Ghost Shrimp and Fungus Clear

Question
I was simply wondering if it would kill my ghost shrimp if i used Fungus Clear by Tank Buddies. I have a ten gallon tank with platys and one who seems to have clamped fins and another who also looks like he has a fungus issue but i wasn't sure if it would harm the shrimp to add the tablets. Thank you for you're time.

Answer
Hi Courtney,

Fungus Clear is actually made by Jungle Labs. Tank Buddies is the line of products that they produce that come in a little nifty fizzy tablet, for easier dosage. I've used it before, and it will not harm any small organisms, like Ghost Shrimp. Try not to drop the thing right on the shrimp, of course. Make sure you use the correct dosage, which should be exactly one tablet (for a 10-gallon tank).

However, you need to be sure that the issue is actually a fungus. If there is a moldy-like growth on the fish, then it is a fungus, but if it's a white, cottony growth, especially near the forebody, it's actually a type of bacteria, Columnaris. Fungi are somewhat less common than bacteria. Fungi only affect stressed or injured fish, and cannot affect a healthy fish. After the problem has been treated, you might want to investigate the underlying problem. Perhaps it's poor water quality, or inadequate feeding. Anyways, Platy fish are extremely hardy, and you can expect that they will fully recover. Before adding the medication, I recommend that you perform a 30-40% water change.

Since there's the possibility of it being a bacterial infection, you might want to use a different product. Jungle Labs produces another type of medication, called Fungus Eliminator, and treats both fungus and bacteria. It comes in a coarse powder format.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!