Sick (fungus?) L-114s

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Linus_Cello

Candiru
MFK Member
May 27, 2009
761
23
48
Washington DC
Hi-
I woke up this morning and saw that 2 of my new L-114s I got on 1/14 (overnight shipped) seem to have some kind of fungal growth on them (see base of tail). I've uploaded a picture, but I can't seem to get a better pic. One of the ones that doesn't seem to be doing well seems to be breathing quite heavy (lesser fungal growth, though seems paler in color than the one in the picture). I have upped the temp from 78 to 82 if it is some protazoan, as was suggested in another post (something seems to be in the water with all the sick plecos). I'm guessing they're stressed from being shipped. The other two new L-114s seem to be doing ok. All of them are in my 15 gallon quarrantine tank.
Water parameters: ph 7, hardness about 100 ppm, sorry no ammonia levels to report. I have been doing 20% water changes twice per week. I have some methylene blue that I can use to treat them. Another post suggested metronidazole. Or should I use perhaps salt? I'm going to do a water change now.
I have been feeding them blackwarms, NLS sinking 3 mm pellets, earthworm sticks, and hikari tablets.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

fungused L114.JPG
 
Z

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
6
68
So-California, US
Linus_Cello;3819144; said:
Hi-
I woke up this morning and saw that 2 of my new L-114s I got on 1/14 (overnight shipped) seem to have some kind of fungal growth on them (see base of tail). I've uploaded a picture, but I can't seem to get a better pic. One of the ones that doesn't seem to be doing well seems to be breathing quite heavy (lesser fungal growth, though seems paler in color than the one in the picture). I have upped the temp from 78 to 82 if it is some protazoan, as was suggested in another post (something seems to be in the water with all the sick plecos). I'm guessing they're stressed from being shipped. The other two new L-114s seem to be doing ok. All of them are in my 15 gallon quarrantine tank.
Water parameters: ph 7, hardness about 100 ppm, sorry no ammonia levels to report. I have been doing 20% water changes twice per week. I have some methylene blue that I can use to treat them. Another post suggested metronidazole. Or should I use perhaps salt? I'm going to do a water change now.
I have been feeding them blackwarms, NLS sinking 3 mm pellets, earthworm sticks, and hikari tablets.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Use Metronidazole immediately! It is a form of velvet/ich...
 
L

Linus_Cello

Candiru
MFK Member
May 27, 2009
761
23
48
Washington DC
I just got back from my local Petco. I bought both Melafix and Pimafix. The latter is for fungus (someone on another forum suggested Melafix, so I bought both); unfortunately they did not have metranizadole or API general cure. The Petco person said that it should be ok to use both of them at the same time. I'm thinking of just using Pimafix first. Anyone have other thoughts?
 
L

Linus_Cello

Candiru
MFK Member
May 27, 2009
761
23
48
Washington DC
If this is velvet/ich, I do also have some organic ich attack by Kordon, which is supposedly also good for bacteria and fungus; should I use this instead? Again, the Petco I went to did not have Metra or API General Cure.
 
Z

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
6
68
So-California, US
Linus_Cello;3820343; said:
If this is velvet/ich, I do also have some organic ich attack by Kordon, which is supposedly also good for bacteria and fungus; should I use this instead? Again, the Petco I went to did not have Metra or API General Cure.
Click to expand...
this is what u need..



I probably should have mention that Petco doesnt sell API medication... just Melafix and Pimafix stuff.. Metro exist in Jungle quick cure.. Petsmart is where API general cure and other special cure that exist...

I think if u go now.. u MIGHT catch petsmart store closing time.. since ur eastern.. MAYBE.. :(

Velvet isn't a type of fungus.. its a dinoflagellate parasite.... nasty stuff.. simply put.. its a type of fish cyst.. thus the small white dots u see on fish skins.. They might look like ich.. but far bigger and nasty killers..

Not trying to scare u.. but they can be cured fast with Metro.. is actually a steroid cure.. too much dosage can kill a fish.. so make sure to only use 3 days..
 
A

Allan01230

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2006
3,865
195
96
Michigan
Yes listen to Zero. Metro is what you need. A little salt say tablespoon per 10 gallons will not hurt either. I had this promblem with my L-114's a 9 inch specimen and later a 5 inch specimen. Use API for no more than 3 days. Buy it online if you have to. I tworks and your l-114's are valuable. Stick with the NLS food. That is all mine get and are completly healthy now. I can tell because they will chase my mascara barbs away from their caves. It is funny because they will loonge at the barbs and don't stand a chance to even nip the barbs because they are so fast, and the barbs know it. When my plecs were sick they would just sit there on the wood and haven sunken eyes and stomachs. Thsi stuff(API) took care of the promblem.
 
L

Linus_Cello

Candiru
MFK Member
May 27, 2009
761
23
48
Washington DC
Just got back from Petsmart. The bad news is that they did not have API General Cure. At least they had Jungle parasite cure (which has Metro as an active ingredient), which I bought and just put in the tank. So far, no casualties. None of the fish look any worse than yesterday, but none look any better neither.

I'll call around to see if any other stores have API General cure. But since I already put in the Jungle parasite cure, should I just wait and see, or should I do a huge water change and use API General cure if I can get it?
 
Z

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
6
68
So-California, US
Linus_Cello;3822229; said:
Just got back from Petsmart. The bad news is that they did not have API General Cure. At least they had Jungle parasite cure (which has Metro as an active ingredient), which I bought and just put in the tank. So far, no casualties. None of the fish look any worse than yesterday, but none look any better neither.

I'll call around to see if any other stores have API General cure. But since I already put in the Jungle parasite cure, should I just wait and see, or should I do a huge water change and use API General cure if I can get it?
Click to expand...
the second option.. the Jungle parasite cure isnt enough... it is only 25% metro..
while api is 60% metro...OOR go to bigalsonline.com and order metro where its 100%

Those are ur options.. or try lfs.. API general cure is wildly availble

BEst of luck
 
L

Linus_Cello

Candiru
MFK Member
May 27, 2009
761
23
48
Washington DC
At the risk of jinxing myself... so far no mortalities.

So yesterday I went to another LFS and got some API General Cure (GC). After dinner last night, I did a 40% water change (as I had put in a tablet of Jungle parasite clear that morning I got at Petsmart) and added the API GC.

This morning, all fish were accounted for. The 2 "unaffected" plecos seemed a little more active, though maybe it was from the outside light. One pleco still appeared to by breathing heavily, and lighter in color (so no change in condition). The one which is in the picture, I could not see clearly; it suckered itself on some driftwood, so that all I could see was the ventral side (I know it's alive since I saw it flap it's tail strongly once).

I've been keeping the light off and the tank covered at the front to keep it more dark so the fish are less stressed. Also, I was told that ich/velvet reproduce faster in light.

So the plan is to do a water change in three days (Thursday), and then treat with Melafix. If the fuzzy growths/velvet are still present, should I do a larger water change and retreat with API GC?

(Yup, I'm on planetcatfish and MFK- I'll update planetcatfish later so that others can learn from my ordeal)
 
Z

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
6
68
So-California, US
Linus_Cello;3825736; said:
At the risk of jinxing myself... so far no mortalities.

So yesterday I went to another LFS and got some API General Cure (GC). After dinner last night, I did a 40% water change (as I had put in a tablet of Jungle parasite clear that morning I got at Petsmart) and added the API GC.

This morning, all fish were accounted for. The 2 "unaffected" plecos seemed a little more active, though maybe it was from the outside light. One pleco still appeared to by breathing heavily, and lighter in color (so no change in condition). The one which is in the picture, I could not see clearly; it suckered itself on some driftwood, so that all I could see was the ventral side (I know it's alive since I saw it flap it's tail strongly once).

I've been keeping the light off and the tank covered at the front to keep it more dark so the fish are less stressed. Also, I was told that ich/velvet reproduce faster in light.

So the plan is to do a water change in three days (Thursday), and then treat with Melafix. If the fuzzy growths/velvet are still present, should I do a larger water change and retreat with API GC?

(Yup, I'm on planetcatfish and MFK- I'll update planetcatfish later so that others can learn from my ordeal)
Click to expand...
LOL.. ya.. i had to be a member.. i knew i was missing something on MFK..
anyways..

U dont have to do 40% agian.. just focus on doing 25% for now and continue with the treatment.. for the next 2 days.. It takes time.. but ya.. that is how the way to go with curing the disease...

API GC are good stuff to have around.. the issue is that they are a bit expensive.. I try to find LFS that has good deals on API GC
 
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