Help with my pleco mouth fungus...

[Jpb1216]

Sorry about the quality and view but it was a pain trying to get a pic of these guys... What do I do about it? It looks pretty bad.

 

[SKB]

What type of pleco is it? I'm not sure from the pic, does it show up from the top of the pleco? I would test your water, ammonia, nitrite, nitrates and see if it would be from the water quality. Otherwise I'm sure someone who's seen this before will chime in.

 

[Jpb1216]

It's a hifin pleco and its more on the tip of the nose and on the top side... And another one of my plecos looks like its colors are fadin and blending together. Like they are dark brown and light brown spots and on the dorsal fin it looks like the color is pale and almost blending together into a creamy color brown.

 

[Kuddos 2 U]

I have never seen a pleco with infection or other things, I have only seen healthy ones. Hope yours gets better

 

[SKB]

We'll I can't get a great view of what it is, but if it is raised from the skin I would look up fungal or bacterial infections in plecos. Check your parameters, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, if these are off it could be an infection due to water quality.

 

[Jpb1216]

Lets just say it is my water. What do I do?

 

[SKB]

Go get your water tested. But id clean your tank, vacuum it.

 

[SKB]

You can bring some of ur tank water to your local fish store or get an API water test kit. I hope I've helped! Also do you condition your water before you put it in your tank?

 

[Jpb1216]

Yes I do I use the python no spill thing and I condition the water as it goes into to the tank itself.

 

[SKB]

Ok we'll I'd clean out your tank and water change of course. If anyone else know about fungus hopefully they comment.

 

[Jpb1216]

Yeah I'm probably gonna look at some meds and do a bi weekly 25% water change.

 

[SKB]

But I would clean your tank out now and vacuum if u haven't cleaned out the tank recently (since uve seen the problem). And testing your water would help a lot a lot a lot. I highly suggest getting an API freshwater test kit. Good luck! Let me know if things get better!

 

[clearancepuppy]

I had a cory develop that on an injury to one fin. I caught him and dabbed a little hydrogen peroxide on it with a q tip. No more fungus.

I'm sure you know to check your parameters and do water changes.

 

[Jpb1216]

Everything was perfect but my nitrate was a little on the high side I believe... From what I could tell the API test kit said it was maybe around 20?

 

[SKB]

if ammonia and nitrite was 0 and your nitrate is 20 that's fine. so it might be an injury like clearancepuppy stated.

 

[Jpb1216]

I haven't seen the other pleco to tell if he has it as well. But this one definitely has a white puffy/fuzzy growth on the outside of its mouth. Ok just debating on whether to med him or not, I don't have another tank for quarantine or hospital though.

 

[Oohitsae]

Do any other fish have anything similar? Looks almost like columnaris, but from my experience it tends to effect smaller fish first.
I'd try some maracyn plus, furan-2, triple sulfa, or something along the lines of treating both gram negative and gram positive bacteria just in case it is something, even if it's not all the medications I mentioned will help him recover from it a bit faster.
Goodluck!

 

[Jpb1216]

No I only see it on the plecos...

 

[Jpb1216]

Here is another picture I managed to grab of him... You may need to zoom in, and look at the bottom of his mouth.

 

[Oohitsae]

Are they acting strange?

I'd try the maracyn plus for a round and see if that doesn't help.