Good Fungus Fighter?

[aspiringangel]

Seems my gouramis are particularly susceptible to getting fungus on thier bodies. To this time I have used MarOxy to heal them. It's not available at my closest LFS, and it's not always convenient to drive 45 minutes away to get a simple bottle of fungus-be-gone for one sick fish, when there are plenty of other types readily available a 5 min drive away from my work. I do really like the 'pour-ability' of Maroxy, as the fish is only in a 5g tank and I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of breaking pills unless I have to. Can anyone suggest a good alternative (preferably pour-able, but if not... oh well..) to MarOxy that will more likely than not be available at the LFS close to me? They seem to have everything BUT MarOxy...

[spikekillifish]

Fungal problems can be an indicator of poor water quality. How large is you tank? How is it stocked? What type of filtration do you have?

Many would treat your situation by adding aquarium salt, performing frequent water changes, adding garlic and vitamins to food, and dosing with Melafix. For more severe problems many have had great success with Furan-2 which is a more encompasing compound than Melafix, covering a wider variety of bacterial and fungal infections.

Other great preventative additives that are available are Kordon's Polyaqua and Novaqua. These two products are widely used in the trade but not as much by consumers and hobbyists.

Click here for more info on Kordon's products.

[aspiringangel]

5g tank, was two gouramis till one up and died for no apparent reason the other day, and two plecos, now there are only the two plecos and one gourami. I'm using the filter that came with the tank, a Hagen AquaClear.

I have added aquarium salt already. I also bought melafix and added the first dose this afternoon.

I suspect the point about water quality is probably very close. This morning while I was in the shower I accidentally got some water in my mouth - and it tasted like soap. Living on a farm and using pond water, god only knows what goes on and how it's filtered before hand. I think there has been a sudden decline in water quality this week - it has always tasted kind of funny, not to mention that it often smells. All my readings (ammonia nitrite nitrate hardness pH) are within perfect parameters.

I think I will have to start using my parent's city water if this is to continue - the fish seem to go for a certain period of time with no problems, then all of a sudden one will die without any previous signs of illness, or a fungal infection will crop up. I guess it might have more to do with the cycles the pond water we are on goes through than how my fish are more susceptible to disease than other fish.

Thanks for your help though - it seems that if I had normal water and was going through this, what I am doing would actually work. Good to know for when I move into a house in a *town* somewhere that has GOOD water.

[Iggy]

I have had really good luck using Jungle Anti-Fungus. It is a yellow crystal and works pretty fast. I have nothing but small tanks for my bettas, so the crystals are easy to measure down to a 2 or 3 gal tank.

Finchy (betta) had really bad Fungus and salt+melafix slowed it down, but did not cure it and he got really weak. When I found out about the Jungle Anti-Fungus, I used a full dose (he was covered in fungus) and he pulled through. It saved his life. Usually takes about 2 treatments, 4 days apart.