Developed in 24 hrs... please help ID

[PinkSapphire]

SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!!! What's going on with my ID cat?

I got him a few days ago from someone with a gorgeous, healthy aquarium setup. He was smooth and perfect. I introduced him to my giant gourami, and she bit him, so I moved him into a different tank that has been cycling with ammo-0.1, nitrite-0, nitrate-7.

24 hours later, he is covered in white fungusy-looking patches. Everywhere from nose to tail, including his eyes, and especially the shallow wound my gourami inflicted.

What is this and how do I fix it? Help!

[PinkSapphire]

I'll try to get better pictures, but here's a closer one

[Red]

irredesent shark.
I would return him to his old aquarium they get more then 3 feet long.

[PinkSapphire]

irredesent shark.
I would return him to his old aquarium they get more then 3 feet long.


You should see my Saint Bernard!

[Red]

What is your largest tank?

[Northernguy]

It looks rough!
Did it start as ich?
Is there a fungus anywhere on it?
have you treated with anything yet?

Red we went through that yesterday.She knows she will have to rehome the fish.

[PinkSapphire]

Yesterday he was just fine. His scratch was healing.

I just looked at him for the first time since yesterday evening, and now he is covered in white cotton-candy puffy fuzz. It stands away from the skin, not tight on it. It is clustered randomly everywhere on his body. He does not have any small white ich-y type spots.

My theories:

1. Some kind of fungus took advantage of his injury and is growing like mad?

2. New tank syndrome? The numbers aren't perfect, but they are not anywhere near toxic levels.

3. Something he picked up from 5 minutes he spent in Sapphire's tank.

4. A severe reaction from the fight he had with Sapphire.

5. Something he picked up from the feeder goldfish and guppies I have in the new tank (for cycling purposes).

Any concensus?

[PinkSapphire]

Oh, and I finally decided his adult home will be an indoor koi pond... if the universe says it ok...

[Wild Turkey]

Sounds like cotton wool disease, Columnaris. It could also be that it took more bruises than you thought and they are fungal infections from wounds, but im leaning away from that. Either way the main problem is the cycling tank. Did you take some media from your other tank? If not you'll want to do it immediately.

[PinkSapphire]

Sounds like cotton wool disease, Columnaris. It could also be that it took more bruises than you thought and they are fungal infections from wounds, but im leaning away from that. Either way the main problem is the cycling tank. Did you take some media from your other tank? If not you'll want to do it immediately.


I think you were right Wild Turkey. Sadly, Cat didn't make it through the night. I've heard how delicate catfish were, but this is proof. The move, the intro and fight with Sapphire and the bacterial infection seemed to be just too much for this poor guy to take. The water numbers are good: Ammo-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-20, Temp-73, pH-7. *sigh*

*Next Important Question*

I was going to add antibacterial medicine to fight the cotton wool. Should I still add it to help kill remaining bacteria? I've read that the bacteria is usually present and is opportunistic. Will adding medicine hurt the beneficial bacteria I've been breeding for the last two weeks while cycling the new tank?

My planned transfer day is this Sunday.

[Wild Turkey]

I would just do a large water change. Columnaris and or fungal infections arent really contagious, as long as the tank conditions are good you shouldnt have any more problems. Though meds can fix/help both the above problems, stepping up waterchanges is a widely accepted treatment for both also. Save the meds imo

Basically, fish that are not stressed wont get sick. Parasites, bacteria and other nasties are arguably in the water all the time, but only affect weakened or stressed fish.