# Is this columnaris + any shrimp safe treatment?!



## Mango (Dec 12, 2015)

I've used Kanaplex in shrimp tanks before and had no issues.
Seachem isn't allowed to claim their medications as shrimp safe but many have used their medications with shrimp with no issues.


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

Mango said:


> I've used Kanaplex in shrimp tanks before and had no issues.
> Seachem isn't allowed to claim their medications as shrimp safe but many have used their medications with shrimp with no issues.


That's really helpful to know! I'll go get kanaplex tomorrow. I'm not sure it's columnaris, but I don't know what else it could be.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

I've used salt in a planted tank with no ill affects BUT i have swords, crypts, and java fern. Didn't seem to hurt the anubias either (in another tank). Some species might actually care. (actually, one sword started putting out red leaves again - I used instant ocean)


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

TINNGG said:


> I've used salt in a planted tank with no ill affects BUT i have swords, crypts, and java fern. Didn't seem to hurt the anubias either (in another tank). Some species might actually care. (actually, one sword started putting out red leaves again - I used instant ocean)


That's helpful info! I'm nervous about putting aquarium salt in the tank. Plants, frogs, snails, shrimp, fish- it's hard to believe they could all tolerate a sufficient salinity to kill bacteria. I might just be being unscientific about that, though.

I've ordered Kanaplex from my LFS (checked two stores, neither had it), it's getting here Tuesday. Meantime I'm giving the two infected fish 1 hour daily 'baths' in Betta Revive + aquarium salt (1/4 tsp per half gallon bath) - not ideal, but it's at least got some methylene blue (step 3, here: Fish Columnaris | Fungus & Saprolegnia | Treatment & Prevention) as neither store had just straight methylene blue. I don't know if that bath could even theoretically have any effect. Hopefully no one else will get infected badly before the Kanaplex gets here and kicks in. 

I'm still iffy on the colunaris diagnosis. There are no frayed or ragged fins. One of the two fish has had the same pinkish/whitish patch on its side for weeks, and seems fine otherwise (wouldn't it spread? be lethal faster?). The other fish one small white patch near the tail, but he seems to be wasting away and acting a bit sick. Neither of the fish's patches appear fuzzy.

I'm thinking about about the 'underlying cause' as apparently columnaris implies one- My tank is understocked and overfiltered. My water quality seems good - I can never keep any nitrates in the water column (test are always 0/0/0), I do 25% water changes every two weeks, I rarely even see a single pond snail (one measure of overfeeding, I'd expect, would be a strong snail population?) and I've not seen any aggression in the tank- other than the infrequent, unsuccessful stabbing kind of attacks by the frogs when the fish get too close during the 3 minutes per day of feeding time bc they think the fish are food (because dang the frogs are dense and hard to feed in a community tank!). So...no ideas there. Thoughts and ideas welcomed.

I am holding out high hopes for the Kanaplex working. Will update after I've added some and waited a bit.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

With some diseases, there is. Some - like columnaris - just seem to linger around waiting for a susceptible fish, and they seem to target certain species.


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## wolund (Jan 2, 2018)

*was the treatment effective?*

hi, i wander if your treatment was effective and the shrimps survived the medication?


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