Fungus

[Thyra]

Is fungus contagious?? I have a betta and two mollies in a 10g tank that I call my "quarantine tank". They never got moved and have probably been there over 6 months. About 3 weeks ago I noticed a little fungus on the female and like a cap on the male. I treated them twice. The female is clear but the male still had two large patches - close to 1/4 in diameter on the top o f his head. He aches and eats as normal. (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 20ppm nitrate. The betta has never been infected. I would like to get the betta out of there and maybe the female mollie, but I am unsure how to proceed because although I don't think it is contagious, I honestly have no source for that info except that the betta is clear.

 

[OrangeCones]

First of all, the fungus can be transmitted from fish to fish. BUT it is not likely to infect healthy fish, and often is brought on by some injury or other health issues that lowers the fish's immune system and makes them susceptible. If a tank full of fish has it, its likely water conditions that weakened the whole lot. If only one or two have it, it could have taken hold due to an injury.

Could you post pictures of the male? It would be unusual for this to develop after so long and with good water parameters. I would think that an injury caused the fish to be weakened rather than water quality.

 

[FreshyFresh]

That's a weird one Thyra.

Any recent plant or critter additions to the tank that could have brought it in?

 

[Thyra]

Up Date: I could not get a decent picture and then my camera died. I could see some red spots in the white (which looked like cotton). This AM he was alive, but not active and within probably a half hour he was dead and most of his lower body immediately turned white. I looked at him closely and the parts that had looked like big white raised callous on his head were like hollows now.




The pictures got kind of "washed out" so it doesn't do the fish justice - he was actually a really brilliant orange the the infected area was very white and raised.

 

[OrangeCones]

Could be Columnaris. Bacteria often decays the tissue under where the spots are, hence the 'hollowed' area.

 

[Thyra]

I am not familiar with Columaris, will have to look it up, but the other two fish still look fine. The betta is a charcoal black with bluish fins - anything on it would be very visible.