Fin Rot or White Fungus

[DRLashambe]

My 30 Gallon has three Red Platies, 5 zebra Danios, 3 black mollies, and a very small Otto. We added the Platies and the Mollies at the same time, and all six now have white patches. I'm treating with fungus meds, and have done daily water changes. I'd like to do everything possible to help them out, so I want to add salt, but I don't know if the Otto can handle it. Any ideas?

I do have a 10 gallon tank available, but it hasn't been set up as a proper tank in a long time, so it wouldn't be cycled.

 

[homebunnyj]

I didn't qt my newest fish long enough and he came down with ich after I put him in my 29g tank. I have four oto's in there, and a dojo loach, but i was very worried about every one of my fish getting ich. I qt'd the new fish and treated him with high heat and high level of salt. I also raised my tank temp and put in salt, gradually raising the amount of salt over three days... hoping for the best. I haven't lost a single oto, or my loach, and it is now two weeks later. The salt is still in, but I'm going to start lowering it this weekend.
This is my first experience with ich in my tanks, (I've had them up for close to a year), so I'm no expert on the proper use of ssalt, but all I can tell you is that my oto's are still alive and kicking.

 

[bigredspecial]

I've treated with salt several times with ottos in the tank. The only fish I've had which showed any real signs of stress while using salt, were cories.

On the other hand, If you took a fairly large amount of gravel from the 30 to seed the 10, it wouldn't take long at all for it to cycle.

 

[DRLashambe]

Thanks all, that's the info I needed. I'll probably continue to medicate the 30 gallon tank, since I'm worried that I might have a fungus problem. I'm positive it isn't Ich, as I have a 90 full of Clown Loaches that have survived Ich bouts in the past. It's definately either fin rot or a fungus, so it shouldn't be too hard to treat. I've already vacuumed a lot, and I'll keep that up with the salt and the meds (I think I'll also ad a med for bacteria). With six sick fish, it's a little overwhelming; I appreciate the quick responses.

 

[homebunnyj]

Six sick fish.... Try saying that three times fast! : D

 

[DRLashambe]

Didn't even realize it until you posted, that's about the only funny thing in all of this. Thanks for making me laugh.