Fungus on L114

[DHarris]

Two weeks ago I noticed that my L114 appears to have a bit of a fungal infection.
I've attached a picture and will try to add more but he's rarely out in the open so it's tough to get a good shot.

Last week I noticed white growth on the ends of the spikes on his sides. He also has a bit on his left pectoral fin.

I've been doing weekly 40% water changes and haven't been having any problems. I usually try not to medicate as I do not have another tank to isolate fish and am a believer in good water quality usually taking care of things. That said, I did a course of FishMox, in hopes of clearing things up but nothing happened. 4 days ago I tried Tetra Fungus Guard as it had worked in the past when a couple of plecos had a similar looking growth. No luck this time.

I Just cleaned my filters and intend on doing another water change tomorrow.

Any thoughts as to what this specific infection looks like and ideas on further treatment.
I've had this L114 for several years now and am quite attached, I want to do everything in my power to help him pull through.

Any assistance is much appreciated.

20170331_100529.jpg

[PseudaSmart]

I have used Pimafix with cactus plecos for years successfully. It doesn't work overnight but you have to be diligent in using it. Don't forget that carbon and such have to be removed.

When doing frequent water changes be careful not to over clean substrate and filter. Thru personal experience I recently discovered that this will result in a fungus explosion because there isn't enough bacteria to keep it in check.

[DHarris]

Thanks for the reply. I've used Pimafix and Melafix in the past but assumed they were sort of snake oil. It's great to hear it worked for you, I'll try adding some.

Still have my charcoal removed from the last round of Fungus Guard.
I'll add Pima with the next water change.

Though still hard to tell as my L114 always hides, it does appear that the fungus has gotten a bit smaller. Fingers crossed...

[Linus_Cello]

In addition to what was said, keep the tank dark, add extra aeration (air stone).

[TwoTankAmin]

The fraying of the tips on pectorals and the fins themselves as well as on the top of the head or just behind it is also common occurrence when a chosen cave is too small for the pleco. It will scrape itself going in and out especially as well as when moving about inside. That is not the only cause of what you are seeing, but I thought it bears mentioning, jik. Sometime the avai9lale caves are not big enough at the outset, other times the fish simply outgrows his home. I have always tried to provide my plecos with a variety of shapes and sizes in the caves I put into tanks.

Also, my preferred fungal treatment over the years has been Maroxy by Mardel (for whatever that opinion is worth). In addition, I am not a believer in the efficacy of Mela or Pima Fix. These treatments are either loved by some hobbyists or disliked and not used by others. There seems to be little middle ground on this.