# Fungal infection



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

So my molly has a fungal infection. It looks like a little white fluffy spot on her side. What do I do? This is something you QT a fish for right?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

A real fungal infection is usually secondary to an injury and isn't very contagious. You put the fish in a little tank with a sponge filter and treat with methylene blue or quick cure. 

One warning though. Columnaris is nasty and not fungal (doesn't respond to anti-fungals) but looks very similar (fluffy white patches). And mollies are so prone to it, Columnaris is also known as 'black molly disease'. If this is what you have I think you need to treat the big tank with anti-biotic. Look up black molly disease and look at the pics and treatment.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I think it is an ordinary fungal infection. The pictures and symptoms suggest that columnaris usually happens on the head, gills or fins. And it doesn't really look like that disease. It looks like a standard fungal infection. I think the betta may have gotten the molly the other day and hurt her since I saw him attack her. He didn't really persue her, but he may have gotten a scale or something.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Thats a relief. Fungus is usually treatable. For a molly, I'd also add some salt.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I already did add the salt. I will head to the store and pick up some anti-fungus.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

A bad turn of events just happened. She was kind of staying on the floor of the bowl. I read the package and realized I didn't put enough salt in the tank for a proper dosing of salt. Instead of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons, I read it 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons. I changed the water, making sure to put the right amount of salt (and water conditioner of course). When it went in the bowl, she started going sideways. I pulled her out and put her back in the 20 gal until I could change the water back. She didn't go sideways but she didnt swim either. The betta immediately came down and started flaring his gills. I kept the betta away from her with one hand, as I replaced the water with the other. I put the molly back in the bowl and she just sank. I ran to WalMart, but all they had was some melafix, so I bought that since it says it treats bacterial and fungal infections. I have no idea if it will work. The molly currently is sitting on the floor of the 1 gallon bowl. She is not sideways, but she is not perfectly straight either. I also noticed a bit of white fuzz by her eye too.

I pray that the Melafix does something for her. I don't think Melafix will hurt, but I don't know if it will help. 

If anyone can offer any other suggestions I would gladly take them.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Well she made it through the night with some tetracycline and melafix, but she is not looking much better. In fact she is upside down, but still breathing. She tried to swim when I mixed in another dose of antibiotic this morning, but she did little rolls. It's not looking so good for her.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

That doesn't sound good. I should have warned you always go slow when changing the amount of salt in water.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

OK so the molly died yesterday. I was checking all my other fish for symptoms and I noticed that my red GloFish (a zebra danio) had a white forehead. I don't think any of the other fish have any symptoms. The white forehead is not cottony or anything, just white. It looks as if someone just bleached his head. Does this sound like Columnaris to you? Most symptoms on the internet I have seen suggest it to be cottony.

Also, before all this started happening, the water was kind of dirty.

EDIT: I am treating with Melafix until I know what is happening to my tank. I don't want to mistreat the fish and get the fish's gills all full with medicine that they shouldn't have and make my tank all ugly colored for no reason. From what I read, Melafix will not completely treat Columnaris, but it will prevent its growth, and can be used in addition to most antibiotics.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you don't know what to do, change water everyday. Clean water can give fish a fighting chance w/o meds for a lot of stuff.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Yup I am doing this. I added ammochips to my filter and will continue the Melafix and water changes. Hopefully it will help.


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