EMERGENCY-What is this brown stuff on my foxface?

Jay Hemdal · Jul 25, 2022

Makubex said:
Ammonia is .4 not .5 anymore, salinity is 1.024 now

That ammonia is still too high and can be deadly at a pH of above 8.2 Zero ammonia is the target, although <0.25 ppm is usually well tolerated by most fish.

Jay

CoralB · Jul 25, 2022

Makubex said:
Ammonia is .4 not .5 anymore, salinity is 1.024 now

Ammonia needs to be “ZERO “ “Nada”” Zilch” O !!!

Makubex · Jul 25, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
That ammonia is still too high and can be deadly at a pH of above 8.2 Zero ammonia is the target, although <0.25 ppm is usually well tolerated by most fish.

Jay

My ph is 8.2

vetteguy53081 · Jul 25, 2022

Makubex said:
My ph is 8.2

Your ammonia is at 20X the safe range with is <.025 or below. A massive water change will be needed.
What test kit are you using ?

Makubex · Jul 28, 2022

I use strips/api/lfs(i think they use the professional kit) they all give me the same readings, the foxface is healing a little bit now, the brown stuff stopped spreading, im afraid it was hhle, i lowered all parameters, i bought maracyn 2 just in case, however does this stuff kill beneficial bacteria? If so whats the point..

Jay Hemdal · Jul 28, 2022

Makubex said:
I use strips/api/lfs(i think they use the professional kit) they all give me the same readings, the foxface is healing a little bit now, the brown stuff stopped spreading, im afraid it was hhle, i lowered all parameters, i bought maracyn 2 just in case, however does this stuff kill beneficial bacteria? If so whats the point..

Glad the spread of it has stopped. I can tell you 100% that this is NOT HLLE. Foxface don't develop that, and if they did, it won't look like that, it would be more on the face, and down the lateral line.

I think this is a bacterial infection and/or a stress response to the water quality parameters not being correct - low temp, high SG and high ammonia.

Maracyn II won't kill off all of your beneficial bacteria, but in this case, where you've been having an ammonia issue (which has to be due to not enough beneficial bacteria) adding an antibiotic may make that issue worse.

Jay