# columnaris



## sschreiner5 (Oct 11, 2011)

I think I may have columnaris. I have lost 3 fish 2 gold tetras ans 1 neon tetra. I have read it can be linked to poor water quality but I do water changes every week and test my water I never have any readings of nitrites or amonia, I dont have a nitrate test. I have the tetra laborett test kit. I will go get some meds tonight after work, whay should I get. I do have 1 shrimp and 1 kuhli loach so I need to be sure its safe for them. I am concerend I will lose all my fish unless I do something. Where did this come from? I dont think is poor water quality. The tank was first set up on OCT8th, I brought the filter (emperor 400) over from my 29 gallon where it had been running for about 1 year and I moved the fish and plants in at that time also.

temp is 79-80
Ph is 8 to 8.5
amonia is less than .3
nitrites is lighter than the lowest color on the chart
Tank is 55g
emperor 400 filter
pool filter sand
250 heater
jungle val, chain sword, anchris, hornwort, java moss, and an unknown sword
2 red fire gouramis
2 honey sunset gouramias
6 neon tetras
3 gold tetras
3 bloodfin tetras
1 red cherry shrimp
1 kuhli loach


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Antibiotics are recommeneded.Raising the temp is NOT.This is a linkhttp://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/columnaris.htm, but strongly urge proper diagnoses as this disease is often mis diagnosed.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

I agree with Tom, it is very important to know what your dealing with before you throw medications into the water. If it is truly columnaris, I cured mine with amoxicillin. You could have gotten it from cross-contamination like I did. I used my API test kit on my BF's tank(he has a minnow with columnaris and POOR water quality) and I didn't think to sanitize my testing tubes. It wiped out all but 8 of my baby frontosa within a few days. good luck, it's a nasty disease.


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## sschreiner5 (Oct 11, 2011)

I'll try to post a picture if I see any more infected fish. One dead fish had its eyes missing the other had a spot the looked like someone sanded off his scales and kept sanding, there white stuff on the fish the day before and it looked like mold the next day the fish was dead, the following day I returned home to find 2 dead fish. I have no idea what to expect when I get home today. 

So I used my net to get the dead fish out of the tank, how should I clean the net?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

a soak in 50/50 bleach and water should kill most stuff.After soak in double de-clorinated water(the de-clorinator is important as bleach is chlorine based) then let dry.If you truely have columnaris it is a fast killer so don't wait.Manafel is correct with not putting meds in that aren't needed but columnaris won't give you much time , so possibly anti-biotics should be on list tomorrow either way.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

keep in mind that columnaris is a gram-negative bacteria, so you can't go out and get just any antibiotics, make sure it kills gram-negative bacteria. At this point you are losing fish rapidly enough that it sounds like columnaris. I would get antibiotics asap


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## sschreiner5 (Oct 11, 2011)

I lost a neon tetra today, he looked fine other than a missing eye, no fish died yesterday. The neon was not missing an eye yesterday. All other fish seem fine and my water tests ok. I dont know what to do know.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Fish eat fish(sorry).The missing parts often can be scavenging(and natural behavior).I feel proper diagnoses is very important ,much like my fish generally.If your first guess (after attempting research,asking ?,and obsevation) is columnaris ,you need to decide to treat immediately or not.I'm not a DR.,nor does my LFS,vet, or questions I ask lead me in a different direction ,always.I only read what is written , and what I read says columnaris is fast!Manrels info in last post is correct my answer regarding antibiotics was vague.Here is fairly informative link(some of where advice comes from).Columnaris Disease Education from FishVet, Inc. Good luck.


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