Kanaplex and Fungus Guard (Nitrofurazone) for Columnaris

Hi, (Admins - please don’t merge with old post. This is completely different as I know what’s wrong now and these are questions regarding medications amongst other new questions.) Thank you kindly!

I read in quite a few places that these two medications work well together and it’s ALL I can get in Canada. I’m wondering if my Clown Pleco, Shrimp, Ottocinclus, Mystery Snails and Nerite Snails can get Columnaris? If so can they be treated with what I have - Kanaplex and Nitrofurazone? Also, can some of them get it but not survive these specific treatments? If they can’t get it, I can move them into a temporary smaller tank until the treatment is finished. My sorority of betta females in my 36G all have Columnaris along with my single male betta in my 10G. He has it very badly where it looks like flesh eating disease on one side of his face and is spreading slowly to the other side! Also all of my Endlers in their 15G tank seem to have it too unless the Pimafix and Melafix slowed them down but it’s highly unlikely as that’s where the Columnaris was contracted. I just don’t see any external signs of it but that’s how my bettas started off too…

It took me over 40 hours of research just to come up with what information I’ve gotten so far and I’m dying for someone to know the answers to at least some of these questions.

I don’t know if I should treat these medications together or separate, and if I should remove all of the above mentioned species aside from the sorority betta tank as that’s where they are. The endlers and also my single male are in separate tanks. I’m also concerned with the severity of my male betta if he will this treatment will make him worse or if he’ll survive at all.

so far, I have turned all the tanks down to 75 degrees, upped the water flow and have been giving them Pimafix and Metafix for three days to keep their symptoms at bay. It’s keeping them alive but more sores are cotton bacteria growth is slowly coming. I’m desperate! They’re my babies!

ANY suggestions or advice is much appreciated. I’ve gotten this far and had to fight to get Kanaplex to Canada…

THANK YOU!

 

How much have you been feeding? When was the last water change?

Columnaris among many other bacteria lives naturally in the water column. They are not an issue unless water conditions are poor

 

Hi Cherry Shrimp and thanks for replying. I am unfortunately an over-feeder or somewhere in between. I do this mostly in my endler tank bc there are a lot of them of all sizes and need different sizes of food. When they come into color I sell them to my LPS. In the sorority tank I need to take it easy. My male I don’t over feed bc he’s alone. I do feed them all pees once a week for any possible constipation issues.

Unfortunately I was in the hospital for a few weeks and my boyfriend did not follow my instructions and fed like crazy! When I got home I tested the water and the nitrates were way too high. Between 80ppm and 160ppm. I did water changes (15%) to avoid nitrate shock (I killed fish in the past by taking the nitrates away too quickly) and also added nitrate pads into the filters. The nitrates are cut in half or less now.

so now that I have the two medications I’ve been researching how to do it all since their is literally no information except dosing, and no instruction manuals!

i’d really like to be able to take all of my females out of their tank as it has a lot of nice plants and treats them in a bare bottom 60 gallon that I have. But upon thinking about this would I not have to treat the water column as well? What if I added 75% of the water into the empty 60 gallon from my betta tank and left 25% in their original tank and filled the rest with new water? The other two tanks are small and I would just dose them in their original tanks.

If you could answer any of the questions from my original post or any of these questions it would help me a lot! I never know what to trust on the Internet and my local pet stores are mostly jerks and just keep telling me to put salt in the water but that’s just not enough. I did lower the temperature from 78 down to 75 on all my tanks and I added aquarium salt. I also have shrimp, snails a clown Pleco, oto and an albino Cory cat. i know snails are shrimp can’t be dosed but not sure of the other three… I have a 5 gallon that I was going to put the snails and shrimp in until treatment is complete. What do you think of all this? And will my other three mentioned above be okay to be treated?
Thank you!

 

The best way to go (allmost in case of all diseases) is prevention.

(Columnaris) bacteria are indeed present in the watercolumn and opportunistic as they are only cause isssues in case of stress (in the wrong sized tank, with wrong tankmates, kept single in case of social fish, wounds, pollution (as mentioned) etc etc....)

So providing the best circumstances is the best "med" that you can use.

 

Hi Cherry Shrimp and thanks for replying. I am unfortunately an over-feeder or somewhere in between. I do this mostly in my endler tank bc there are a lot of them of all sizes and need different sizes of food. When they come into color I sell them to my LPS. In the sorority tank I need to take it easy. My male I don’t over feed bc he’s alone. I do feed them all pees once a week for any possible constipation issues.

Unfortunately I was in the hospital for a few weeks and my boyfriend did not follow my instructions and fed like crazy! When I got home I tested the water and the nitrates were way too high. Between 80ppm and 160ppm. I did water changes (15%) to avoid nitrate shock (I killed fish in the past by taking the nitrates away too quickly) and also added nitrate pads into the filters. The nitrates are cut in half or less now.

so now that I have the two medications I’ve been researching how to do it all since their is literally no information except dosing, and no instruction manuals!

i’d really like to be able to take all of my females out of their tank as it has a lot of nice plants and treats them in a bare bottom 60 gallon that I have. But upon thinking about this would I not have to treat the water column as well? What if I added 75% of the water into the empty 60 gallon from my betta tank and left 25% in their original tank and filled the rest with new water? The other two tanks are small and I would just dose them in their original tanks.

If you could answer any of the questions from my original post or any of these questions it would help me a lot! I never know what to trust on the Internet and my local pet stores are mostly jerks and just keep telling me to put salt in the water but that’s just not enough. I did lower the temperature from 78 down to 75 on all my tanks and I added aquarium salt. I also have shrimp, snails a clown Pleco, oto and an albino Cory cat. i know snails are shrimp can’t be dosed but not sure of the other three… I have a 5 gallon that I was going to put the snails and shrimp in until treatment is complete. What do you think of all this? And will my other three mentioned above be okay to be treated?
Thank you!

So first need to do some big water changes. Most of the weird growth on fish will go away quickly once water conditions improve. Adding medication when water conditions do not improve is not going to cure anything. Nitrate level is only one of many indications of water quality. Lots of organics, bacteria count etc are not easy to test for with home kits.

I would do 50% water changes and drip the water back if possible. One way I drip water back is siphon the new water with airline tubing, you can tie a knot to create an even smaller drip. But for 36g I think just airline tubing is slow enough.

Do a 50% water change once per day for the next 3 days and most problems should go away. If the fish are too far gone then you might need to put them in a separate container and medicate them although I have never had success with medication. The majority of aquarium medication conveniently instruct water changes and pause on feeding...that helps the most IMO