Fungus?

[mullinsd2]

Clown has a white cotton looking areA on the bottom of his fin. Don't think it's ich. Looks like some sort of fungus growing. What mess should I start with? Do I need to quarantine?

 

[mr.wilson]

Sounds like saprolegnia or furunculosis. Give the fish a dip in an oxidizing agent like potassium permanganate then move them to a quarantine tank with antibiotics. Nitrofurazone/nifurpirinol or neomycin are two you could try. Some companies offer nitrofurazone mixed with malachite green with aids with clearing the gills of mucous so the fish can breath better.

 

[JHemdal]

Can you post a picture? Saprophytic fungi don't infect marine fish like they do freshwater species. It could be a bacterial infection, but if the lesion is raised up, like a tiny bit of cauliflower, it could be Lymphocystis, expecially on a fin edge. That is usually a self-limiting disease that you don't treat for.

Jay

 

[mullinsd2]

I will post a link to a pic. I have a bad camera so idk if it will show up well.

 

[JHemdal]

You could also check Google images for pictures of Lymphocystis to see if they are similar (beware though, that not all pictures you'll see are acurately identified). Here is a link to one image that is certainly Lymphocysits: http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online-guide.com/image-files/cauliflower.jpg

Jay

 

[mullinsd2]

It kind of looks like that but now my other clown is developing a small area on the mouth. I would post pics butbits impossible with my camera to get a good shot. Everything looks like a blur.

 

[mullinsd2]

Starting to worry that it's ich all I've got is a 10 gallon qt and 5 fish

 

[mr.wilson]

Without a picture, it's impossible to properly diagnose the fish. Clownfish disease (brooklynella) is also a possibility. It causes a milky (fungus-like) appearance. Regardless of the disease, most fish (particularly clownfish) produce a mucous membrane to protect themselves, so the symptoms are often similar. On the plus side, you can go with a wide spectrum treatment like a freshwater bath, potassium permanganate dip, and nifurpironal & malachite green hospital tank. The most important thing is isolating the sick fish to stop contagion.