fry with fungus

Question
Hi Lynda It me again :)

We have talked a couple of times before. Right now I'm facing a new problem. Two weeks ago My rams laid eggs and I hatched them myself. They were about 60 fries now I have 20. I was filtering the water with a sponge filter and that killed about 25 fries some others have died from natural causes. But today I found 3 dead covered in Fungus.  I do water changes daily of about 30% with the same parameters as their water and I'm using ammo-lock since I dont have a filter. My question is what should I do about the fungus? I can see it everywere in the tank now. Can I use a fungus medication on fry? I have one called Fungus-ease from mag-float labs.

thank you very much
Alexandra

Answer
Hi Alexandra,
You absolutely need a filter when breeding.  Ammo-lock won't do.  Water changes, and keeping your water free of ammonia, nitrites, and low nitrates can only be done with a filter, cycled water, and water changes.  There isn't much you can do now, try methylene blue, but I am quite certain you will lose the fry.  If you check your water chemistry, I am positive you would find ammonia, and nitrites in your water.  This is enough to kill fish.  When using a filter, you cover the arm of the filter with a white nylon stocking so that the fish to not get sucked in, but the water flows from the filter to the tank.  Your tank should be cycled before putting the fry into it, meaning zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and low nitrates.  There is no other way to cycle a tank.  You must use a filter, and do water changes.
Rams usually make good parents.  If they are young, they may eat their first, and second spawn, but usually they will defend their eggs, and care for the fry.  They need a well planted tank, either real plants or silk plants that you find at your pet store, and flat rocks where they can lay their eggs.
I hope you save some of them, but these fish are very sensitive to water chemistry, and I doubt they will make it.
Lynda