Pictus fungus and fin rot problem!!!

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 28 Dec 2003, 03:00

I am having some serious problems with my two pictus. They are in a 10 gallon tank with a pleco. Ammonia is 0, nitrites 0, and nitrates 10. The pH is 6 and water temp is 78. I had been having some ammonia problems, but the ammonia has been testing for 0 daily now for the past week or so.

This morning I noticed the two pictus were being sluggish and I noticed their whiskers were shrivelled-looking. I did a 50% water change and they perked up a little bit, but not much. I also noticed that it looked like they were getting the beginning of fin rot, as the base of their fins were kinda red-looking. Well, I have now come home and things took a turn for the worse. One pictus has a couple cottony fungus patches on his head and a fluffy tuft at the end of one of his whiskers. The other is much worse. His fins have the definite fin rot look and he looks like he's having maybe swim bladder problems? He was kinda floating around the tank and all around, but then he would right himself and then it would happen again. He looks totally disoriented. I put some medication in that said it would take care of the fungus/swim bladder problem. I have some medication that is for fin rot, but I don't know if I should put it in or not because I don't know if I should mix the two medicines? How will the pleco deal with this?

Any help will be SO greatly appreciated!!!!!!

Post by **Silurus** » 28 Dec 2003, 05:30

Sounds like a bacterial infection. Quarantine the pictus and use an antibiotic.