[Dewdrop]

My daughter loves giraffes and got a tiny(1") giraffe cichlid (N. venustus). I know that it will get like 10" but she didn't know it. Anyway she put it in a 10g. tank with a small Parrot cichlid. I dunno if the parrot bit it or what but the bottom 2 front fins are close to it's body and covered with a white cotton like stuff. There is also a small spot of this stuff close to the gill on one side. I don't know if there are wounds under the white stuff or not.

So I brought it home with me and put it in a little 1&1/2g. octagon tank with a heater and an airstone running. I filled the tank with about 1/2 water from my 55g. and the rest dechlor. treated fresh water. I added Melafix, the only medication I had.
Questions:
1.Should I get Maracyn1&Maracyn2 & treat with that?
2. Dump this water and add fresh to get rid of the Melafix?
3. How much of the Maracyns should I use for this small of a tank if that's recommended?
4. I don't have a filter for this small tank. Will changing 1/2-3/4 of the water every day suffice without a filter?
5. Will the parrot fish end up with it too even though the venustus was removed?

Sorry so many questions. This is my first time with a really sick fish.

 

[Dewdrop]

one more question I have to work this weekend and looks like I won't get anywhere to get anything else to treat it with until Monday. I've cut the temp back. I read somewhere that will slow the growth? Would a little salt help any?

 

[JDman]

yes, salt will help, but not too much. thorough and frequent water changes are highly recommended. keep giving it melafix and they should go away. Just from experience.

 

[Dewdrop]

Thanks JDman but it's not looking good for the little thing.
That fuzzy looking stuff was growing like crazy. It had more than doubled in size the few hours I had it in this tiny qt. tank with the melafix. I read somewhere that it helps to apply peroxide to the area with a q-tip while holding it out of the water but keeping it's head in the water so I tried that (not easy to do with a fish that's at most an inch long) but got it done and then it went belly up in the bottom of the tank. I thought it was dead right away so I tried touching it and it wasn't dead but it's on it's last leg I feel. I changed 1/2 the water and added a bit of salt and more melafix. If it's still living in the morning, I'll try to send someone to WalMart for maracynI&II while I'm at work. If they don't have those then Primafix and if I can't get someone to go for me and it's still alive when I get home at 8pm then I'll go myself.
HEY it's up swimming a little. I'm still not getting my hopes up though.
Oh well, she didn't need a fish that was going to get that big anyway (trying to make myself feel better here lol). I just hope her parrot fish doesn't get it. Is it contagious? It did look like an open wound on it's stomach.

 

[JDman]

usually fish get fungus' from having a nasty wound or if it was stressed out. how big is the parrot? Did it pick on the little guy? It sounds like its not doin too well, so just do wat you've been doing and cross your fingers that he/she pulls through. Oh! DO get the Marycyn I&II as soon as possible and that will better the chances. Before you use it change the water so your fish doesnt get all doped up on melafix AND Marycyn lol. but seriously its not good for your fish to have tons of chemicals in its water at the same time. My fingers are crossed and i hope the little guy pulls through. :thumb:

 

[Robin]

The sooner the better on the Maracyns. Sounds like it's Columnaris so you've done well to turn the heat down and yes, salt is recommended. Dissolve it first and add 1-2 Tablespoons per five gallons. Needs to be plain sodium chloride, (table salt without any additives). Add the salt slowly over a few hours time.
The addition of salt is supposed to help prevent the bacteria from attaching to the fish's skin. Good water movement in the tank will also help in this way.
In our library section there is an article on treating Columnaris and he recommends salt baths as a cure for Columnaris so if per chance you don't get the Maracyns you might try the salt bath method.

Columnaris IS contaigious so you want to watch the parrot closely for any kind of growth on its skin as well as any change in behaviour, (loss of appetite, lethargy). As a precaution I would turn the heat down in that tank, (76), and add salt--1-2 tablespoons per five gallons.

Robin

 

[Dewdrop]

Thanks y'all. Poor little guy/gal was a gonner this morning. I think the parrot had took a pretty good bite out of it's tummy. That fuzzy stuff really took ahold and spread FAST.

Kim, I'll have her do what you suggested for the parrot. How long do you think it will be before she sees signs if it's going to get it? Think I'll go ahead and get the Maracyns to have on hand just in case.

Thanks again. Y'alls help and concern is greatly appreciated.

 

[Robin]

Kim, I'll have her do what you suggested for the parrot. How long do you think it will be before she sees signs if it's going to get it?

Columnaris is a bacteria that may be ever-present in your tank so the best way to avoid an outbreak is to keep your fish from getting stressed. When fish get stressed their immunity to illness and disease is lowered.
So maintain the proper diet, water conditions, tank mates, etc and your parrot should be fine. The lowered temp and addition of salt are added precautions. That's a good idea to have the Maracyns on hand but I wouldn't use them until there's actual evidense of disease.

Tell your daughter not to put any more fish in that ten gallon. That's a very small tank and parrots can be trouble even in much larger tanks.

Sorry you lost the giraffe cichlid.
Robin

 

[Dewdrop]

Oh Robin, I'm so sorry I've been calling you Kim. I just noticed that. Please forgive me (I call my own daughters by the wrong names so it's nothing new for me lol). I guess I was just kinda upset and so use to talking to Kim. Thank you so much for the help and wonderful advice.
I won't use the medication unless there's a problem. I probably should read up on parrot fish. I don't know much about them and figure my daughter knows even less lol. Besides the parrot she has a rope fish or snake fish or something like that in the little 10g. tank and a couple "neons" I think she called them. Tiny little fish that are dayglow pink. I really don't think she needs anything else in there unless maybe it would be a few more of those neons or whatever they are. I think they are a skoaling (schooling not sure of the correct spelling) fish. I figure the parrot will outgrow that tank too but don't know for sure. Like I said, I need to read up on them.
Thanks again

 

[Robin]

Oh Robin, I'm so sorry I've been calling you Kim. I just noticed that. Please forgive me

No problem.

Hope the Parrot continues to do well. The tankmates with the Parrot in the ten gallon doesn't sound ideal but less than ideal set ups do occasionally work out.

Robin

My sophomore's teacher's names all sound alike to me and I finally couldn't withstand his eye rolling when I'd mix them up so now I just say 'the math teacher' or 'the science teacher'. Much easier.

 

[Dewdrop]

So glad you understand, Robin. Thanks.

This isn't an emergency...more of an update.
After the giraffe died my little SIX sided (think I was calling it hexagon) 1-1/2g. tank came in handy again. I have 3 M. auratus in my 55g. and 2 of them started turning male color . One male picked on the other male bad and before I could do anything about it (clean out the little 1-1/2g.) he chewed off the tail of the subdom one. Got the subdom one put in the little tank with Melafix for it's tail (it wasn't missing quite to the flesh but close). It wasn't in the little tank long until it looked like it was getting the white cottony growth on it's tail. I lowered the temp., and slowly added the salt. Next day the white cottony growth was gone. I'm keeping the water super clean and continuing with the melafix, salt, and lower temp & his tail is beginning to grow. The MaracynI&II is good to have on hand (maybe the parrot fish isn't out of the woods yet but so far so good) anyway it's good to know that the salt and lower temp can work if you catch it soon enough...and get lucky. The auratus (probably all 3) will be going back to the LFS once the one male grows his tail back.