Platy white infection in gill

[Eric Ortega]

I'll be going to the fish store, which is fairly far from where I live,
today for a couple different reasons and I was wondering about any
particular medications I should think about picking up.

The new-mother platy I talked about yesterday showed a white, mossy-
looking infection in her gill on Sunday. I treated her with an
anti-fungal medicine for five days but this did nothing. It didn't get
any worse, but it didn't get better.

Elaine T suggested that it might be flexibacter, so I started treatment
with a bottle of MelaFix that I have on-hand.

I'm wondering if there is something else I might want to try in the next
couple of days if I don't see any effect from the MelaFix. Elaine T
suggested oxytetracycline so I'll look for some.

Also, since I've never successfully treated a fish with these medicines
before, how long should I be waiting to see a positive effect? I figure a
couple of days to see a reduction in the growth, but I really have no idea
if that's too long or too short a time. I'm getting a little worried
about her because I haven't seen her eat since Sunday.

Thanks.

[Daniel Morrow]

Bottom posted.


"Eric Ortega" > wrote in message
...
> I'll be going to the fish store, which is fairly far from where I live,
> today for a couple different reasons and I was wondering about any
> particular medications I should think about picking up.
>
> The new-mother platy I talked about yesterday showed a white, mossy-
> looking infection in her gill on Sunday. I treated her with an
> anti-fungal medicine for five days but this did nothing. It didn't get
> any worse, but it didn't get better.
>
> Elaine T suggested that it might be flexibacter, so I started treatment
> with a bottle of MelaFix that I have on-hand.
>
> I'm wondering if there is something else I might want to try in the next
> couple of days if I don't see any effect from the MelaFix. Elaine T
> suggested oxytetracycline so I'll look for some.
>
> Also, since I've never successfully treated a fish with these medicines
> before, how long should I be waiting to see a positive effect? I figure a
> couple of days to see a reduction in the growth, but I really have no idea
> if that's too long or too short a time. I'm getting a little worried
> about her because I haven't seen her eat since Sunday.
>
> Thanks.

The only other thing you can try as far as I know is the progressive salt
treatment along-side the medication you are giving. The salt will probably
kill any plants in that tank and I think the beneficial bacteria as well so
I definitely recommend you get another container for the baby fry and just
have that one diseased platy in that tank only. Add 2 teaspoons of
pickling/aquarium (marine) salt per gallon. Then over the next few days
slowly add up to another 2 teaspoon-fulls per gallon for an eventual total
of 4 teaspoon-fulls per gallon. If no sign of improvement and no sign of
despair in the fish very slowly add another 2 teaspoon-fulls per gallon (for
a grand total of 6 teaspoon-fulls per gallon) unless the fish shows despair.
Guppies can supposedly take up to 8 teaspoon-fulls of salt to the gallon I
am not sure how much platies can take, but after the first 2 teaspoon-fulls
always go slow. Currently I have 1 female fancy guppy in my hospital tank.
Her symptom is resting on the bottom of the tank upside down. She can't seem
to right herself. She also previously had a long white slimy looking feces
coming out of her vent and that feces is gone now. I a treating with the
progressive salt treatment only up to 2.2 or so teaspoon-fulls of salt now
and I added coppersafe to try and get rid of any parasites especially if
that's the main problem. She's been in that hospital tank this way for no
better and for no worse so far. I hope she gets better even though I have
plenty of replacement baby fry. I feed sparingly (her) and I don't know if
she has eaten anything yet since this all happened. It would be nice if I
could be a doctor! :-) Good luck and later!

[Elaine T]

Daniel Morrow wrote:
> Bottom posted.
>
>
> "Eric Ortega" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I'll be going to the fish store, which is fairly far from where I live,
>>today for a couple different reasons and I was wondering about any
>>particular medications I should think about picking up.
>>
>>The new-mother platy I talked about yesterday showed a white, mossy-
>>looking infection in her gill on Sunday. I treated her with an
>>anti-fungal medicine for five days but this did nothing. It didn't get
>>any worse, but it didn't get better.
>>
>>Elaine T suggested that it might be flexibacter, so I started treatment
>>with a bottle of MelaFix that I have on-hand.
>>
>>I'm wondering if there is something else I might want to try in the next
>>couple of days if I don't see any effect from the MelaFix. Elaine T
>>suggested oxytetracycline so I'll look for some.
>>
>>Also, since I've never successfully treated a fish with these medicines
>>before, how long should I be waiting to see a positive effect? I figure a
>>couple of days to see a reduction in the growth, but I really have no idea
>>if that's too long or too short a time. I'm getting a little worried
>>about her because I haven't seen her eat since Sunday.
>>
>>Thanks.
>
>
> The only other thing you can try as far as I know is the progressive salt
> treatment along-side the medication you are giving. The salt will probably
> kill any plants in that tank and I think the beneficial bacteria as well so
> I definitely recommend you get another container for the baby fry and just
> have that one diseased platy in that tank only. Add 2 teaspoons of
> pickling/aquarium (marine) salt per gallon. Then over the next few days
> slowly add up to another 2 teaspoon-fulls per gallon for an eventual total
> of 4 teaspoon-fulls per gallon. If no sign of improvement and no sign of
> despair in the fish very slowly add another 2 teaspoon-fulls per gallon (for
> a grand total of 6 teaspoon-fulls per gallon) unless the fish shows despair.
> Guppies can supposedly take up to 8 teaspoon-fulls of salt to the gallon I
> am not sure how much platies can take, but after the first 2 teaspoon-fulls
> always go slow. Currently I have 1 female fancy guppy in my hospital tank.
> Her symptom is resting on the bottom of the tank upside down. She can't seem
> to right herself. She also previously had a long white slimy looking feces
> coming out of her vent and that feces is gone now. I a treating with the
> progressive salt treatment only up to 2.2 or so teaspoon-fulls of salt now
> and I added coppersafe to try and get rid of any parasites especially if
> that's the main problem. She's been in that hospital tank this way for no
> better and for no worse so far. I hope she gets better even though I have
> plenty of replacement baby fry. I feed sparingly (her) and I don't know if
> she has eaten anything yet since this all happened. It would be nice if I
> could be a doctor! :-) Good luck and later!
>
>
Salt is a good idea. I doubt Melafix will do much. Be sure to carbon
filter it out or do a big water change before you add whatever medicine
you can find tomorrow.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Eric Ortega]

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 03:05:07 +0000, Elaine T wrote:

> Salt is a good idea. I doubt Melafix will do much. Be sure to carbon
> filter it out or do a big water change before you add whatever medicine
> you can find tomorrow.

On Friday night I started treating her with Maracyn and Maracyn 2. I
continued with those two medications and aquarium salt until today. By
this morning she still didn't look any better, worse even. Sometime
during the day she started showing red spots and even developed a red
protrusion on the top of her tail. At that point I euthanized her. Sad,
but at least she had 20 or so happy babies. They've got a brand new 10
gallon tank being prepared for them to move into when they get bigger (and
it's cycled).

I have a feeling she had more than just the mold/bacteria/fungus on her
gill. I think she was fighting something else off internally and whatever
she got on her gill was just a symptom of her weakened condition.

Thanks for the help everyone. It's too bad it didn't work out.