Guys not again!! Please help me with my dojo!!!

[LUVaLOACH]

I asked a friend on another forum who is a moderator on another forum. She happens to also have a dojo in a tank with confirmed tb exposure for feedback on your post.

Here is her reply: "I just looked at the first pics, didn't read the whole thing. I actually think columnaris is a good possibility. It can make these characteristic white patches. I would definitely keep this fish in pristine water and feed medigold if he's eating. Salt the water to 3 tsp per gallon, dojos can handle that fine."

Thank you so much KLKelly. I had pretty much decided it was columnaris and am treating accordingly. This guys just went downhill so fast. He is putting up a good fight but I don't expect him to make it through the night. I normally never put salt in with the loaches but I did today. All I can do now is cross my fingers, thanks so much for your post.

Thanks again,
Kris

[KLKelly]

I'm glad you posted on this because its something I never would have thought of. My rainbows get columnaris and it shows up only as white threads. It sucks when they get sick : ( Best of luck.

Karrie

[LUVaLOACH]

Edit my post. I'll add a new one shortly.
What antibiotic did you pick up. I'm a big fan of the maracyn plus treatment - works on columnaris on the rainbows and the popeye for the dojo.

Poor guy. I hope he pulls through for you. Hugs.

Karrie

I got Kanamyacin (sp) and some fish vitamins. I usually use Nitrofurazone but when reading about columanaris they recommened the Kanamyacin so I got that.

I pray he makes it but if truth be known, I should end it for him. I am just hoping for a miracle...you never know. He is a tough little guy, I'll say that much.

Thanks so much Kelly,
Kris

[Icewall42]

Please let us know how he made out! I used to put a bit of salt in with my loaches for a couple years... I learned only recently that it shouldn't be done, and I stopped... but then I had problems with my fish (not entirely sure if they are related). So I'm sticking to the salt, since it seems to help keep them healthy.

[LUVaLOACH]

Please let us know how he made out! I used to put a bit of salt in with my loaches for a couple years... I learned only recently that it shouldn't be done, and I stopped... but then I had problems with my fish (not entirely sure if they are related). So I'm sticking to the salt, since it seems to help keep them healthy.

I did salt and kanamacyn and vitamins...I tried so hard and he fought a good fight but her is gone. I am so upset. I lost 6 baby clowns about a month ago and it was so upsetting. I was really attached to this guy. He would eat out of my hand and poot and burb for me. He will be missed.

Thanks for all your help,
Krista

[Icewall42]

Awwww I'm so sorry you lost him, I totally understand I had a pair that I named Fred and George, and they would lay in my hand, eat from it, do their little bubblies in my hand... it was so cute. George died from columnaris, and Fred first had a really weird skin issue... like, his skin was ripping in patches like layers peeled off an union, and his body was deformed. I treated him with antibiotics, and he got better and lived for a few weeks more, but he had scars all over his body. He died from n outbreak of the same issue

Once again, I'm so sorry for your loss!

[LUVaLOACH]

Thank you and same to you. It really sucks!

Kris

[chefkeith]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you start over again soon.

IME, losing fish is part of the long painful process of learning to keep fish. I've lost many fish my 1st few years in this hobby. I was very devistated whenever I lost clown loaches due to ich. I've lost so many, and tried many different treatments. Good thing is that I haven't lost any recently. I've tried most meds, and think most don't work fast enough or can do more harm than good. Safest treatment IMO is a weeks long preventative salt bath in quarantine before any ich spots persist. There is a trick to salt too. It needs to be added and subtracted very slowly (2 tsp salt per gallon of water).
There is always something more to learn in this hobby and that's what I think is soo facinating and makes it very worth while. Plus half the fun is that we get to share our experiences and pics with other fish keepers on the net.
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Columnaris can be extremely difficult to combat. I have a Boesemani rainbowfish that had it real bad, with an open wound. I had to quarantine it for almost 1 year. Once again, I tried every medication and none of them worked. Then I finally tried salt at a dosage of 2.25 teaspoons per gallon for 7 days. The salt cleaned up the open wounds and killed the columnaris for good. I then then kept him quarantined for additional 6 months until he grew some scales back where the wounds were. He's now in my main tanks again. He's still missing some scales though, but he seems to be doing fine.

Some other things I have learned if I'm not mistaken- UV sterilizers can help keep the columnaris bacterial levels down. Iron in the water column will greatly increase these bacterial levels. So rusty pipes, an old rusty water heater, iron rich substrates, and iron ferts are things to be aware of.

[mistergreen]

interesting... I've been wanting a UV sterilizer for a while now. I found one that you can put in your tank and not have to attach it to a sump or canister.

[Icewall42]

There's such a light as that? Interesting... though, I've learned to stay away from anything but normal fish lights. We once bought a tank that had a hospital germicidal light in the hood, and all the fish we put in that tank were dead within a day. Lost a massive bala shark because of that. I suppose the light was sterilizing the fish, but who knew

[mistergreen]

the UV breaks up pathogen's cells & dna.. but is harmful to fish and people too given the right amount..

the UV sterilizer usually fits in the pippings of filters...not on a tank..