RE: [Killietalk] True Fungi - A bedtime story

[Chris <cgraseck at optonline_net>]

Nice story RJ

Cheers,
Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: killietalk-bounces+cgraseck=optonline_net at aka.org
[mailto:killietalk-bounces+cgraseck=optonline_net at aka.org] On Behalf Of
Tranquility Base
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 2:47 AM
To: killifish discussion list
Subject: [Killietalk] True Fungi - A bedtime story

Hi Folks,

Just a little tale of woe with a more or less happy ending:

A couple of weeks ago an ancient annual came down with what was
ostensibly a
true fungus. Yes, just like in those old black and white photos
mislabeled
as java moss in an Axelrod book it was textbook fungus.  It has been
some
years since I encountered a true fungus on anything other than eggs. As
a
matter of fact I couldn't recall when it was.

As best as I recalled, a little salt and the disease is gone. So I
tossed in
a few handfuls of sodium chloride, a few drops of Tetra Fungus Stop (to
finish off the bottle) and a couple of capfuls of Melafix to facilitate
healing and prevent bacterial infection.

As predicted, the fungus pretty much cleared up and the old male
Callopanchax began to look just a little more active. I was occupied for
a
few days and when I looked back into the tank, the fungus was back.
'Odd'
thought I, but undaunted, I tossed in more salt and some acriflavine and
fully expected the fungus to be eliminated by the next morning.

The next day, things were worse. The rear portion of the dorsal fin was
being eaten slowly off and there appeared to be growth starting in front
of
the anal fin. More salt and acriflavine were added and now less sure of
myself I began to scour my feeble memory for a better treatment.

A quick trip by the LFS revealed that they carried nothing for true
fungus,
no surprise there, but I figured the Jungle anti-fungus (actually anti
culminaris) product couldn't hurt and as I hated going home empty
handed, I
bought and added same to the tank at my usual almost double the
recommended
dosage. But alas this too was to no avail.

A few phone calls confirmed that my treatment should have worked, and
convinced that my diagnosis was correct, I found myself staring at a
problem
I had not seen in at least two decades. It looked so familiar, but I
really
could not remember the details of how I stopped the problem.

And then while straining to see the fish through the green water, I
noticed
what appeared to be a full grown white worm hanging from the anal area
of
the fish and another protruding from the fungal mass to the posterior of
the
dorsal fin. Quite frankly in disbelief, I went to my stockpile of
remedies
and dusted off a plastic bottle of Life Bearer, a product that I have
always
kept in stock since I encountered a worm infestation back in the mid
1980's.
I added a strong dose of the product after shaking it vigorously for
some
time and within hours the worms hanging from the fish were visibly dying
and
by nightfall they had dropped off. The fungus was gone by the next
morning.
The question at hand, where did the worms come from?  And why weren't
they
elsewhere in my fish room, or were they?

---Flashback 20 years---

I was living elsewhere and I was working two jobs. I had an old metal
frame
55 gal fish tank.  I set it up with the best equipment available at the
time
and intended it to house my collection of synodonis catfish as well as a
host of common community fish. The object of the exercise was to give me
a
respite from my hectic life style. So I strolled into the LFS and
purchased
some $30.00 of inexpensive and colorful 'junk fish' and went on my merry
way.  Strangely enough certain fish began dying off, one at a time, the
catfish and certain others remained strangely unaffected.  At this time
I
was called on by my former boss to assist him in setting up a 36" 45 gal
aquarium from the same LFS (important detail for later on).

As the fish in the tank were of little intrinsic value, I pretty much
replaced them monthly and went on enjoying my community tank.  When
finally
a larger fish that I had grown fond of became sick I decided to study
the
issue of the dying fish more closely. The fish had what appeared to be a
fungal infection. I treated the tank with just about everything, to no
avail. I even added so much clout that the fish started jumping out.
Finally
a drop of iodine cured the large infected fish, but I was determined to
get
to the root of the problem. I was able to obtain a prescription for
Chloramphenichol HCL 250mg caps. I added a rather large dose of same and
the
fungus was gone revealing a single worm at the center of each former
site of
a fungal tuft on the fish.

I returned to the LFS and asked the proprietor if he had had any
experience
with worms, He gave me a bottle of Life Bearer, claimed that he did not
have
a worm issue in his store, and told me that they had most likely come
from
my tap water.  I might add that he also could recall and pronounce the
active ingredient of Life Bearer from memory. Just as promised the worms
were gone within 2 days of the initial treatment.

----Flash forward 19 years---

My friend had kept his 45 gallon fish tank set up but had no luck with
keeping up the community tank. He wound up with two silver dollars and 2
kissing guaramies. Although he added fish for the first few years none
survived. He assumed that the large guaramis or the silver dollars must
have
killed them.  Finally after almost two decades he was down to one very
large
guarami and on the eve of a move, he called me to take down his fish
tank.
The tank and accoutrements were mine for the price of finding a good
home
for the huge and very old gurami.

I took the gravel and put it in a bucket that I left in the yard. It
rained
so the bucket never really dried up. I thought to breed the callopanchax
over some gravel so I took same from the bucket in the yard, put it in a
dish and placed it in the aquarium with the fish after rinsing it under
tap
water.  As no fish had been introduced into my friends aquarium for over
a
decade, I felt quite certain I was at little risk of introducing an
undesirable element into the equation.

---The time is now, again---

A year after I introduced the gravel into my aquarium my fish have white
fungal tufts, therein are concealed worms.  Exactly as I remembered the
symptoms of 20 years ago.  I strain to think where these worms may have
come
from. There were other fish in the tank for about 2 years before the
callopanchex went in. They never got sick. The callopanchax were in
there
for almost a year and did not get sick. The foods were either dry or
from my
own worm and daphnia cultures. And then it dawned on me. The gravel from
my
friends 45 gal tank was the key!

20 years ago a certain LFS had been over run with worms (despite their
denials). I set up two tanks, mine and my friends. We both bought our
fish
from the same store (and with them the worms). I killed them. He didn't.
He
wound up with a fish that was not susceptible to the pests. But the
worms
remained living in his gravel. 19 years later I take down his tank and
move
some of his gravel into one of my fish tanks. And I get the worms back.
A
year later they strike my poor aged killifish. Well the mystery of why
his
fish tank never worked out is solved. So is the mystery of the fungus
that
would not go away. Maybe it even has something to do with the fact that
none
of the callopanchax's eggs ever hatched.

In any event it makes for a good fish story with a happy ending, or does
it...the worms may still be out there somewhere they can apparently
survive
for years without killing a fish.

Keep this story in mind if you ever get run across a fungal infection
you
can't cure.  Or a disease that suddenly comes back after what seems like
a
very long time.


Peace,

~RJ~


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Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/