# Columnaris vs fungus



## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

How do you tell the difference?

My betta had a brown patch that appeared last night in both sides of his body and today it is covered in white. Now after treating with a fungus medication (not for columnaris) there appears to be white stuff coming down from his gills. Is this the medication working or is it getting worse?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Columnaris (gram negative bacterial infection) and Saprolegnia (fungal infection) both produce fuzzy white patches. 

If you look closely, do you see tiny hair-like projections? If so, that would be Saprolegnia.

If you don't see hair-like growth, that indicates Columnaris.

Source: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/columnaris.html


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

I cannot tell if there are small hairs or not. If it is columnaris I am out of luck. My pet store does not have any antibiotics. They carry barely any fish medications at all. By the time I order it online and get it in a week I am sure he will be dead


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

Well my boy looks a little better! It seems quite a bit of the cottony stuff has fallen off. I did a 100% water change, more aquarium salt and put more fungus rid in there. The cottony stuff that was in his gills has fallen off! Also I am seeing the scales/body underneath where the white stuff once was and it is red (he is normally navy but with red fins) I hope this means he is improving and this is some type of fungus and the meds are taking care of it. He is still not eating but he is swimming around a bit more. He was sitting at the top perched on a plant just breathing for awhile.


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

I am updating this thread with more details by request. I have had betta for almost 10 days. He was in the 10 gallon for a day but because the pH was 8.2 and very high for him, he didn't do well and showed fuzzies at the tips of his crown tail. I decided to put him in his betta bowl and have been treating with 1tsp per gallon of aquarium salt. He has been doing fine and active and eating this whole time. I stopped the aquarium salt 3 days ago because i thought he was fine. Yesterday I noticed there was a brown patch on both sides of his body (no salt in tank). I changed the water 100% again and put more salt in.Today I woke up and it was full blown cottony like material. I went to the pet store and got a product called fungus rid by Kordon. He looked really bad this afternoon and early evening. The cotton stuff was coming out of his gills this time. However like I previously posted it seems a lot of the stuff has fallen off. Including the stuff from his gills. Does this mean he is getting better? Should I still use the salt along its the medication? I also unplugged the heater today, I am wondering if the colder water helped some too. Normally he has 80 degrees. He was lethargic this afternoon, just sitting at the top perched on his plant. This evening he seems to be swimming around. Not darting but slowly swimming around rather than just sitting there. It's definitely an improvement over earlier today. Also he is still not eating :/


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

This is what betta looked like yesterday. That patch exploded in white cotton but since has improved and a lot of it has fallen off.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

wait until someone will come along and give you advice. But meanwhile just continue with aquarium salt + medications. I would do daily water changes. Aqaurium salt usually you can do up to 13 days, but do not stop it , just finish full course of it. Not sure about medications never heard of it, but since you saying looks like he swimming a lot of more then continue. 
You said that you been using 1 tsp/gall salt and stopped it because he got better,and now you added again today .So how many day you was using the salt first time before you added again today?


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

The first time I used it was about 7 days, stopped it for 2 days, and this is the second day he's been back int the salt. He is still swimming around a bit as I'm typing this. Hoping for the best.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I would use the salt for another 4 days so it would be totall -13 days. I know from a lot of members that you can use it up to 13 days in some cases. I know you wrote that he is not darting but i have a question when he got sick first day did he ever dart or tryed to rub his boddy on objects like heater,gravel, walls any thing? The reason i asking that becaue he either have columnaris or access of the slime coat which also can happen from having external parisites. And he might not show more symptoms for parasites because you been treating him.
So if your response - he was darting before and scratching the body it could be parasites and then the temperature should be up

If the answer is no he never was darting or trying to rub his body on objects, then you need to keep temp about 76 or if you have lower it fine too.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I've never seen something like that before. is it trailing off his skin at all? It could be just fungus that is attacking broken skin. it usually goes away with a clean environment. you can tell it's the fungus if it looks slightly hairy....like mould

I've never seen columnaris in person, but I've read that it doesn't show the hair strands like the fungus does.

Both the fish I have right now are from petco, and don't have health problems. one was lethargic for the first few days, but soon perked up and has been a feisty little fighter every since. lol.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I've never seen something like that before. is it trailing off his skin at all? It could be just fungus that is attacking broken skin. it usually goes away with a clean environment. you can tell it's the fungus if it looks slightly hairy....like mould

I've never seen columnaris in person, but I've read that it doesn't show the fuzzy hair strands like the fungus does.

Both the fish I have right now are from petco, and don't have health problems. one was lethargic for the first few days, but soon perked up and has been a feisty little fighter every since. lol.


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

I wanted to update everyone about my crown tail! Well the past few days he looked at the brink of death. I continued to use the kordon fungus rid and stopped using aquarium salt. He now went from being a cottony mess to having just a smudge left  the medication is working! I just put some more in to hopefully take care of the last little bit. He looks very anorexic and sick looking but most likely because he hasn't been eating. He just started to eat again yesterday 1 pellet at a time and this afternoons saw him eat two! This is a definite improvement! I have unplugged the heater because I read fungus and stuff grows faster in warmer water. When do you think it would be safe to add the heater back in to help him heal? I will post a picture of him.


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

Blurry but because he was moving!  he looks clampy but I think it is because he is cold. Very little white fluff left. There still seems to be some trailing off the ends of his fins. I hope the meds get that too.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

That's great news! 

What's the temp in the tank right now?


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## Sweetstrwbrry (Apr 1, 2013)

It is about 75-76. W heater it can be 80


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

75-76F is fine. You can leave it there for now. 

If the temp goes up, the bacteria will multiply faster. Leaving it at 75-76 is safe for him, and means the bacteria won't multiply as quickly.


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