Upside down catfish Sick with cotton Fungus - Help -

[The13redi]

Well, I recently got a large upside down catfish from a pet store to add to my 75 Gallon tank with my yellow Bullhead. A few days after I noticed the cotton fungus one morning, immediately used Jungle parasite clear, waited 1 night and it was getting worse. So I then bought some Jungle Fungus Clear and set up a 20 gallon sick tank for him (the yellow bullhead seems immune to the fungus). The Usd cat is soaking at the bottom of the tank now with the Jungle Fungus clear (few hours so far). I plan to keep changing the water daily 50% each time. What else can I do now? I am afraid he's going to die soon. Why is the Yellow bullhead not affected? Here are some pics (Its nasty I know).

[Richard B]

That does look bad

Fungus usually sets in on exposed wounds or abrasions when the fish is stressed - this is the Asian usd catfish mystys leucophasis which can be a bit nasty when bigger - was there any aggro between them? Did the bullhead give him a bit of a beating? Presuming the fish was ok at the lfs, somethin hasn't been right upon introduction to your tank - either aggresion, vastly different water conditions, an external parasite causing irritation & the fish to scratch itself a lot etc. What temperature is the tank as the usd is a tropical species whilst the bullhead is temperate/coldwater.

You have done the right thing in isolation to treat, but something has affected the usd which we need to dentify so we can rectify it if the fish does pull through, have you measured the water - pH, nitrite etc

[The13redi]

It died just now, When I got it... The dumb pet store kid dropped it on there dirty ground trying to bag it up for me. It seemed fine until yesterday morning I started seeing the growth... and then it got worse and finally died today. The bullhead is an aggressive fish, but I don't know if they fought (probably did). They were swimming with each other the first day and night. Now i am trying to clean and disinfect the 75 G tank right now, I took 30% water out and now I am filling it back up. Should I use the Jungle fungus tablets in the 75 G now? It had a treatment of Jungle Parasite last night and I changed 30% water so far, so is it safe or should I wait. Temps were around 72-73 in the 75 G tank, I don't have the necessary tools to measure anything else. The yellow bullhead seems pretty tough and have never had a problem with him.

[Richard B]

If the bullhead has no signs of infection, there is no need to treat again.

if the lfs dropped the fish they should not have sold it after that but put it back & let it recover with them looking after it.

[The13redi]

The bullhead is perfectly fine, thing has never had a problem. I changed 15 Gallons in the 75 G tank and all is good. Called the pet store and there just BS'ing said it could have been treated. I treated the fish right away, and no results. I think it was from there dirty floor and the 5 ft. drop to cement that did it.

[andywoolloo]

oh my gosh!! poor thing!!!

[MatsP]

I'd go down to the shop and ask to speak to the manager. If the fish was dropped, it's certainly not YOUR responsibility to make it whole again. That's like the staff saying "oops I dropped it" in the Glass Shop, and then saying "oh, well, you have some superglue at home, don't you?" - sure, if YOU dropped it on the way home or when you got it home, no matter if it's fish or crystal glass item, it's your problem. If it's damaged before it left the shop (and particularly if you had nothing to do with it other than ask for the product to be given to you), I can't see any rightness in you paying for it and having to "fix it up" after the staff dropped it. Yes, I can see that the staff serving you saying "I didn't drop it" or some such, and it then becomes word agains word, but it's clearly not your fault, and most shops SHOULD operate on a principle of "innocent until found guilty", as in if the shop can't prove you wrong, then you are right. [SHOULD isn't the same as DOES tho - in which case I suggest you find a different shop for future purchases.]

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Mats