Re: Columnaris rampant
John Smith
> ...
> I had first noticed this problem when friends who had recently purchased
> new fish had tanks with the disease cropping up. The mortality rate of
> their fish is astronomical and none of the treatments I gave/suggested
> were working ...
>
> Regards,
> JS
I am just waking up to a lot of changes I have somehow been blind
to--well, they have been right in front of me--I just didn't pay
attention until now ...
I went into walmart and closely inspected the tanks and fish. In one
tank there was a Jack Dempsey Cichlid with an obvious and advanced state
of Columnaris disease. Various other tanks had fish with white spots,
fin rot, fungus, etc. At least one-in-ten fish seemed to display signs
of one disease or another, I found this alarming.
And, on close inspection, it appears to me that all the tanks share the
same water! It looks like all the tanks have an overflow which must
drop into a tank/sump in the back room behind the tanks, is picked back
up and re-pumped back into the tanks! In such a system, if there is a
disease in one tank--ALL tanks are exposed.
I attempted to engage the store employee in the fish section in a
conversation to find out if what I believed was true. He seemed vague.
Perhaps he just doesn't know the answers or perhaps he has been
coached to be vague? One thing for sure, he would NOT open the door to
the back room and let me have a look! In any case, I never did get a
conclusive answer from him on whether all tanks shared the same water,
or not ... but he did admit to removing fish from tanks, which had died,
on a daily/almost-daily basis!
I then paid a visit to another pet store chain in the area (I hesitate
to mention the name) and it appears they have implemented the exact same
system--all tanks are sharing one water supply.
In past years this might have seemed to work. UV sterilizers and
abundant, cheap, and freely available antibiotics kept disease to
minimum. Diatomaceous filtering also helps in preventing disease--has
this been stopped?
However, a look on craigs list, local papers, bulletin boards, etc.
seems to indicate there is an over-abundance of used aquariums up for
sale. I am wondering if the reason traffic is down on the usenet
groups, forums and in general because of a "plague" of disease(s) which
is discouraging new aquarium keepers? Just purchasing plants from one
of these outlets could prove disastrous.
But then ... maybe not ... anyone else whos' paranoia has been aroused?
I am beginning to think this would be a great subject for aquarium
magazines and journalists ... now where are those investigative aquarium
journalists when you need one?
Regards,
JS
Half-a-Brain-McCain'n Insane; So Lawdy Mama, It Looks Like Obama!