78-79 F

Before treatments is hard to say what my maintenance was because i juste started my tank. I did not change any water during the cycle. Did a 20 % water change after 1 month. Then added the fish. 5 days later they got sick. 25% water change. Pimafix 3 days then 15 % water change 4 more days then 40% water change. Same thing second week of pimafix. Then Paraguard treatment no water changes for 5 days then 40% when it was over. During Kanaplex treatment i would change 15 % before each dose.

I hope that answers your questions! dont hesitate to ask more 

thanks for your reply!


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

Sounds like it could possibly be columnaris. It is a type of bacterial infection which warmer temps will make it worse. First thing I would advise is lowering the temp on your tank. You will want to do this gradually, rasboras will be fine in temps as low as 70 degrees fahrenheit. From the forum that I use when dealing with diseases some of the medications that you might want to try using are as follows. Maracyn I and II, Kanacyn, Terramycin, Acriflavine, Furan, and copper sulfate. Copper sulfate you will not want to use in the tank if you have scaleless fish such as cories or loaches, invertebrates, snails or shrimp. As for the other medications you will need to check them out. Also I am not familiar with what these medications might do to your cycle. If possible you might want to consider setting up a hospital tank, a bare bottom 10 gallon would work well. Don't know if this is the same type of info that you have come across, but hopefully it will be of some help.

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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Pretty much sums up what I have come across. The next line of treatment would be kanamycin with furan-2.

I don't have a hospital tank unfortunatly and either way, according to the articles I posted Columnaris could live in the water column for 30 days. Basically its everywhere in the tank especially if those tranparent things are masses of bacteria...

Thank you !


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

So I just recieved Furan-2 and Kanaplex in the mail.

I was thinking of just letting the tank relax a bit for a couple of days with some good water changes see what happens.

If nothing changes ill treat with both antibiotics this week.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

While you are doing the water changes, do a thorough cleaning of the tank, too. 

Many medications will latch onto almost any organic matter in the tank, and will be wasted. If there is less 'stuff' for them to latch onto, then they will end up on the diseased part of the fish in higher concentration, and there is a better chance of them helping the fish. 

Look into how you can use Kanamycin in food. If the fish will eat medicated food this is a very good way to treat fish diseases.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

if it is columnaris, then you need kanamycin, as diana stated. or at least sulfathiozole. minocycline wont be enough.
salt will also help. flexibacter (the bacteria that causes columnaris) has a particularly low tolerance for salt, so the usual dose will slow down its progression. this is one of the few instances of bacterial infection where i will actually bother with salt.
also, dont turn up the heat. flexibacter does BEST at 78-85 degrees. some people actually advise lowering the temp, but i say keep it wherever it normally is


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## Warlock (Feb 28, 2012)

the little white things.. covering every thing.. to me.. is PLANERIA>.

harmless to fish..

caused by feeding too much.. cut back the amount of food feed.. thus less leftovers.. 
wipe the glass, do some water changes.. and it will go away..


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

I have done a full Kanaplex treatment, that is Kanamycin.

If you say it is Planeria... I will build a church in your name.

So I may NOT have Columnaris?!

daaaaaammmmnnnnnn....


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## Warlock (Feb 28, 2012)

Vin said:


> I have done a full Kanaplex treatment, that is Kanamycin.
> 
> If you say it is Planeria... I will build a church in your name.
> 
> ...


i am only address the white things you see.. that are pretty small.. and wiggle.. yes/?


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

They look like very small squareish things attached to the glass by tiny threads. And they move with the current. They are not like those tiny worm thingies that can appear.


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

This morning for the first time in a month I can say that i see some improvement in the symptoms on my fish.

Just to recap.

Tuesday the kanaplex treatment ended.

Water change on wednesday.

Water change + carbon on friday.

Smaller water change saturday.

Gonna take out carbon and do another water change today (sunday).

I just hope its not the bacteria weakening from the antibiotics and slowly developing a resistance to come back and nuke my tank...

Time will tell...


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

Glad to hear that it seems like things are improving. Hopefully your fish continue to improve.

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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Yeah me too.

Just hope its not one of those calm before the storm kinda thing.


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Soooo

Not to self promote my thread too much but...

The symptoms (white spot on mouths) have not diminished much further. I am changing water every 2 days (40%).

I'm thinking of continuing during the week end and if nothing changes do the kanamycin + furan 2 treatment.

Two questions:

What would you guys do? I'd love some advice.

And does furan-2 harm our plants? I have read contradicting information on that subject. Anyone have any experience using it in a well planted tank?

Thanks !


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

So last question...

Is it possible the white on my fish's mouth is a scar and they just need time to heal?


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## BarbH (Feb 27, 2013)

Vin said:


> So last question...
> 
> Is it possible the white on my fish's mouth is a scar and they just need time to heal?


Have any other fish developed any new symptoms? Also the fish that have been affected has there been any changes in their symptoms, getting worse or better? From how you describe it, it makes me think that it is not scaring, but it is possible that it could be a fungal infection from an injury? From people that I have seen that have had columnaris in their tanks it seems to be a pretty quick killer. If it was my tank I would give the tank and fish a break from the medications if nothing seems to be getting worse. What I would do is make sure that the water is kept in pristine shape, if it is a infection from an injury a lot of times it can heal on it's own if the water is kept clean. Sorry to hear that things don't seem to be getting better, it can be very frustrating. During my short time in saltwater I had a Kole tang that had gotten sick while I was quarantining it, could not figure out what was wrong with it. Hope things improve with your fish.

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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

The symptoms seem to have dimished a bit but I might be biased in my perception of things. But if they are diminishing its very very slow. Also all the transparent "things" that i talked about earlier in my post have almost disappeared.

It has been more than a week with just regular water changes (about 40 % every two days or 25% every day depending on what i manage according to my schedule). My reflex is to continue like this.

My fear is that I never see any improvement and it is stopping me from stocking my tank correctly.

If it was injury it would be on several fish and it appeared a week after their introduction. I don't see what kind of injury can cause this? Keep in mind that the symptoms have been present for about 6 weeks now.

I agree with the assumption that columnaris act quickly normally. Except in one of the articles i read and posted earlier it says some strains are slower. This slow ? I don't know.

I'm just having some difficulty assessing what this is.

Thanks again


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