[silva_unt]

Hello,

I just recently had a molly with fungus and a minnow with open sores/missing scales and treated the tank with Fungus Guard. The molly lost the fungus and the minnow died a couple days later. I did 2 treatments worth = 3 tablets for 30 gallon for 4 days, 25% water change then retreated with 3 tablets for 4 days.

1-1.5 weeks later and the same molly showed signs of fungus again and tail rot. A few more mollies with tail rot too. I'm retreating with the remaining Fungus Guard and tomorrow will be day 4 of round one.

The molly originally with fungus, no longer has it, but now a new Molly does. One of my larger ones. Here are photos so you can help identify what this is or confirm that it is fungus. It almost seemed this fish starting showing symptoms after starting treatment.









If you suspect its something else like ick or parasites, what medication should I use with Corys in the tank?

Thanks for any help you can give! I will be able to purchase new or more of the same med tomorrow.

 

[newbieshrimpkeeper]

ich probably. i think u can only treat the fish when those the ich protozoa reproduces and get out of the fish. i don't know any treatment except salt bathing. i think if one fish caught ich, the whole tank catches it, so better remove it. if the other fish show symptoms like white spots and flashing, the whole tank is infected. i feel really sorry for u. when my tank got ich, it killed many. it might not be ich though. i am no expert.

 

[Coralbandit]

Ich.
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/ichthyophthirius/
Best link and info I have found.
Know your enemy(please read).
Change at least 50% and start with kordon rid ich plus(not the herbal crap) if your tank will allow.
Otherwise best either using salt alone,or slowly raise temp to 86f if the fish will tolerate it.
I don't recommend mixing treatments(just pick one and kill the ich).

 

[ErtyJr]

Your fish has ich.

I will say one thing I have learned about ich over the years.

Ich is highly contagious... But only if your fish are not healthy, or are stressed out. I have treated ich, inside a fully stocked tank, with only one fish who caught it. That one fish only caught it because I was dumb and didn't use a quarantine tank and it was a new addition. When I treat ich, since I know all my fish are healthy, all I do is crank up the temperature and let it burn through its life cycle faster.

When I was young I had dirty tanks with bad water quality and many times when I had a fish that caught ich I would lose multiple fish to it in the end, even using meds. Now a days having ich doesn't bother me a bit. I'm serious when I say a healthy fish just doesn't catch ich, their immune system will stop it.

I'm telling you this because I basically want you to know don't panic. If you have cared well for your fish up to this point it isn't going to be a big deal. If you do indeed have healthy fish I highly recommend going the no medication method. Use some heat, and if you so choose aquarium salt. Crank the heat to around 86, your fish will get worse for a few days then suddenly be 100x better after about 5 days. During that time feed them well and keep the water clean, and everything should be easy.

If your fish are not healthy or you have your doubts, go with the meds suggested above.

 

[Dead2fall]

Your fish has ich.

I will say one thing I have learned about ich over the years.

Ich is highly contagious... But only if your fish are not healthy, or are stressed out. I have treated ich, inside a fully stocked tank, with only one fish who caught it. That one fish only caught it because I was dumb and didn't use a quarantine tank and it was a new addition. When I treat ich, since I know all my fish are healthy, all I do is crank up the temperature and let it burn through its life cycle faster.

When I was young I had dirty tanks with bad water quality and many times when I had a fish that caught ich I would lose multiple fish to it in the end, even using meds. Now a days having ich doesn't bother me a bit. I'm serious when I say a healthy fish just doesn't catch ich, their immune system will stop it.

I'm telling you this because I basically want you to know don't panic. If you have cared well for your fish up to this point it isn't going to be a big deal. If you do indeed have healthy fish I highly recommend going the no medication method. Use some heat, and if you so choose aquarium salt. Crank the heat to around 86, your fish will get worse for a few days then suddenly be 100x better after about 5 days. During that time feed them well and keep the water clean, and everything should be easy.

If your fish are not healthy or you have your doubts, go with the meds suggested above.

+1 very good advice.

Vacuum good too in hopes of catching cysts that have fallen off and not hatched yet.

 

[silva_unt]

Thank you all! I will crank up the heat and buy the med just in case! I would assume raise the heat slowly? It's currently at 76 and I just set it to 81. I will also go ahead and complete a large water change now and put the carbon back in to give them some rest from the medication.

Question, what about my cories? Will that med be ok with cories and I heard salt is not ok with cories?

I have a 30g. Cories, white cloud mountain minnows, and the mollies.
All the mollies in my tank were bred in my tank. I finally had to get rid of the dad and install a second OTB filter, which greatly improved the water quality. My cory's are actually growing in new barbles! I probably have about 20 mollies, mostly juvenile size still though. I try to clean the tank weekly, removing about 3 gallons.

Thanks again for your comments and help!

 

[PlantedRich]

How to know it is ich if you have not seen it before?
Pick a specific white spot and watch it. Maybe even write down or take a picture of the spots. Then if it is ich, it will change quickly. Almost like the fish has changed his shirt! Ich on the fish drops off to lay on the bottom, matures and swims to get back on the fish. But quick action is really important. Treat for the first spot rather than a week later as it helps. And certainly don't stop treating just when you see it no more. It is still there so fight it for 6-7 days more to be sure it is out of all the hidden spots.

 

[Coralbandit]

I have a 30g. Cories, white cloud mountain minnows, and the mollies.
My cory's are actually growing in new barbles! I probably have about 20 mollies, mostly juvenile size still though. I try to clean the tank weekly, removing about 3 gallons.

Thanks again for your comments and help!

The cories don't like salt,but are sometimes sensitive to meds also.
Raise temp slowly as you say,over a day or two.
The white clouds are cool water fish(some cories also) so keep an eye on them.Add extra oxygen with an air pump if you have one,otherwise lower tank water level so HOB will splash alittle more returning

3 gallons a week on a stocked 30?Shoot for 10-15g a week if possible.
Your water quality is the issue IMO.

 

[silva_unt]

The cories don't like salt,but are sometimes sensitive to meds also.
Raise temp slowly as you say,over a day or two.
The white clouds are cool water fish(some cories also) so keep an eye on them.Add extra oxygen with an air pump if you have one,otherwise lower tank water level so HOB will splash alittle more returning

3 gallons a week on a stocked 30?Shoot for 10-15g a week if possible.
Your water quality is the issue IMO.

I agree, I will be trying to sell them to my LFS, but not if they are sick. I will up my water cleanings. I do have an air pump and will use that with the temp increase.

So NO on salt with my cories...any other opinions with kordon rid ich plus?
They've been doing fine with fungus guard.

Bump: and here she is today. Looks slightly better than yesterday, but still spotty.

 

[jeepguy]

While on the expensive end paragaurd will eradicate ich without having to change temp or worry about scaleless fish. It is completely safe and you just add the amount each day. It took two bottles for my 65g at about $25 total. Not bad but completely safe and easy. No need to worry about oxygen levels due to high temps or the effects of salt on cories and other sensitive fish. My 2 cents.

 

[Coralbandit]

The spots are falling off!
They are now multiplying in your substrate(possibly by hundreds or thousands!).
Vac the sub for waterchange to remove as many as possible.
It is ONLY while the ich is off the fish you can kill it.

 

[silva_unt]

While on the expensive end paragaurd will eradicate ich without having to change temp or worry about scaleless fish. It is completely safe and you just add the amount each day. It took two bottles for my 65g at about $25 total. Not bad but completely safe and easy. No need to worry about oxygen levels due to high temps or the effects of salt on cories and other sensitive fish. My 2 cents.

Thanks, I will look for Paraguard!

The spots are falling off!
They are now multiplying in your substrate(possibly by hundreds or thousands!).
Vac the sub for waterchange to remove as many as possible.
It is ONLY while the ich is off the fish you can kill it.

Cleaning now, I'm sure this second molly got infected when the spots fell of the original molly.
Cleaning substrate now!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Dead2fall]

I've used the blue ich treatment, the api one. No effect on my cories. It did kill my glass cats though.

 

[Coralbandit]

The paraguard looks good.
It is either the combo or individual use of ;M.green and/or formulin that is most effective in killing ich.
The paraguard has M.green.

 

[silva_unt]

Ordered the Paraguard online Sunday night as I couldn't locate it locally. Shipped yesterday so hopefully receive in the next day or two.

Currently none of the fish have visible spots. Once I get the Paraguard, how long should I treat the tank with no visible signs of the Ich?

I then need to sell off or donate some Mollies to my LFS...this morning I spotted a young male! Among all the babies, most (i thought all) turned out to be girls. In the words of Jeff Goldblum, "Life uh...finds a way." lol ... and the little guy is already harassing the ladies that are much bigger than he is!

 

[Coralbandit]

Need to follow directions on meds but treatment should last 7-10 days at least.
Mostly you should treat for 5 days after last spot is seen at least.
You likely have a lot more males then you think as they can suppress their sex while young for up to a year!Especially if there is a dominant male in the same tank(they release hormones that can stunt other males or at least warn them of his dominance).

 

[silva_unt]

Thanks Coralbandit for those guidelines. Yes, I will check the bottle when it arrives and start treatment.

Wow! That's crazy...Didn't know that about mollies. As they grow, I've been focused on the anal fin, all appeared fan shaped -- so that changes!? I got rid of the main male fish who created 30+ babies in the span of a few months, which now I have about 20 who made it past the fry stage.

The oldest Molly in my tank will be 1 yr old in March. The younger ones were born around June.

 

[ErtyJr]

I was going to add some more info but I think coralbandit pretty much answered everything exactly how I would have. Vacuum the tank a ton, do plenty of clean water changes, and feed em well and you should be good. I don't use meds for ich so I can't advise you on that aspect, good luck!

 

[silva_unt]

Thanks ErtyJr! Hoping all goes well with treatment too

 

[Coralbandit]

As far as ich goes I change water everyday and just re dose meds for the volume of removed water.
Many directions do not list this as a step but I have never had any issues with it.
This way you keep a little fresh water and fresh meds working on the problem.
I clearly use more meds over treatment time then maybe they say ,but I also think ich is pretty easy to kill.