Very Sick CatFish

jayjr98 · Post by **jayjr98** » 01 Feb 2004, 19:03

I bought a new pictus about a week ago, looked very healthy. Luckily I had just recently set up a quarantine tank for new fishes.

Anyhow, the 2nd day I noticed a pretty bad tear on one of his fins... on his left side. By day 4 a fungus had started growing on it. At the recommendation of the LFS, I started using Pimafix, the new "all natural", anti-fungal/anti-biotic cousin of metafix.

Four days later, the fungus had tripled its size.. big white patch now up near his body.. up where the fungus seems to meet his body... there is some red-streaks now....

It seems to me like a bacterial infection with a secondary infection.

I may have jumped the gun but since the PimaFix has had no effect after 4 complete days, I stopped using it, did a 30% water change, and went to the LFS to buy some Kanacyn.

When I got back, the fish now has started an outbreak of ICK !!!

I went ahead and added the kanacyn and bumped the thermometer up a couple notches.

I usually keep the temp at 78... but would like to go up to 82 since i can't add ICK medicine at the same time as the kanacyn. Is 82 too high for pictus cats ? Can they live comfortably in that temp??

Post by **Silurus** » 01 Feb 2004, 19:06

It should be able to tolerate 82 degrees.

jayjr98 · Post by **jayjr98** » 01 Feb 2004, 19:10

Thanks for the advice...

Any ideas on the medication though.. What would you do in my shoes with a fish that has an infection and fungus growing all over it??

There are literally tons of medications out there that will say they are for bacterial/fungal infections... which ones are the best to use??

Post by **Silurus** » 01 Feb 2004, 19:11

I would treat the bacterial infection first. If the fish recovers and pull through, it might be able to recover from the fungal infection by itself.

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 01 Feb 2004, 21:44

Have you checked the water in this "new" quarantine tank has it the filter been cycled fully?

jayjr98 · Post by **jayjr98** » 02 Feb 2004, 23:21

Water is fine...

Nitrite & ammonia : 0

Stuck some of the "bio-foam" from the filter of my established 55gal in the filter when I put the pictus in...

He's still eating, ammonia still 0. So there was enough bacteria on there to get things rolling.

Nothing seems to be helping the fungus/infection at all.. Fungus spot keeps getting bigger and bigger even though I'm treating.. Poor guy still has apetite, even though he is now showing signs of ick.. he wants to fight it out, but unless these meds take hold on it he's gonna be a goner.

As I previously mentioned, I have now stopped using the pimafix and am on day 2 of the Spectrogram.... (aquatronix blend of kanacyn and muracyn.... basically a "wide-spectrum" antibiotic and anti-fungal medecine).

So far, still more fungus every morning when I go check on him. Any suggestions.. wish I had a digital cam to show you a pic of this nasty fungus and infection.

jayjr98 · Post by **jayjr98** » 02 Feb 2004, 23:23

By the way... I now have the temp sitting at 82 degrees trying to "naturally" stop the ick problem...

I've heard this is going to help the fungus keep growing.. but there is so much going on here I don't know what the best solution is anymore...

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 02 Feb 2004, 23:41

Sounds like the fungus is winning, in this situation when it's s#*t or bust. I would first increase airation by air pump or making the filter splash..ect. Second if the medication you are using is intended for everday use i would start using it every 12 hours. because with the airation the med's are mostly degraded after about 12hours.(not all medication works like this) lastly darken the tank slightly if it has lighting, keep feeding well and changing water when required.

Post by **Barbie** » 02 Feb 2004, 23:43

If the fish was mine, I would net him, or pick him up in a strainer for noodles, so he won't get all hooked in it, and treat the individual fungus spots with iodine on a swab. Then do daily water changes, carefully siphoning the bottom of the tank. You might have to swab him with iodine a couple times, but the daily water changes will help his immune system also, as well as removing the ich. 82 will speed up the ich life cycle, but I realize you've read it will "stop" it, and that's just not true, IME, without the water changes to remove the cysts.

Hope that helps!

Barbie

jayjr98 · Post by **jayjr98** » 03 Feb 2004, 12:25

Thanks for all the great advice... I think I'm going to up the dosage on the medecine.. at this point, its all or nothing.. b/c nothing seems to be working.

Also, I don't want to spread ick from the QT tank to the main one through nets or syphon hose... so do I need to disinfect them somehow or just let them airdry? Will this parasite die when not in water or does it still live on ?