Morph

my pleco has fin rot and fungus, should i use melafix first to rid him of his ulcers, or should i use fungus meds to get rid of fungus first. or both at the same time.

thanks

Butterfly

I would use Maracyn or maraycn II it will take care of both problems at once. Just check and make sure what dose to use for Plecos.
Carol

Morph

well store is closed and all i have is melafix and API fungus cure. will any of these do the job? i'm just waiting to put meds in water and treat, i really don't want to wait any longer to get that 2 in 1 stuff tomorrow

susitna-flower

What are the tank conditions? Other fish in the tank?

My first suggestion is to do enough water changes to get the nitrates down to between 5 & 10. This can help in fin rot as well as fungus. One of the biggest reasons fish experience problems like this is from stress caused by bad water conditions.....

THEN....

Treat with something that will help with his slime coat, like stress coat. Even Prime is suppose to help with the slime coat.....ONLY then should you treat with Meds. HOWEVER, ulcers are NOT the same as fin rot, and may require more intensive medication than melafix. Maracyn-two by mardel will help with both, and is not suppose to upset the cycle. You will also have to treat for fungus if both are present..

Morph

ok not sure about calling them ulcers, i just noticed that under the fungus spot there is a bit of red.

my water conditions are ok, he was just moved to a new tank and i guess didn't dominate a cave quick enough and is stressed, he fights alot with my common pleco.

I've got a 29 gallon tank ready to put him in by himself to start any kind of treatment, i guess im just wondering what i should be starting with, getting rid of fungus, or this tail rot medication.

fungus meds say it works within 48 hours melafix says it takes 7 days, so i guess in my opinion i'd start with fungus meds since it's quicker??

Morph

im pretty sure it's not water conditions, my other fish are doing good and they are for sure more fragile then the pleco. he must have hurt himself in a chase for sure.

Morph

bah this fungus med says it takes care of fin and tail rot, i guess i'll give it a whirl

susitna-flower

Morph, one problem with having more than one pleco in the same tank is that they do compete for dominance. Plecos are bad about sucking the slime coat off other fish if given half a chance.

I had a sailfin pleco and a Royal in the same tank, they fought all the time, I separated them and each had a 55 gal, until my 125 was up and running, now they live in harmony in that large of a tank, with lots of hiding spots.....

COBettaCouple

I'd treat for fungus first, especially if it's extensive.

Morph

almost 24 hours, fungus still present, i woulda thought it would be gone by now, i guess i keep waiting

COBettaCouple

Fungus can take a little while to clear. I find Rid-Fungus to be very effective.

Morph

well it went from small fungus looking to like larger fungus with reddish underneath. I've got him on melafix now, not quite sure what to do anymore. i can't seem to get any of the products recommended at a store, only online.

any suggestions?

Morph

still on there, no clue what to do, hoping someone tosses out some advice.

COBettaCouple

If you can't find Rid-Fungus, can you find ICH-Attack? It's very similiar and would help. I'm not sure on the Fungus Clear tablets, if they're pleco safe or not or I would recommend those, since they're usually easy to find. You might check the box info on it at a local store or see if any members who have some can tell you.