# Columnaris



## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi everyone I'm looking for best antibiotic to cure columnaris! Any input is appreciated! Thaks for your time!!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

FISH DISEASE
its not cheap, its the real deal, all employee's are chemists and vets and scientists in medicine and such, all hobbyists as well.


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

I know right! I treated and treated starting with things like melafix down to erythromycin and they are still very infected. I wasn't aware my PH had gotten high so I guess that's why the meds were not working. I go my PH fixed (7.0) now looking for the hopefully final treatment/cure! $50 for a few fish, I must be close to 200 to save them but refuse to give up!! I just don't know if its best to go with erythromycin again like the fish store tells me or one of the many others that claim to work.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just hope you didn't use any ph up/down products to get your ph to 7.0.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

well their products have already saved a batch of discus that i ordered not to long ago. they came in all ugly like, now they are very colorful active disease free fish.

be careful though, alot of their products will kill any plants, inverts as well as prehistoric fish such as sharks and catfish.


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

Oh gosh! Why shouldn't I use product for my PH? My fish store sold me this product by API that sets the PH at 7.0 and keeps it there for a month so that's what I used. I now check my water everyday and it seemed to be working well. The water in my home is from a well but comes out of the tap high between 7.5 and 7.6. 
All I have is 2 8 yr. old silver dollars and the ill rainbows so no delicate fish. I do worry about using products with the age of my silver dollars I had them yrs. before my first child so I'm quite attached! 
Gosh I have had every pet known to man but never thought I'd have so much trouble getting this fish thing right! I never knew about any illnesses other than ick before!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Why do you think you need to lower your ph? Have your tested your ph a day after to see if it held it there? Usually what happens is the buffers in your water (buffers keep your ph stable) bring the ph right back to where it was. This cycling up and down is not good for your fish.

The goal should be a stable ph, not any certain value.


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

I was trying to get rid of the columnaris so my local fish store sold me meds. I treated and treated and nothing was helping. Then was told my PH was too high, it was supposed to be natural and that's why all the treatments have done nothing. I used the proper ph product then tested the water at 7.0 and every day after for about 2 weeks now it has stayed @ 7.0. What do you think I should do now? Just keep an eye on it and if it changes then what? Sorry if I sound clueless! I'm not new to having fish but I'm new to having fish problems so I really have no clue I'm just doing things more experienced people tell me!
We love them and want to do whats best for them! Unfortunately we were sold sick fish but its a learning experience for me. I haven't lost any yet and this is been a battle I've been eating, drinking, and sleeping for almost 2 months so that's a good thing. Thanks guys for you time!


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

meggz said:


> I was trying to get rid of the columnaris so my local fish store sold me meds. I treated and treated and nothing was helping. Then was told my PH was too high, it was supposed to be natural and that's why all the treatments have done nothing. I used the proper ph product then tested the water at 7.0 and every day after for about 2 weeks now it has stayed @ 7.0. What do you think I should do now? Just keep an eye on it and if it changes then what? Sorry if I sound clueless! I'm not new to having fish but I'm new to having fish problems so I really have no clue I'm just doing things more experienced people tell me!
> We love them and want to do whats best for them! Unfortunately we were sold sick fish but its a learning experience for me. I haven't lost any yet and this is been a battle I've been eating, drinking, and sleeping for almost 2 months so that's a good thing. Thanks guys for you time!


What kind of medicine have you been using? I think maracyn is supposed to be effective against columnaris. Do you have plants? If not, have you added any aquarium salt to the tank? Don't oversalt, but a little salt is good for a healthy tank, just not good for inverts and plants. Keep us updated.


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

I only have 2 older silver dollars and 4 rainbow fish in a 55 gal. Well the rainbows are now in a 20 gal QT. but I'm treating both of them. I don't have much left for live plants now. My silver dollars eat them so from time to time I drop new ones in. I have used melafix, have salted, tried methylene green & lifeguard at the beginning because they were also infected with other things like anchor worms and velvet, then several treatments erythromycin. All within about 2 months. Nothing worked on the columnaris, took care of the other things thank god. Someone here told me to try the sulfa meds so I went and got that the other day. I'm going into day 3 of the treatment I'll let you know how it goes! I can see a little difference already. The most ill fish couldn't even shut his mouth I don't know how he was still eating the poor guy! Hes almost able to close it now so I'm happy. The others don't look much different yet so not out of the woods. Thanks everyone!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Marcyn takes too long to effect columnaris, usually if its truly columnaris the time from symptoms to death is usually around 72 hours.

the LFS will tell you anything to make a buck, 9 out of 10 times once your tap water has gassed off the parameters change greatly from what they were coming straight out of the tap.


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

What do you think it could be if not columnaris? Its mostly in the mouth. Few other small spots like a pin point by the dorsal fin almost same spots the anchor worms once where. Looking it up online all the symptoms fit with columnaris. My first thought was some kind of fungus but lifeguard is supposed to work on fungus too and it did absolutely nothing!! Actually think they got worse in that time period of treatment time. I don't know! I just want to treat it right so they get well! It's gotta be uncomfortable to have your mouth rotting off! Its definitely a challenge!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Here is a thing of columnaris. Ive gotten it with my discus and after one died on store bought meds i ordered from fishyfarmacy.com and it actually saved the fish, as well as others from neons all the way up to discus at 6"


Treatment:

Change water
Vacuum gravel
Add aquarium salt
Treat with copper sulfate or antibiotic
Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment
External infections should be treated with antibiotics or chemicals in the water. Copper sulfate, Acriflavine, Furan, and Terramycin may all be used externally to treat Columnaris. Terramycin has proven to be quite effective both as a bath, and when used to treat foods for internal infections. Salt may be added to the water to enhance gill function. Livebearers in particular will benefit from the addition of salt, however use caution when treating catfish, as many are sensitive to salt.


Read this article. 
Fish Disease - Columnaris


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

Thank you! I read it. It definitely is columnaris symptoms to the T! It seems I have been right on target with the treatment and water quality maintenance I just don't get why it's not gone by now! 2 days left on this antibiotic treatment so far so good! Keep your fingers crossed for us!! I'll let you know!


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## meggz (Nov 18, 2010)

Ok so not great news on the treatment! They seemed to be doing well for a couple days then 2 of the rainbows that didn't seem too infected before now have a funky lip. This started on 4th day of treatment. I'm stumped!! I have done water changes and followed all steps and directions of the meds. I just don't know what else to do!! Good thing is they are still eating.


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