Bad case of fungus

[seastaar88]

One of my bluegills has a bad case of fungus. About two weeks ago, his fins got pretty torn up from another fish (they are now separated). i started treating the torn fins with melafix but about a week ago, i noticed fungus starting along the edge of his caudal fin. maybe two or three days later (i know i was a little late buying meds) i started treating the fungus with API Fungus Cure powder and ran a course of treatment along with melafix. during which, the fungus got worst and progressed to the point where his caudal fin is fungas-laden and it's starting on the base of the caudal. and there are two small spots of fungus on his head.

i've never had to treat fungus before, so this is new territory for me. am i on the right track, should i be doing something different..? i'll try to shoot some pics tonight after work.

 

[homebunnyj]

Are you a hundred percent sure it's true fungus, and not something like columnaris that needs to be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics?

 

[seastaar88]

i did a quick image search of columnaris and i dont think that's what it is. HOWEVER, to be sure, i'll make sure to take some photos after work and post them to see what yall think. it's all over the caudal fin with a few stringy pieces hanging off it.

if this helps at all, he doesn't swim much, he stays on the bottom and needs to be coaxed to teh surface to feed. it's like he had trouble staying up. but that could be just becasue he's sick.

 

[seastaar88]

my camera doesn't take very good closeup shots. below is a photo and then a movie of the bluegill with the fungus or whatever else it is. I have my two bluegills in quarentine.

 

[seastaar88]

BUMP

Is this indeed fungus or somethign else like columnaria?

 

[Lotus]

Poor guy!

It looks more bacterial to me. I'd try Maracyn I and Maracyn II (together), as it usually knocks out most bacterial infections.

 

[seastaar88]

sounds good. i'll pick some up this afternoon. any chance of him regrowing his caudal fin?

 

[Lotus]

I can still see some of the fin rays there, so there is some hope of it regrowing.

 

[seastaar88]

i hope so too. he's having a pretty tough time swimming, he mostly stays on the bottom of the tank. i've had him since 2004 (the first native fish i ever kept), so hes pretty special to me.

i picked up the meds after work. i did a 50% w/c and ran carbon in the tank for about an hour before dosing to try to clear out the other meds that were in the tank.