Squidlet Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone has ever used methylene blue on its own as a topical fungal treatment? About a year ago I had a bristlenose that developed a sever secondary fungal infection after scraping its fins on some rough driftwood. After a month of no success with various treatments It was suggested to apply one drop of metheylene blue directly to the fungal source whilst holding the affected fish in a net twice a day. I have to admit the only reason I tried this was because I believed the fish to be on deaths doors, after losing one fin completely including the boney ray and the other heading the same way. It had absolutely miraculous results, with the fungi falling off within a week, and the fin was fully regrown within about 3 weeks! The particular fish then went on to pro create twice within 2 months, and is perfectly healthy. I ask of this as I am considering trying this treatment with my molly who has a fungal infection at the top of one eye. The fungal looks the same or very similar to what my bristlenose had. What is stopping me at the moment however is that a) she is pregnant and I loath to stress her out by catching her with the net continuously (This is her first batch of fry which I have been waiting a year for!) and b) I am not sure if it is wise applying methylene blue so close to her eye (I can guarantee it will get in her eye). I posted a few days ago about my fungal problem with this molly, the treatments are still having no effect. Before I change my treatment(wunder tonic was suggested) I wonder whether this has the potential to be a alternative treatment? Any advice of thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Methylene blue has been used since the year dot as a fungal treatment on fish and eggs and I have used it many times in the past. Wunder tonic contains meth blue (as well as malachite green, acriflavine and quinine if I remember correctly). Are you sure it is a fungal infection and not mouth fungus aka saddleback, collumnaris or cotton mouth disease. This is a bacteria and needs to be treated with an antibiotic. Often true fungal infections are an opportunistic infection following a bacterial infection of an injury so you may need an antibiotic for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Clear pictures will definitely aid in a diagnosis. Further more there are a group of us that meet regularly every month (info here - http://www.fnzas.org.nz/?p=434) and we might be able to help with some more hands on experience is that makes a difference. Tonic / Meth blue are pretty good at dealing with fungals etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I agree with whats been said :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I have attempted to take some pictures showing her fungal eye as close as possible. Right now am wishing I had a 2 thousand dollar camera :facepalm: When I was treating with both melafix and pimafix in my main tank, the fungal went away and then came back when I stopped treating. Since I have had her in the hospital tank it refuses to budge and I have noticed a second smaller fungal spot appearing next to the original. Ive been doing a 25percent water change every second day. I added a tablespoon of salt and at each water change have replaced the amount of salt lost via the water change. She so far has had pimafix and melafix 5 days in a row along with the salt whilst in the hospital tank. She seems very happy however, eating bloodworms and swimming with her fins up. There is not activated carbon in the filter and she has oxygen running. If it were bacterial instead of fungal, what should I be treating her with? You can just see the smaller fungal spot appearing next to the original. Hope these pictures help? And also whilst Im uploading photos, does anyone have any idea what this injury could be from? This is my female golden bristlenose. Shes been separated from the male because he beat her up a bit during the last spawn. I was just about to put her back when I noticed this which was not there yesterday. They've been separated for about 3 weeks now. Any ideas on treatment? And thank you Phoenix44, I will certainly try and fit this into my schedual, I was looking at coming to a meeting last year but got waylaid each time :an!gry Thank you everyone for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Furan 2 I would give the Wunder Tonic ago before the Furan 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Would he wunder tonic or any other treatments I have done affect the fry when they are born? Would I perhaps be better to wait further treatment until the fry are born so I can move them out, then treat mum fully, perhaps just running salt in the tank for now? Only issue is I have no idea how far away from dropping she is! Ive taken a few out before just to put them back and have them drop in my main tank, and most recently I went to uni thinking my big molly was ages away to have her drop whilst I was out! I wish it was simpler to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 They become very very round when they are ready to drop :slfg: For platies and mollies the only way to tell how far into the pregnancy the fish is, is by seeing how fat they are, platies and mollies which are about to spawn will seem almost square from the back view and will be very swollen in the middle. Wunder tonic is a 3 day treatment, I would be doing it before the fry arrive, I don't think it will harm them while they are still inside her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Can't tell too much from the pics but probably fungus as it seems to be pretty localised. Could treat with meth blue directly as suggested. It is stressful on the fish as you have to keep them out of the water as long as possible. Wunder tonic or furan2 used to treat the whole tank would be less stressful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Ok thank you very much for your help guys. Im going to do a water change today and treat the tank with wundertonic tonight and see how she goes. Hopefully she wont drop until the treatment finishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 The fry should be OK even if she does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Some people use this as a preventative to stop the eggs/fry getting fungus, so shouldn't be any harm to the fry if they arrive earlier than expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 If you use Furan, take care to avoid contact with the drug as it is carcinogenic. Also, you need to turn of the tank lights as the drug is inactivated in bright light. Follow the directions on the container. It also contains some methylene blue as well, so that could help. Methylene blue is toxic to nitrifying bacteria and will stain parts of the tank. The dose as a fungal preventative is 2mg per litre of tank water every 48 hours up to a maximum of three treatments. Keep in mind, it is a preventative, so it is not as effective as a treatment. Also, I would never suggest you apply the chemical directly to the fish's skin as this would be just like putting a drop in your own eye. :tears: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Ok thanks for the tip about the furan Jennifer! :smln: Thinking back I think I have worn gloves every time I have used the powder furan, as I happened to be treating tanks with formalin at the same time. Personally I have never used furan on my own tanks yet. Luckily I have her in a hospital tank so im not worried by the silicon staining :thup: And that's good to know the fry have a higher chance of survival than expected, thanks everyone! I have just done a water change and the first treatment with wundertonic, really hope it works! If not I'll give her a break from treatments for a couple of days, then try treating her with a 50% formalin/malachite green treatment that I have when all else fails. I loathe to use it knowing the damage formalin can cause (to people also), but I guess it comes back to the old "if the fish is going to die anyway, give it a go". I'll keep updated on how the treatment goes! Fingers crossed this works, Ive been working on breeding freshwater mollies for two years now. This young lass is the 2nd generation, having watched them grow up Im a tad bit attached to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 How's Miss Molly today ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted March 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 She still has the fungal spot, it won't budge! Im going the full treatment of tonic which finishes on sunday, so fingers crossed she shows some improvement then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 What temp do you have the tank at?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Treatment finished today, and the fungal spot is still there bold as ever. The tank temperature is 26degrees. She and another mollie I put in for treatment both had their babies over the weekend though. I came home today to find 8. They were a bit bigger than newborn mollies normally are, so am thinking they were pregnant with less due to the large size. My flat mate said they were still pregnant last night so they were either born during the night or today. I suspect some may have been eaten also, but for now I am happy with 8 (especially considering one is pure white, my first ever!), as I finally have some 2nd generation fish, and am well into my own little breeding project Any other suggestions anyone may have for treatment for this mollie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Next step would be Furan 2 I guess, maybe give them abit of a break from the meds, keep up with water changes everyday with abit of salt. Maybe start Furan 2 in a week or so. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Yeah, I think a break she defiantly needs, it looks like she has little grey patches on her skin as if her slimecoats been worn off. Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 The patches on the skin are a worry. Look up Columnaris and see if it makes a connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I did think of columnaris the very first time the fungal appeared, but Ive had a mollie that's had columnaris before and this one doesn't seem to have the same symptoms. The only fungal spot is the one behind her eye, and shes not got worn fins or fungal on her face. Since Ive stopped the treatment and done water changes, the grey patches seem to have disappeared over night and she is her normal jet black self. Im really hoping its not columnaris, i do water changes each week that involve removing organic waste, the ph and ammonia and everything is pretty good. Do you happen to know the dose rate for salt that is suggested for suspected columnaris infections, or a treatment that has worked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I have only used Furan2 by the instructions on the packet or acriflavine (don't know the dose as I went by the depth of colour). The latter is only useful in early or light infections as is methylene blue. One of my books suggests salt at 1 tablespoon / 5 american gallons (5 american gallon is 18.93litres) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidlet Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Ok thank you Personally I am a little bit hesitant with using furan 2, wish there was a safer product out ther. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 if you check the link from Adrienne in my 'killie with fungus' thread it has a lot of tips about salt and meth blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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