PLEASE HELP FUNGUS OR BACTERIA??

[Len]

Well if yo want to remove the sand and plants, I'd suggest using a siphon for the sand. Otherwise when you stir it up, you may also stir up things you don't want to. If it is at all anearobic underneath, it will cause a great deal more stress to the fish when disturbed. If you have stirred it up while doing maintenance on a regular basis, that wouldn't be so much of an issue as long as there isn't to much in the way of waste and or food particles.

[LFCYNWA]

Thanks Len

[Len]

no worries. Good luck.

[nc0gnet0]

Personally, if your going to remove the plants and the sand, at least remove the fish before you start this process, don't attempt it with the fish in the tank. The medication that you posted (based on it's ingredients) is like treating a severed artery with a band-aid. As I posted early, wait for Paul to chime in, I agree with Len, at this point, the cause of the problem is moot, your fish are sick.

[OC Discus]

I agree on removing the fish to a tub or bucket before removing the substrate. Scoop the sand into a 5 gal bucket. Drain all water out of the tank. Wipe down the bottom to remove all sand and residue. Refill with warm dechlorinated water and plop the fish back in. Might be good to flush filter housings and floss under hot water before restarting.


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[LFCYNWA]

Personally, if your going to remove the plants and the sand, at least remove the fish before you start this process, don't attempt it with the fish in the tank. The medication that you posted (based on it's ingredients) is like treating a severed artery with a band-aid. As I posted early, wait for Paul to chime in, I agree with Len, at this point, the cause of the problem is moot, your fish are sick.

Sorry to sound stupid but what is moot?

[treemanone2003]

Moot means irrelevant. In other words, it does not matter what the problem is, because your fish are sick !


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[Len]

Unless I missed something with the other statements about removing the sand, I disagree. If you siphon it out of the tank without stirring it, then the fish are going to be less stressed and you won't be disturbing any "gunk" from the bottom and in the sand. It all goes out the siphon without getting stirred up into the water column. It doesn't seem logical to remove the fish to a bucket if your only going to move them right back after you get everything else out. I would agree that seeking Paul's help on meds and how to treat would be your best bet in getting your fish better though.

[nc0gnet0]

Len, even if you could do what your suggesting, your still going to be left with an unpainted tank bottom. I can see what your suggesting working with a lightly planted tank or a biotope, but the OP tanks looks a little more heavily planted in his pics. I think the stress of moving the fish will be less than that of performing the operation you suggest. Plus, removing the fish temporarily gives the op the opportunity to sterilize the tank before re-introducing the fish back into the tank, as well as paint or apply a bottom of some sort to prevent the mirror effect.

[Len]

I guess I can see it either way. I just know when I get tired of my sand or if i want to change it out, I just siphon it from the bottom and there isn't any mess. Using the python and removing the end, the sand gets sucked right down the sink and isn't heavy enough to cause any clogs. The point of sterilizing the tank is valid and I hadn't been thinking that, but do you really think painting the bottom is going to make a difference other than to the OP? My 60G has an unpainted bottom and the pair spawn in it regularly and the fry don't seem to care either. The only one it really bugs sometimes is me

[pcsb23]

We don't get many of the sera meds in the UK, they do not comply with the VMD regulations. I cannot find anything definitive for ectopur other than it states it's a salt preparation, so I'm guessing the principle component is salt (NaCl). The bactopur contents have already been listed, they are all bactericides apart from the "aqua purificata" which is just pure water

As already stated the plants will suffer, rather than lose them I'd just pull them and put them in a shallow tray of water, as long as the roots are wet they'll be fine and may save you some money when treatment is over.

The first thing to be clear on is that nitrates cannot cause illness as such. Continual exposure to high levels of nitrate have been shown to be a stressor, but the reality of what is deemed high is often debated, but let me say now that it is higher than many think or believe. Lets also be clear that mulm in and of itself also cannot cause illness, it can however adversely affect water quality (by reducing O2), which can lower the immune system of the fish due to stress. The OP may not accept this, but I'd rather put the facts out there. The end result is that the OP has sick fish, the treatment regimen he has started needs some fine tuning to prevent the water quality getting worse, aka the plants dying!

In the UK we do not have the ready access to antibiotics that the USA and many other parts of Europe do, so we often have to use alternatives, one such alternative I've had success with is acriflavine and salt, used together. The sera products do contain these ingredients so the OP should have some success. If I were him I'd keep using it and follow the instructions on the packet, I'd also remove the plants but leave a thin layer of sand in the tank so the bare unpainted floor doesn't spook the fish.

[LFCYNWA]

Gotcha, Thanks

[LFCYNWA]

sorry, that was for treemanone2003!

[LFCYNWA]

Unless I missed something with the other statements about removing the sand, I disagree. If you siphon it out of the tank without stirring it, then the fish are going to be less stressed and you won't be disturbing any "gunk" from the bottom and in the sand. It all goes out the siphon without getting stirred up into the water column. It doesn't seem logical to remove the fish to a bucket if your only going to move them right back after you get everything else out. I would agree that seeking Paul's help on meds and how to treat would be your best bet in getting your fish better though.

That's exactly what I was thinking about doing, Thanks again!

[LFCYNWA]

Len, even if you could do what your suggesting, your still going to be left with an unpainted tank bottom. I can see what your suggesting working with a lightly planted tank or a biotope, but the OP tanks looks a little more heavily planted in his pics. I think the stress of moving the fish will be less than that of performing the operation you suggest. Plus, removing the fish temporarily gives the op the opportunity to sterilize the tank before re-introducing the fish back into the tank, as well as paint or apply a bottom of some sort to prevent the mirror effect.

Thanks for the input but what would I sterilize the tank with?