Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Dt- How about running a heavier concentration of salt for a couple hours? Use a secondary container with 15-30 ppt salt and dip them for an hour or so.

May also be interested in H2O2, but only as a dip, you don't want it in your system....

DT, read that thread i posted closely.

Thats what i diagnosed mine with...............you will find the answers you need there!

Steve

It's not ick. Ick causes flashing (quick darting to brush against something in the tank) and appears as little white spots all over.

I have double-checked one of my aquarium books. I think what your fish probably have is called 'Mouth Fungus' or 'Columnaris'. See what you think (quoting now)...

Symptoms: Cotton-like gray-white patches can be seen on the head, fins, gills and body, primarily around the mouth. In time these develop into open sores.

Cause: Columnaris is gram-positive bacteria.... The bacteria find weakended skin areas, a scrape or injury, and attach through these.

Explanation: Columnaris is highly infectious and should be considered dangerous.... Muscles can be inflammed and capillaries, gorged with blood, may rupture.

Action. There are several ways to prevent the disease. Do not overstock a tank, be sure the water is properly aerated and remove diseased fish immediately. One easy and often successful cure is to increase the temperature of the water. Another, to transfer the fish to a hospital tank with clean water....(it then continues on about treatment with scary chemicals.)

It could also be Saprolegnia or Achlya. Similar description but the fuzz eventually becomes brown in color. Again quoting:

Explanation: Fungus such as Saprolegnia and Achlya attack only injured, stressed and weakened fish, fish whose mucous defences are impared. Healthy fish are not affected. Damage chages the pH of the mucuous membrane, creating the proper conditions for an attack. In a heavy infestation the fungus can penetrate the skin, causing severe damage.

Fungal infections can be caused by several things: 1) Physical injury to the mucous membrane; 2) Water temperatures too low for the species - the most common cause; 3) the mucous membrane is weakened by acid or alkali; 4) previous damage by a bacterial disease; 5) wounds and open sores on skin tissue.

So...what's that mean I think you should do? I think you are right to remove and destroy fish with any signs of fuzz. Although 78F should be fine for tilapia, if you can raise your temperature a few degrees, that might help. I'm seeing recommendations for 5-10ppt salt. Of course, I also see recommendations for use of antibiotics and nasty chemicals ($$$). Don't buy any more fish from that supplier if you can avoid it. If they are the only supplier available to you, buy limited quantities and quarantine the fish.

Anybody else, feel free to contribute. I am accustomed to treating ornamental fish in an aquarium.

Wonderful!! Other people helping too while I was typing in the encyclopedia! That's what I love about this place. I think we're all on the same trail. Regrettably, it's not a good one. I like the idea of a higher concentration salt dip.

Thanks for the link Steve.....Wow that was a lot of work! That was a few weeks ago. Did it do the trick? Would you do anything different?

Janet...now that I see what you wrote, I am not sure about the SAP it looks more like the columnaris unfortunately.....it seems to be the worst of the two..... It looks almost like I will need to do what Steve did.... basically Start over. Like him, I really don't have the time to do all that.... lots going on.

I would just warn you that your fish are highly stressed and probably somewhat injured. You may do well to take preventative measures....

Ohh well.... live and learn. My water was significantly cooler than what they had at the fish farm. Probably what brought it on.

It took at while to decide between sap. and col. for me.

Dt, what i did worked a treat, fish still alive and well, and the plants going nutzo growth. Plus i get pre salted tommies and salad.

So steve are you still keeping salt in the water?

nope. just did the "salt shock" as per the thread.
The filled the IBC with straight water, no salt.

In hind sight it would have been prudent to maybe leave 3 ppt in there, but it worked for me anyway.

Steve

Thanks, I know what my day will be like tomorrow.....Say a prayer for me.

You got me all paranoid so i lifted the lid on my IBC completely to check on the fish and try and net one.

VERY Impressive, if do say so myself! More in my system thread later tonight. Stay tuned

good luck dt

Thanks....

Hang in there!