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Fishnet

If you have a fish pond, fish tank or are seeking advice about keeping tropical fish, you can find advice on our Fish forum.

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Original poster

Fish covered in fluff??? Fungus?

13 replies

readysteady · 06/02/2015 17:45

Hi I hope someone helpful and knowledgable can help me.

We have had our tank 90 L for a year! All going great, no problems, no deaths, it's a lovely calm community tank well maintained (we do a 25% water change every weekend and test strips all normal. In fact I was rather smug that our tank was so settled etc.... It's all going horribly wrong :(

This week something has changed....we have had some sudden deaths of a danio and guppy ( who may have been dead a while as I found her under the shelf thing wedged) but we also suddenly have massive amounts of baby guppies which I have transferred to a temporary tank. On close inspection of our remaining 8 fish and one shrimp (one danio, one Siamese fighter, 3 guppies, 3 tetra) the remaining danio seems to have white fuzz all over him! Is this a fungus?

What can I do? Are all my fish destined to die from this? I don't have a spare tank now I have transferred the babies (who are very busy and happy) I don't usually have any fry left to catch by the time I have noticed them.

Any advice?

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Original poster

readysteady · 06/02/2015 17:55

I should also say that all our fish have been with us at least 6 months so no new additions although we did add a new plant a month ago

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Original poster

readysteady · 07/02/2015 09:01

Bumping for any weekend fish peeps

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EauRouge · 07/02/2015 20:46

Hello :) Sorry, I was away.

Can you post the latest water test results? Is the fuzzy stuff like cotton wool or more cobwebby?

Original poster

readysteady · 07/02/2015 21:03

Yey it's you Eau!

The results are all normal limits apart from hardness (which has always been high) we did another 25% change today, last one weds We lost another guppy last night but still have loads of babies in the main tank and my temporary tank.

I would say it's cobwebby as opposed to cotton wool or furry as it's like they have a light covering of dust on them you have to really look to notice it. I feel so upset that I may have done something wrong. We have been so careful with testing and water changes etc with rinsing the sponge out in tank water etc so this is so upsetting when you hear about people who never change their water etc.

I was planning to drive to a decent fish place and get some fungus treatment but wanted your advice. I have also heard that some fungus treatment could kill my shrimp and I'm very attached to him. My Siamese fighter whilst always been pretty lazy is looking even more quiet although no signs of fuzz on him and our tetras look in good health. It seems to be wiping out my guppies although at the same time I have about 20 new ones whizzing about between those I have caught and transferred and those I can't catch which are hiding in the plants in the main tank.

Any advise and any idea what could be the cause :(

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Original poster

readysteady · 07/02/2015 21:10

Oh I have some large snails too can't remember the name of them and now I'm looking one looks like it's got cobwebs hanging off it.....

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EauRouge · 07/02/2015 21:19

Have you checked the pH? It sounds like they're all producing extra mucus, sometimes this is because of a pH change.

Original poster

readysteady · 08/02/2015 08:12

Yes PH is 7.2.

Good news is no more deaths overnight!

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EauRouge · 08/02/2015 08:22

Which dechlorinator are you using? Has your water company done any work recently?

Original poster

readysteady · 08/02/2015 08:28

Oh I don't know about the water company. We use API stress coat

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Original poster

readysteady · 08/02/2015 08:32

The fish look much brighter today except my lazy fighter but I can't tell if that's just "him" or if he is more lazy then usual....he has always liked lying on leaves and wedging himself on the caves and rocks so in the year we have had him I have quite frequently had panic he is dead but he seems to like resting on stuff.

I haven't fed them since Thursday as there is un touched food on the bottom of the tank.

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Original poster

readysteady · 08/02/2015 08:35

And unlike him he hasn't bothered eating the fry thus I have loads

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EauRouge · 08/02/2015 09:54

That sounds pretty normal for a fighter, they are lazy buggers.

Hard to say what is causing the mucus production, but it is likely to be either some kind of pollutant in the water which would make the fish produce extra mucus to protect themselves. You could stick some carbon in the filter and if it is a pollutant then that should sort it.

Or it could be some kind of protozoan infection, some of these can cause excess mucus. Have a look at this. Personally I would choose a treatment like Protozin over malachite or methylene. You should be able to pick it up in an aquarium shop without any problems, or you can get it off Ebay, Amazon etc.

Original poster

readysteady · 08/02/2015 19:20

You are a star thank you will google! No more deaths so fingers crossed....I don't want this to put me off fish keeping.

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