Cotton Mouth?

[TMaier]

I added some neons on Monday. I did not quarantine. Today Blue looks like this....

Is it cotton mouth and what is the best treatment?

 

[TMaier]

Went to see my local fish guru. Based on the fact that the fins are fine. Nothing else anywhere on him, he suspects this is a virus.

Not treatable but perhaps Blue might fight it on his own. If he does survive I need to make sure his mouth does not heal closed.

 

[Matt68005]

A virus? What in the world would make your LFS person say that?
This is quite simply columnaris, cotton mouth, a bacterial infection easily treatable with gram negative antibiotics.
Kanamycin
Minocycline
Oxytetracycline
Triple Sulfa

 

[TMaier]

By the time I got home he was gone. There was nothing on his mouth last night. I believed this gentleman, he has kept aquariums for decades and owns the store with 100+ tanks. He did not try to sell me anything and was very kind.

 

[TMaier]

There are other fish in the tank. Should I treat the whole tank?

 

[justinmo]

No you shouldn't, separate him in a quarantine tank and treat him.

 

[Potluck]

I believe the fish has passed, as far as treating the tank columnaris is very contagious and spreads very fast, lower tank temp to 72-76 watch fish closely, look for red spots on other fish, test water paramiters, watch for white spots on other fish, if your fish passed that fast from it then it's the fast mortality strain as there are 4 strains of columnaris, you need a gram negative antibiotic to treat columnaris, I can't say it is columnaris but I did have it once but the whole fish had white fuzz not just the mouth.

 

[TMaier]

I believe the fish has passed, as far as treating the tank columnaris is very contagious and spreads very fast, lower tank temp to 72-76 watch fish closely, look for red spots on other fish, test water paramiters, watch for white spots on other fish, if your fish passed that fast from it then it's the fast mortality strain as there are 4 strains of columnaris, you need a gram negative antibiotic to treat columnaris, I can't say it is columnaris but I did have it once but the whole fish had white fuzz not just the mouth.

Yes he passed. I have not seen a single red, white or fuzzy spot on a single fish! I did a 60% PWC and vacuum. Water parameters are perfect. I will lower the temp and keep an eye on everything.

 

[TMaier]

I did some more reading about the 4 different strains of columnaris. Two of them are essentially untreatable due to how fast they kill the fish. The other 2 usually have some sort of outward symptoms and will gradually kill off fish as days go by unless treated. If I have anymore deaths I will be shopping for meds...

 

[TMaier]

Lights on this morning and we have white fuzz.

What is the best medications?

 

[TMaier]

Let me restate my question about medication. Every product info I have seen on line appears to be a wonder cure all. I am trying to identify the gram negative specific products.

 

[Delapool]

If I'm seeing correctly that looks like saddleback (columnaris). The meds suggested by Matt are worth a try.

Either furan 2 and kana together.

Or medicated fish food.

I'd QT infected fish asap. I never managed to save any except larger fish. All neons were lost.

 

[Potluck]

The bad and sad thing about columnaris is the morality rate is very high I tried furan 2 + kanaplex together it didn't work I tried fungus guard didn't when, salt didn't work, I lost 18 fish in 1.5 months, but honestly if it's spread treat the whole tank with kanaplex + furan 2 together

 

[TMaier]

Only 2 fish have had outward symptoms. 6 neons died only the one with fuzz. My betta with lip fuzz. 2 Khuli's were dead this morning without any outward physical indicators.

 

[TMaier]

I went to my local experts this weekend and both of them recommended that I let it run its course. All of the snails and plants will die from the treatment. After 45 days of no losses then I can introduce a few new fish and by then The bacteria without a host should have died off.

Are they wrong?

 

[Potluck]

Yeah man is a tough thing like I said 18 fish in less than 1 1/2 months

 

[Delapool]

I went to my local experts this weekend and both of them recommended that I let it run its course. All of the snails and plants will die from the treatment. After 45 days of no losses then I can introduce a few new fish and by then The bacteria without a host should have died off.

Are they wrong?

It will still be in tank unfortunately just fish are too healthy.

I found once it starts in a school of fish, that entire school is in trouble. Especially small fish.

If you have healthy, uninfected schools of any fish I'd try to QT infected schools if you can.

My approach next time will be put down really sick fish. QT any suspicious fish. Treat with some sort of general purpose cure eg ariflavine or potassium permanganate or high salt and then into antibiotics.

Temp either same or slightly lower. Locally there has been discussion on raising temp to help, still not sure on that.

People have treated with meds and won - I think start straight away.

 

[coralbandit]

Columnaris can last over 1 year according to agriculture reports....
Kannamycin and furan 2 for at least 10 days...
If the tank is fishless or the fish left look infected sterilize it...
And all your equipment..get some Potassium Permaganate to do this with if you don't have access to pool shock....
4 types of columanris and it sounds like have hit a Grand Slam!
http://www.myaquariumclub.com/columnaris-and-what-i-have-learned...-1689.html
Fish Columnaris | Fungus & Saprolegnia | Treatment & Prevention

These are both must reads...

 

[Potluck]

You actually lower the temp with columnaris because it slows down the spreading process, raise temp with ich, columnaris is a (insert bad word here) I hope I never experience again, I still don't know what causes it. Honestly if I ever get it again I will give up the aquarium hobby.

 

[TMaier]

Ok I have done all the reading. But I am still trying to figure out if I can save the plants and snails. The fish all look fine. Here is a video. https://youtu.be/UVTgakopv4E