Different colouring

[ravenous]

My girl axi has a white coloured substance coming up from the base of her gills to the ends. It isnt fluffy but almost like it is poart of her skin. This isnt normal and salt baths are not helping.
Please does anybody know what is goin on here and my ph and temp are fine.
Ta Dan

 

[cynthia]

Dan - could you post a picture? have you tested for ammonia and nitrite? Though it is important to know your ph it is usually ammonia and nitrite that cause the most problems.

How long have you been giving the salt baths?

 

[ravenous]

Umm yeah i tested for both nitrite and ammonia and test came back all good.
It is weird it is white and almost like it is growing out of her gills. She is brown and at the base of her gills, there is a snow white colour.
her eyes look clouded as well but she is eating well. I did a 20% water change but i am stumped.
Any idea's

 

[cynthia]

It sounds like fungus to me. I would give her salt baths twice a day.

2 teaspoons of salt in 2 liters of water for 10 min two times a day.

What is the temp of the water?

 

[ravenous]

Water temp is bout 17 degrees so maybe time for them to go into the fridge.
Another thing is there is heaps of little white worms on the glass.

 

[cynthia]

Dan - How long has your tank been set up? When was the last time you vacuumed the substrate?

The little white worms usually mean there are a lot of extra nutrients in the water. They also usually show up in newly set up aquariums after about 6 - 8 weeks or so.

17C doesn't seem overly warm. Are the salt baths helping?

 

[ravenous]

Tank is about 5 months old and did a good gravel and filter clean last saturday.
Salt baths arn't really helping so i guess i will persis't and let u know. i Got a treatment which helps restore their slime coat so i am going to try that, as see what happens. I have checked everything and my water is really good so it might be something we cant find.

 

[mitch]

my axy has clouded eyes but was still eating and i've just started using melafix and pimafix to get rid of it, it's working great, 5ml to every 40 L each product. i just starting using it yesterday and one eye has cleared up 90%, the other 50%. it's supposed to take 7 days for the treatment to completley work.

 

[ravenous]

Well i got some slimecoat water conditioner and at the moment that seems to be doing the tric. I know this because she decided to have more eggs, which is good but quickly i have moved the male and sectioned off the tank. I have done thisto relieve her from having more eggs, but i was wondering if what i have done is correct and how long to seperate them for?
Ta Dan

 

[cynthia]

Dan - I just noticed your earlier post from July 2. When you do tank maintenance its not good to change your filter media and vacuum all the substrate on the same day. Likewise its not good to remove water and change the filter media on the same day. Sometimes this removes too much of your beneficial bacteria and makes you have a raise in ammonia and nitrite. Just an FYI on that.

On the separation - I would leave them apart if that is possible. If not, I would keep them apart for at least 3 or 4 months so the female can recoop. Laying eggs isn't always a sign of good health, so we can't say she is getting better because of the egg laying.

Was the slime coat product you bought called Stress Coat?

I am glad she looks better, keep us posted on her recovery.

(Message edited by cynorita on July 12, 2005)