Re: [RML] Strange "bleached-out" spots on Rainbowfish

Adrian Tappin (atappin at ecn.net.au)
Wed, 30 Dec 1998 06:06:25 +1000

At 11:24 29/12/98 -0600,Randy wrote:
>Thank you for the quick response, Bruce. Come to think of it, I do keep
>the temperature at 79 degrees. What do you recommend I keep it at?
>And, also, should I just dispose of the fish? I hate to do it, but, I
>don't want them to suffer either. I do have a quarantine tank, but if
>they are going to die anyway, should I even waste the time? Thanks
>again.

I would certainly agreed with Bruce but go one further and say that they
definitely have Mycobacteriosis. You see, I can make these rash statements -
not like the Doc :-)

Unfortunately, you either have to dispose of all the fish in that aquarium
and completely break-down the tank and treat with a strong chlorine
solution, or simply learn to live with the disease. Even with this drastic
action there is no guarantee that you will kill all the bacteria. If you
have other tanks there is the possibility that they also carry the bacteria.

In the next couple of days I will have an article on this disease on my
homepage. Not that that will help you but it will at least give you an idea
of what to expect. As for temperature I suggest that you keep the
temperature below 28 degrees Celsius as Mycobacterium marinum prefer a
temperature of 30-33 degrees C.

Adrian.

Adrian R. Tappin
"Home of the Rainbowfish"
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm