Is This Columnaris? How To Treat?

This all began when I noticed a tiny fluffy white patch on a GBRs head and he was very pale and not doing well. Then I lost a cardinal tetra that I also saw a tiny white fluffy patch on its head. I lost a couple more cardinals (didn’t see any white fluff) so I decided to take a closer look at the cardinals and they look terrible! Some of them have white fluff on their bodies (small spots not patches), some of them in their fins, and a couple of their tails have turned rotted off (see pictures).

They are the only fish with this problem aside from a teeny tiny white fluffy spot on on my angel juvie. The angel seems to be unaffected but the cardinals are all in hiding (though they are still eating). Most other fish seem unaffected except 2 rams which are not eating.

This is a planted 75 gallon community tank.

Parameters are 0,0,5.

Is this just a bad case of fin rot? Fungus? Columnaris? I thought columnaris was supposed to look more patchy but I could very well be wrong.

I’m wondering how to proceed with treating? I have Paraguard on hand, or is this something that would require a med like Kanaplex? It’s hard to find where I am so I would need to order online.

 

Peroxide or potassium pomegranate would work for all of the above.

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/peroxide-how-to.382067/#post-3926127


Read over them and see if your comfortable using either.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Ideally looking to treat the problem, not just the symptoms as there is definitely something going on with this tank.

Anyone have any ideas what disease I’m dealing with here?

 

Potassium permanganate does not treat symptoms .
It kills whatever it is in contact with .
Proper dosing and a knowledge of its use is all that is needed .
I use PP to deal with just about everything under the sun and use it even when there is nothing wrong.
It is not a med that has use like 'parasite' only. It is a water conditioner that has chemical actions with water used properly that can be beneficial even in completely healthy tanks .
IMO it is the only thing that cured columnaris for me years ago .

 

Potassium permanganate does not treat symptoms .
It kills whatever it is in contact with .
Proper dosing and a knowledge of its use is all that is needed .
I use PP to deal with just about everything under the sun and use it even when there is nothing wrong.
It is not a med that has use like 'parasite' only. It is a water conditioner that has chemical actions with water used properly that can be beneficial even in completely healthy tanks .
IMO it is the only thing that cured columnaris for me years ago .

Oh okay thanks! I must have misunderstood what I was reading in that link. I’ll look into it for sure. Does this look like columnaris to you?

 

The beauty of not knowing if your fish has columnaris is the treatments for it cure many other common issues.
The combo of antibiotics works on many issues and the PP is the bomb by me but I have used it for years . I understand the dangers in it .Overdosing can quickly kill your fish . It is like using chlorine at just the right level to kill most life smaller then a snail !
It is a shame it is not more common so more people could say how they learned to use it .

 

The beauty of not knowing if your fish has columnaris is the treatments for it cure many other common issues.
The combo of antibiotics works on many issues and the PP is the bomb by me but I have used it for years . I understand the dangers in it .Overdosing can quickly kill your fish . It is like using chlorine at just the right level to kill most life smaller then a snail !
It is a shame it is not more common so more people could say how they learned to use it .

Hmm okay thank you. Makes me a little nervous lol but I will definitely look into it