# It's back to haunt me.



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

The cottonmouth infection that claimed half my fish population doesn't seem to be eradicated.

I tore my entire main tank apart, medicated the heck out of it for four days (as per the tetracycline package's instructions), did my 25% PWC's every other day as per the package's instructions, dosed aquarium salt as per the instructions on the box plus the treatment site's instructions, and ruined a great ecosystem I had going.

Thank GOD my other tanks haven't been hit.

But I spotted one of the bloodfins I had been treating with a half-eaten face, and I freaked out. Was he this way from before, or am I now dealing with a re-invigorated medicine-hardened form of cottonmouth? I've given up on trying to catch him to euthanize him due to his face being mauled - I'm not about to uproot my plants and tear apart my tank all over again. If he dies, he dies. If it's the cottonmouth infection from before, than no meds will be able to kill it now as it has built up an immunity to tetracycline.

I started up my old UV filter with a fresh bulb tonight - working great, and it's my only hope of trying to get this thing before it wipes out everything in my main tank.

The cottonmouth this guy is suffering from is not new either. My sources said that the disease had to have affected the fish for 48-72 hours before it began eating at the face. He either had it from before and it is still with him, or it's gone and he's left with a ruined face.

Either way, I'm feeling pretty miserable right now. Any thoughts would help


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## roacan (Dec 25, 2010)

Sorry to hear that.

I found the article below. Have not read the whole thing yet. Hope you can get some helpful info.

Aquarium Medications and Treatments; Antibiotics, Chemical and Organic.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Thanks for the post and article. I'm pretty sure the cottonmouth is cured in the fish, it's just his face is decimated. Sad days.


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## M1ster Stanl3y (Dec 10, 2010)

sorry to hear about your fish..


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

Oh I am so sorry to hear that! I know how hard you worked to get rid of it. Can you net him if you throw a little flake food in or is he not coming up to eat? Personally if it was me I'd get him out so he doesn't give it to any other fish. Although like you said he may have had it before. If he can't eat then I would euthanize. He'll get weak and picked at by the others eventually and then they can catch it even easier. I had this once and it does end but while it is happening it is awful. Hang in there...


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

if i was you i would starte over, clean the plants in warm water, get rid of all ur substrate, clean out ur filter and media, and really start from scratch, it sucks but i had to do it for my girls tank when her guppies got parasites.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

mk4gti said:


> if i was you i would starte over, clean the plants in warm water, get rid of all ur substrate, clean out ur filter and media, and really start from scratch, it sucks but i had to do it for my girls tank when her guppies got parasites.


I've decided I have a much more vested interest in the health of my plants than that of my fish, as cruel as it sounds. I'm not about to tear apart and rebuild my tank after I've already done it once before. I would rather lose the entire crop of fish, let the bacteria die off with another heavy dose of water-borne medication, and then add other fish later as opposed to uprooting my plants and putting them through more hardships.

I'll net whoever I can, but my fish are masters of hiding and like I said, I'm not going to uproot my plants all over again.

I would love to buy all new substrate, all new plants, etc., however my pockets aren't that deep, at least for the moment.

With that being said, I'm pretty sure the disease is gone, because I've been watching my tank for the past two days for any signs of the disease coming back and I haven't seen anything to indicate that. Yes, my one tetra's face is decimated and he's not eating, but the others are doing just fine. No signs of white fuzz around the mouth or anything. Also keep in mind I'm trying to see these things from five feet away, because they hide when I'm too close to the tank. If my dog runs into the room, they scatter as well.


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Dam i feel bad for you, if u were in the NYC area I have 3 bags of eco complete just laying in my garage, petco had a sale i ordered too many.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

mk4gti said:


> Dam i feel bad for you, if u were in the NYC area I have 3 bags of eco complete just laying in my garage, petco had a sale i ordered too many.


Thanks, haha. I've been watching thoroughly and the other fish are doing fine. I also caught the ruined-face fish hoovering a piece of flake food he found at the bottom. Hopefully he'll make it.


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

How is everything going? Did your fish make it?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I was wondering the same.Is everyone ok now or are you still fighting the infection?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

majerah1 said:


> I was wondering the same.Is everyone ok now or are you still fighting the infection?


Thanks for the concern all, it appears the infection has been beaten.

Lost one more fish that had gone through treatment but the cottonmouth had claimed his lower jaw and so he wasn't eating. Found him dead in a hiding spot a few days ago. I have 3 bloodfin tetra survivors left and I've since started quarantining 3 new guys. One of the 3 survivors developed what looks like dropsy from some sort of wound - his side fin seems broken and there's some swelling, pineconing and discoloration around the fin. I quarantined him as well since the other two survivors were harassing him and without treatment he seems fine - eating, swimming around, doesn't seem to be in pain (though he likely is), but the swelling has gone down. Maybe he'll be a fish with a battle scar I can brag about later.

The main tank is back up and running, the rasboras and bloodfins in the main tank are doing great, as are the plants. The peat moss bottom layer in my tank is slowly compacting down, and things are in general much better and more stabilized.


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## Niki7 (Aug 16, 2010)

Great news! Sorry you lost that last one, but at least it seems to have stopped there. Glad to hear that things are better


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