Anyone know whats wrong? Pls help! Duck lips?

[CTFlowerhornLover]

Someone pls help. This is my first Flowerhorn. Had him about 1 year now. He was paired with a Blood Parrot. I just recently paired them up a month ago n hes had this for about a week now. Someone told me its duck lips. When i go to my lfs they tell me just give him melafix or pimafix. He was in a tank with his female. Female did become agreesive. Lfs does not know wht "duck lips" is they say his jaw was just pulled out during breeding. Im not sure. Any suggestions pls! I dont want to lose him but i also do not want him to keep suffering. Bd stopped eating about 4 days ago. Pls see photos.

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

These pics are of what he looked like before he was sick.

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

So now all the fuzz is gone, and he has holes in his mouth. Close to putting him to sleep myself. Please someone help

 

[Shane83]

So now all the fuzz is gone, and he has holes in his mouth. Close to putting him to sleep myself. Please someone help

If there was fuzz it was probably flexibacter columnaris aka mouth fungus aka cotton wool mouth

 

[Shane83]

So now all the fuzz is gone, and he has holes in his mouth. Close to putting him to sleep myself. Please someone help

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Columnaris.html#columnaris
Read this. Sorry for the late reply. Good luck

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

What can i do to help. Pls refer to photos.

 

[Shane83]

What can i do to help. Pls refer to photos.

You need to read the article. There is too much to type out. But it seems the most effective course of treatment if you agree this is what it might be, would be salt dips/meth blue combo or kanamycin. I don't think kanamycin is readily available in Australia so I can't help you much with it's effectiveness sorry.

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

I did not see the article post until now sorry. I am in the US not australia

 

[Shane83]

I did not see the article post until now sorry. I am in the US not australia

That's ok. The treatments in the article will be available to you

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

I have read the article and i have attempted to use melafix (my lfs told me would be good) i saw they mentioned pimafix which i just put recently. He was in. My tabk with methblue already n cichlid salt. Its been only a week. Seems still strong enough to fight. If he stay like this longer than another week i may have to puthim down.

 

[Shane83]

I have read the article and i have attempted to use melafix (my lfs told me would be good) i saw they mentioned pimafix which i just put recently. He was in. My tabk with methblue already n cichlid salt. Its been only a week. Seems still strong enough to fight. If he stay like this longer than another week i may have to puthim down.

It's really your call. There are arguably more effective treatments. Melafix should really do nothing given that columnaris is gram negative. You will need to use a gram negative medication, as mentioned in the article I think. But if he is not eating and slowly starving to death then it may be the best option. He looks like a beautiful fish though, so do your best. Try and entice him with some live foods. Blackworm or something.

 

[Shane83]

I have read the article and i have attempted to use melafix (my lfs told me would be good) i saw they mentioned pimafix which i just put recently. He was in. My tabk with methblue already n cichlid salt. Its been only a week. Seems still strong enough to fight. If he stay like this longer than another week i may have to puthim down.

And salt in your tank is nothing like a properly done salt dip. Salt dips will go almost 1 teaspoon per litre of water sometimes.

 

[CTFlowerhornLover]

Im going to place a meal worm in today. I heard to wiggle is almost irrisistabld to them even when sick. I stopped using melafix i will try the salt dip also today. Id hate to put him down but may be the option rater than see him suffer :,(

 

[Shane83]

Im going to place a meal worm in today. I heard to wiggle is almost irrisistabld to them even when sick. I stopped using melafix i will try the salt dip also today. Id hate to put him down but may be the option rater than see him suffer :,(

The idea is to get him to eat, provide pristine water conditions, and treat wholeheartedly. Do not ever treat disease in half measures. Pick a treatment, use it at it's FULL effectiveness and for the full specified time. Good luck, mate. I really hope he makes it