I need help, 55 gallon in trouble

[RWaltman]

Hey MFK, I need help. I have a 55 gallon tank that is in trouble. I did my bi-weekly 10 gallon water change Sunday before the steeler game and added some melafix and algae-gone (I have stubborn algae due to sunlight and this helps make it easier to scrape/clean) I added a capful of melafix and I usually due this as precautionary. I came home from work today and my 14" tyre track eel was dead...he had hazy eyes and fungus threads around the mouth, my albino bichir is laying on the bottom with fins clamped and similar "threads" coming off him. In the tank also are 5 silver dollars, African brown knife fish and 3 kribensis' who appear fine. I also changed the media in my HOB filter (insert type filter cartridges). Any idea how to treat this outbreak? Is it tank-wide? Do I need to break down the tank? I'm really upset about my eel...he was getting to be a really great fish...help guys! Last time I went through an outbreak of fungus like this I lost the entire tank...any suggestions welcomed!


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[RWaltman]

My nitrates are near zero, ammonia and nitrites at zero...temp is 72.


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[EBJDguy]

Lower water temps lead to fungal infections. Stress also lead to fungal infections. As a rule of thumb, I keep all my tanks at 78 since all my fish are tropical fish, and my discus/ram tank at 84-86. By the description (please don't be offended), your tank is waaayyy over crowded causing your fish stress. The water change probably stirred some of the fish around which increased the stress leading to loss of the slime coat. Combine that stress with low water temps is begging for a fungal infection. So, do another 50% water change, and raise the water temp to 80 gradually. After raising the water temp to 80, add maracyn or malachite-green to treat the fungus.

On a side note... the size of that eel alone would have been enough for me to keep him alone in a 55.
Good luck!