Severe fin infection

[Stella]

My koaro (native freshwater coldwater fish) got an infection on his fin about four or five days ago. It very quickly turned into this white fluffy ball attached to the fin and has been slowly eating away at it.

For the last few days I have been getting him out of the tank and applying malachite green very carefully to it with a baby bud. It was making a huge effect initially.

Then tonight it is looking worse again. Most of the fin is gone, it is nearly a stump.

I just got him out again and this time I put him on a dry paper towel.... once he stopped wriggling and stuck to it I was able to dry off the fin a bit and keep applying the malachite green for longer and more effectively. I kept putting drips of water on his head and gills, but kept the fin dry and BLUE. (koaro can stay out of the water a long time in the wild)

Looks like it soaked in well, the fin is much bluer now than after the other applications.

I hope it works, if this doesn't I haven't a clue what would. Maybe add formalin to the topical applications?? It is getting to the really serious stage. As it is I suspect parts of the fin won't grow back....

Getting really worried, I don't think I have much longer before this gets to the point of no return. He is still behaving fine, no worries there, just this awful fin infection.

[Discusguru]

you should have stuck the fish in a hospital tank and treat it with methelene blue for the fungus. Dabbing it out of water is ok but when you put it back in the tank the med is washed off the wound before it can fix the problem.

Just my opinion,

ron

[alanmin4304]

Methylene blue is good for treating the fungus but it is usually a secondary opportunistic infection after a bacterial problem that will need to be treated with antibiotics.

[Discusguru]

True, I would have treated it with Furan2. I know a lot of people don't like to use medication and prefer the natural way like increasing temp, salt......

The alternative treatment is only good for minor hick up which can be easily fix with more wc.

ron

[livingart]

had the same problem with a large giant we had on display

had a small wound on top fin that developed into the same thing

took him out of tank and cleaned with a scalpel and dried off, then applied iodine ointment, then 2 more treatments of iodine saw him come right

he had only lost a small part of the fin though

[Stella]

Hmmm, it is interesting all the different responses.... Also the assumption that it is a fungus, when bacterial infections can look the same. That is why I am treating with malachite as it is supposed to kill both. It looks more like saprolegnia bacteria than fungi.

Also, do antibiotics kill fungi on fish? I know in humans fungal infections can be a problem after people take antibiotics as the competing bacteria are wiped out giving the fungi free range.

I just redosed him (I can't believe this fish, he swims straight into my net, knowing exactly what is going to happen....). I do think it is looking better again after the earlier dose this evening, but I think the thing of the water washing off the treatment is right.

However the tank already has melafix in it..... I don't really want to mix too many chemicals. The malachite is obviously working topically, but then it just gets re-infected in the tank.

Right, doing a 50% waterchange, will add malachite to the tank and keep up with the topical applications as it is obviously having an effect on the infection.

[livingart]

i used vetadine ointment as i wasn't sure if it was fungus or bacteria

maybe it was the scraping with the scalpel that actually worked

i know it fixed it

fish was 41cms long

released back where he came from and still in our stream, system

[jayci]

(I can't believe this fish, he swims straight into my net, knowing exactly what is going to happen....).

That seem indicative that the treatment feels good and his coming back for more

[Discusguru]

That seem indicative that the treatment feels good and his coming back for more

better still, give him the bottle of med and let him do it himself :bounce:

That is why I would use furan2 because it contain methelene blue to hit the fungus at the same time.

ron

[alanmin4304]

I would go with Ron. I have never used melafix and probably never will. In my opinion Mth blue is a better fungicide than malachite green and it is the bacterial infection that needs to be treated primarily as the fungus is generally secondary. This is a common situation with a wound or finrot.