# saprolegnia or columnaris? help clampy :(



## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I just noticed a gray fuzzy growth on the bottom of his fin today (must have appeared very recently)

It is "furry" looking and gray, the fin underneath it looks black, dark grey

I went to the fish stores just now and no where can i find any antibiotic, maricyn or anything 
I did come home with jungle fungus clear becasue it has nitrofurazone an antibacterial that was recommended somewhere online
is this an antibiotic?
It came in huge fizzing tabs for ten gallon, i can split it up for a 1 gallon QT tank if it is good to use

What can I do?

Here is a link to what the fuzz looks like and also a picture that is a little blurry of clampy's fin

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_9YGlWNIl-as/SuMb-HZahTI/AAAAAAAAEww/LTxN-feROCc/s720/DSCN4530.JPG


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

He's in a divided 3 way ten gallon 
It is 78 degrees
I did a 90% wc four days ago
tank is uncycled
haven't tested ammonia but assume it is under .25 ppm


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I put him in a 1.5 gallon QT tank with some of the jungle fungus clear a large part of his fin has fallen halfway off where it is affected. I am wondering if I should cut the whole thing off?
I put the other fish in QT tanks as well and am wondering if I should treat them with anything though they have no symptoms.
Also what about my tank? I shut it down, but it has live plants in it, how am I going to sanitize it? this sucks, i hope clampy doesn't croak and i am doing the right thing.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

a large chunk of the affected area oh his fin just fell off, but there is still some more of the grey cottony stuff on his fin


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I would get him in high dose aquarium salt 3tsp/gal in a small QT that can be floated in the heated tank to maintain water temp in the 75-76F range....make 100% daily water changes with the aquarium salt 3tsp/gal.....

Pre-mix the treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-add the 3tsp/gal of salt and any tannins if you have them...either IAL or dried oak leaf and use this pre-mixed water for the daily water changes....

If he is still eating feed high protein foods-small amounts several times a day

Watch the other fish and make 100% daily water changes on them with fresh dechlorinated water....

Good luck and keep us posted.....


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

Thank you for the advice OFL, very much appreciated as always.
Today the rest of the affected fin is hanging off, it looks like it will be falling off soon.
Clampy is very active and happy today, and voracious as ever 
I will update this thread with what happens


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Clampy's so pretty; hope he is feeling better soon!


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

Thanks, that's very kind of you to say


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

Just an update-He's doing better.

The entire bottom of his anal fin that was covered in the gray fuzzy stuff fell off.
I am treating him in a QT tank w/ 3 tsp Aquarium salt per gallon at 75 degrees as recommended by Old Fish Lady with 100% water changes each day.
His fin is very ragged and I have noticed some pin holes in his fins too.
It was a pretty dramatic, fast take over of the fin and a large piece that fell off (I think this all happened in 24 hours) so I am sure the fin is very raw at the end so i think the aq salt and wc are really necessary to help it not get infected-yuck

The other bettas I took out of the tank are showing no signs of what I now suspect was saprolegnia.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

It is amazing (and scary) how quickly a betta can become over taken by illness.

Good luck on his recovery!


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## Thunderloon (Feb 6, 2011)

The salt and tannin treatment usually works.

Continuing care:
Draw a picture of him and keep track of pin-holes and losses to fins.
Watch main body for slightly lighter color triangular areas.
Watch eyes for clouding.

If the pin-holes continue to form then you will need to use the "jungle fungus clear" and attempt to get triple-sulfa (fairly cheap, a vet may have it on hand) Dosage of 664mg Sodium Sulfathiazole, 168mg Sodium Sulfamethazine and 168mg Sodium Sulfacetamide per 10 gallons for 48 hours as-per API packaging. The Nitrofurans won't negatively impact the Sulfa. Remember to keep aeration up in the hospital tank, an air-stone at the surface should be enough.

One of the things we need to add to the attack of external bacteria is to immediately use very very soft water in QT. Most the bacteria use water carbonate combined with the fish's protein to grow. A zero carbonate environment makes the bacteria very weak. (It also retards the growth of biological filtration, so will keep the nitrate cycle from starting in the QT tank.)

You can get low to zero carbonate water either from reverse osmosis or from distilled water that does not mention "added minerals for taste".

Keep in mind that Nitrofurans are bacterial reproduction blockers, they're not a cure. If you like you can include them with the salt and tannin treatment as long as you are precise with the dosage. I use them often with Sulfa, Neomycin and Kanamycin simply because they increase the density of medication without creating a unique toxicity.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I have noticed a large pinhole in his dorsal and a lighter area under his eye (may just be his metallic) but I am keeping an eye on it.
I am using tetra black water extract as I don't have tannins-they seem to like it but I don't know that it really replicates tannins
Good info about the soft water
And I am assuming I need to keep his tank at 75 for the entire treatment (I can tell he hates it and hovers over the heater)?


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I did a photoshoot with clampy documenting :
1. his pin hole
2. the weird light spot on his anal fin that appeared quite a white ago (It was not fuzzy and I didn't think anything of it, it looked like possible scar/thin tissue)
3. I was curious about the coloring on his anal fin for a while as it looked like it had washed out areas of color on it (nothing pure white, grey of fuzzy, just in the tissue) 
4. also there is a light patch under his left eye i think it's just his metallic
5. It also shows his raggedy fin where it fell off 

The last shot was too cute because he was totally posing for me!

I also remember that he had a long stringy white poo not to long ago, but I passed it off because after that he was normal again


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

He is so beautiful!

I wouldn't worry about the stringy poop just now, as he's not looking bloated and the bigger issue to treat is the fin rot - that's just my opinion, however.

Don't throw too much treatment at him all at once, as that will stress him out more when he needs to be healing his fins...


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

All the bettas I removed from my aquarium now have pin holes and the other two have been tail chomping. 

Clampy is doing okay, no new developments, no new pinholes.

Is there any disease that causes the pin holes that they all might have? 

I am thinking it may have been the stress of moving them into smaller quarters and now they are bored.
Also do I have to throw the plants that were in my tank away?


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

Absolutley miserable

My cellophane DT Phantom has taken a huge chuck out of his anal fin and there is white fuzzy stuffy growing on the tip! Also he seems to have chomped of his ventrals very short! Arrrrrgh.

I had moved him into a split 5 gallon critter keeper after a few days in a QT tank by himself as I need to share a heater.

I put him in a Qt w. AQ salt, black water extract and the jungle fungus eliminator.

Clampy is doing great and still in his AQ salt QT tank.

Other guy is okay so far but he is now in split 5 gallon critter keeper with crowntail.

SO now it is possilble that 4 fish are infected with what ever is going on. I can't lower the temp as my adjustable heater was just recalled.

I am going to wait and see.

In other news I bleached out the ten gallon tank they were in, I baked the substrate at 45o degree for an hour and I put the tank in the sun to kill of any bleach, then brought it in set it up with a ton of prime and am running it for hours. I will empty it a rinse more before setting back up.

I have the plants in regular tap water. I don't want them to die but I am not sure what to do with them, can I reuse them for the new tank set up?


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Again, if there's fuzz, knock that crudd to it butt with the 3tsp/gal of AQ, etc etc.

If you can, actually physically knocking off the afflicted area will help. I had the same situation (but a bit more intense) and used my dosing syringe (from walmart, best thing I ever bought!) and hit it with water and it came off.


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## sjones (Apr 28, 2010)

I was looking for the "like" button!Thanks


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