![]() This isn’t to say that disease introduction doesn’t happen on occasion (as with crustacean parasites like Anchorworms and Fish Lice), but the greatest detractor to fish health is stress, pure and simple. What you need to realize is that nearly all the organisms that cause disease in fish are already in the aquarium to begin with, in small numbers that a healthy fish’s immune system can handle. Not really “not quite” how it works, but not even remotely. Many aquarists make the mistake of assuming a newly introduced fish “brought” the disease into their tank. They simply have a higher tolerance for the level of bacteria present. One specimen (say a newly introduced one) may succumb to the level of bacteria in the tank, while the others may not. Fish immunology is not a level playing field. If you remove a good portion of the detritus, you will cut the bacteria’s population down considerably. Columnaris bacteria normally feed on decaying matter, like the detritus in the gravel and left over fish food. The first thing you need to do is change about 25 percent of the water with a gravel siphon. Needless to say, swift action must be taken in order to reverse the condition. This process only takes a few seconds and millions of them can develop overnight. This means that the simply split in two once they attain an adequate size so one turns into two, two turn into four, four turn into eight, and so on. Once the fish become stressed and a few bacteria are able to infect the fish, it quickly pinwheels out of control as these bacteria reproduce by binary fission. Treating ColumnarisĬolumnaris, better known as Flavobacterium columnare (aka Flexibacter columnaris) is one of the more virulent (extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous) bacterium that attacks fish. ![]() The bacteria that attack the fish are usually part of the natural bacterial fauna in an aquarium, but they will colonize a weakened fish with as much vigor as they form on a pile of decaying fish food. Outbreaks are usually triggered by stress-inducing conditions such as deteriorating water quality or a sudden rise in water temperature, which is one of the factors for outbreaks in outdoor ponds as spring sets in. Left untreated, it is fatal and can quickly spread to other fish in the aquarium. The mouth can also be affected with a yellow to brownish slimy appearance on the lips and an inability to close the mouth. Fins will have a milky appearance, and then just rot off, seemingly overnight, leaving only the ulcerated base. Fish affected with Columnaris often hover near the surface of the water and shimmy the tail back and forth while holding the pectoral and dorsal fins (or what's left of them) close to the body. In progressed cases, the bacteria infests the gill tissue as well which is evidenced by a slimy gray appearance instead of the vibrant pink that the gills should have. This condition is also referred to as “fin and tail rot” as it attacks the thin, sensitive tissue of the fins quite vigorously. ![]() All of these bacteria are virulent and cause debilitating damage. These bacteria are unique in that they have an ability to move by gliding along surfaces with no visible or known means of locomotion. Tropical fish are particularly susceptible to Columnaris as the bacterium is most virulent in waters warmer than 64 degrees Fahrenheit.Ĭolumnaris, which is a member of the Phylum Myxobacteria is a gram- negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is saprophytic (an organism that grows on and derives its nourishment from dead or decaying organic matter) and found embedded in slime (like that on a fish’s skin and gills) where it forms complex colonies. There are quite a few of closely related bacteria that can be responsible for this disease, but the most common is Flexibacter Columnaris (also referred to as Flavobacter columnare, Flavobacterium columnare, or more generically as Myxobacteria). Advanced ulcerations usually turn to a reddish golden color from the initial grayish white. Lesions start out as raised, slimy patches with a red margin that ulcerates within a few days revealing the layer of skin below the scales. Because of this characteristic, it is also referred to as “Haystack or Saddleback disease”. The premier signature of this malady is a rise in the skin between the gill cover and dorsal fin, coupled with a milky appearance to the scales which then quickly ulcerates. It is so common in live-bearing fishes that Columnaris is often referred to as “Livebearer's disease”. This is a very common ailment of aquarium fishes, particularly those that prefer more alkaline water with a higher pH like the livebearers (mollies, platys, swordtails, etc.).
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