Sick Apisto. Anything else I can do?

[Mordkanin]

My Macmasteri male was doing great for a while. Spawned twice with my email in the 55 community I keep them in. However, about a week ago, he started hiding all the time with clamped fins. (He still seemed interested in the female, though, and I found them in a cave together on Thursday with a large clutch of eggs, of which none made it. Those that are left are all white)

Thursday night, I moved him into an isolation tank because I caught him lying on his side on the bottom of the tank.

Then, I noticed some white fuzz on his dorsal fin.

Here's a pic from today:

And then he turned around and fell on his side: https://gfycat.com/WavyGlumBasilisk

If I were to tap the glass, he will slowly right himself, but I don't want to stress him out more than I need to.

The tank was empty except for the snail, so I just left the snail in. I'm gonna vacuum the food up as soon as he moves, which he periodically does, if only to go to a new location to either lay down on his side or hide. I didn't want to disturb him too much. The lights are left off. I only turned them on for the picture.

Starting Thursday night, he's been on KanaPlex and StressGuard, but is showing no signs of improvement. If anything, he's more lethargic than ever. He was eating yesterday, but I haven't seen him eat anything today. I'm doing 25% daily water changes, replacing the medicine removed. I'm keeping him at a pH of about 6.2. Water parameters are pristine. (No ammonia/nitrites, Nitrates are kept below 15 in his main tank, but even lower in his quarantine)

I also lowered the temperature to about 75 once the white fuzz showed up, to reduce the growth of whatever it is.

So what else can I do? Is KanPlex the right choice? How long do I give it before switching to something else? What else should I try if it doesn't do the trick?

 

[ErtyJr]

Unfortunately I don't think there is much else you can do. It is almost certainly a fungus, likely fin rot, which kanaplex should treat. The problem is the treatments may be too late. Judging from his behavior he is very far gone, and adding medications to the water is stressful on fish. Hopefully he will pull through for you, but all you can do is keep up the treatment and keep the water clean, and hope for the best.

 

[gerald]

.Also offer him live foods to keep him eating: mosquitoes, bloodworms, blackworms, fresh-hatched brine shrimp, daphnia. The fungus on the fin is not the real problem - that's just a secondary infection on a fish who's immune system has been overwhelmed by something else, maybe an internal bacterial infection. I would opt for higher temp, low 80's to increase his immune function How old is he? If he's approaching 4 yrs or so it may just be his time to check out.

 

[Mordkanin]

I'll put some bloodworms next to him.

When I woke up, he looked real ugly, color-wise. Didn't even right himself when I disturbed the water with my water change.

But he's sitting up again as of now. The fuzz on his dorsal fin is almost gone, but he's got a big patch of it on his side that I didn't notice before (You can only see it when contrasted against the black sand from a top-down view)

I'll bring up the temperature a couple degrees. I lowered it because I've read that many bacterial and fungal diseases are highly accelerated in warm temperatures, and I wanted to give the medicine some more time to do its thing. But if it's caught up, maybe it's time for an increase....

 

[Mordkanin]

Is it worth considering a short malachite green/formalin or methylene blue dip just to clear up the fungus, or would that just be too stressful?

 

[ErtyJr]

I would not consider a dip at this point. Gerald is right in saying it's a secondary problem, the main problem is he is severely weakened at the moment. Increased feedings will certainly be helpful, as far as increased temp I can't be certain as it may help the fish but will also help the infection.

if the fungus is receding you should not change anything you are doing, trying a dip would be very stressful for him and would likely push him over the edge. Keep up the good feedings, and frequent water changes, along with the treatment you are using.

In addition dwarf cichlids do not do well with methylene blue. Malachite green is a better option, but just stick with what you are doing.

 

[Mordkanin]

if the fungus is receding you should not change anything you are doing, trying a dip would be very stressful for him and would likely push him over the edge. Keep up the good feedings, and frequent water changes, along with the treatment you are using.

It's gone from his fins, but there's about 10x as much that has shown up on his sides. And he's doing worse. I gave him a 5ish minute 2ppm dip in the malachite green several hours ago. No change since then. I know it stressed him out, but there was a lot of white fuzz. I was sure he's a goner at this point, but needed to do something about the fungus.

He was eating yesterday, but not today. I tried frozen blood worms, as the fish all go absolutely crazy for them, but he's ignoring them when they're right in front of his face.

I'm hatching some BBS, just in case he's still alive tomorrow and I can try to feed him something.

So if he's still alive tomorrow, is it worth trying another medication? KanaPlex obviously didn't do the trick. There is some salt in the tank, too. He can still sort of flop around. I hate to think he's absolutely a goner....

 

[ErtyJr]

If some of it is receding than it is doing something. Malachite green is what I generally use for fungus on sensitive species(such as apisto) I'm just lucky that none of my apistos have ever been sick, so I have never had to use it with them. Either way what I would say is I don't recommend any more baths or moving him, and offering live food as much as possible. a live worm may be best as it moves but won't escape hIm. Even if that means something like an earthworm.

If you want to switch meds that is your call, but even if some is worsening other parts are getting better. I can not stress enough how important it is to remain calm and not make rash decisions.

You need to keep in mind what gerald has already said. The fungus is the secondary problem. moving him and giving him dips ect is only going to cause more and more stress, which is going to worsen his condition.