Poorly White Cloud Mountain Minnow has died

[bellabelly]

Yesterday, we noticed that one of the WCMMs appeared to be missing a large part of its tail fin and had white fluffy stuff around its back end. Seemed to still be moving around a fair bit, albeit staying right at the top of the tank. Was eating also. Separated it from the others and it was still alive this morning but the white fluffy stuff had spread and the poor fish was really drained of colour. I feel so guilty that I didn't put it to sleep there and then. Got home from work at lunchtime to find it had died.

100% water changes daily until you can pick up some anti-fungal meds from the fish store.

Sorry for your loss.

Thanks, TreeSparrow - you think it's likely to be a fungal thing? I wasn't sure if the white stuff might be an infection or just stuff coming out of the wounded tail fin. Close up, it looked almost like ice crystals, very weird.

Can you recommend a particular brand of meds? I am so scared that the others will get it too but they all seem fine so far... I wondered if it had somehow caught its tail on a plant / bogwood or on the filter but there really aren't any sharp edges anywhere in the tank so that seems unlikely.

Cotton wool-type stuff around a wound is normally a fungus. If you're not sure it's a fungus don't medicate. Just keep up with daily high-volume water changes and monitor the others closely for at least ten days. This will give them the best chance of not being infected.

Some fish do just get weak and succumb to everyday pathogens in the water. Might just have been the one.

Good luck!

Thanks, that's v helpful. I'll get some anti-fungal meds too so I've got it handy if any of the others start to show signs of it. Never thought I'd get so attached to the little things!