mycobacteriosis

[giorid]

Hi guys,

I don't mean to spoil your fun but some of my fish in one of my tanks have just been hit with mycobacteriosis and I'm losing them at the rate of at least one a day, just depressing. They're showing the classical symptoms of bloated stomach, popeye, white stringy feaces ect. Apparently there is no cure and the fish that get infected are doomed and it's highly contagious. Poor fish, I feel so sorry for them, such beautiful discus too, I had them for over a year, all that work for nothing.

[ILLUSN]

Sorry to hear that mate, its a real pity when it hits your tank, theres a few things you can do if not all fish show symptoms.

1. install a GOOD uv withat least 90000uw/m2/s (something like an aquaultraviolet 25 on any of the bigger eheims will do the trick)

2. if you have a good vet you can try Kanamycin 250-300mg/80L, gentamicin might also be effective but good luck getting that.

3. QT unsymptomatic fish to a new tank, feed a good quality food (IE beefheart mix) with extra vitamins to keep the immune system at top health.

4. buy some clove oil and a bucket, theres no point in letting the fish suffer when they are obviously too far gone. DO NOT FLUSH INFECTED FISH DOWN THE TOILET!!!

[swifto]

The smallest uv you should use is a 25w.

[ILLUSN]

The smallest uv you should use is a 25w.

Not all 25w are made equall, you want to make sure the kill rate is ATLEAST 90000uw/m2/s at your flow rate

i think industry standard is 30000-60000 so make sure you read the fine print

[boxters]

I have all the above meds, feel free to contact me. I also have a range of high output uv which will remove Protozoa at the right flow rate at very affordable prices. I also have some antibiotics a bit stronger than gentamicin that I have had good results with

[giorid]

Ok guys thanks for advice, really appreciate it. I'll wait and see how I go with daily fresh water changes, which seem to improve the fishes appearance and I have also connected a uv sterilizer 36w that I bought a few years ago, I think it's a pondmaster, should be pretty good, I haven't added any medication because of the uv sterilizer but if they don't improve I'll move some of them and start with the meds, oh and I've also lowered the ph to 4 since low ph is said to kill certain bugs, it might help who knows, fingers crossed, anyhow thanks again guys.

[giorid]

Ok guys thanks for advice, really appreciate it. I'll wait and see how I go with daily fresh water changes, which seem to improve the fishes appearance and I have also connected a uv sterilizer 36w that I bought a few years ago, I think it's a pondmaster, should be pretty good, I haven't added any medication because of the uv sterilizer but if they don't improve I'll move some of them and start with the meds, oh and I've also lowered the ph to 4 since low ph is said to kill certain bugs, it might help who knows, fingers crossed, anyhow thanks again guys.

[boxters]

Ph of 4 not a good idea. Your pond master will be useless it's a clarifyer not a sterilizer. Delaying treating your fish if they do have discus plague is also not a good idea

[phil56]

Hi girorid,Mycobacterium can only be cured sometimes very early on (incubation period over six weeks)once you see all the symptoms its over,U.Vs are a great preventative but once an outbreak occurs wont cure your fish.I have dropped the P.H.to 2.90 which had no effect. I have tried just about every drug i could get my hands on,even administered mild doses of toxic combinations in food and water with no success.next time i`m going to try Rifampicine,I`ll post the results.I know of some Angel fish breeders who had to destroy thousands of fish and sterilize there tanks after Mycobacterium took over.Prevention is best with this one.
If anyone has found a cure please let us know.