Growth on neon tetras mouth?

[Shana0310]

Please take a look at these photos. They aren't the best quality. I just noticed one of my neons has something going on with his mouth. It looks like it is being held open by a growth perhaps? Also, his tail dis seems a little torn up. Any advise or opinions are welcom. Sorry for the poor photo quality.


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[Matt68005]

Not sure whats going on with his mouth.
You probably need a gram negative antibiotic for his tail rot, if alot of them have it that is.

 

[Delapool]

Wondering myself, especially with the fin rot.

Other thought was maybe something stuck like a very fine sand grain or something.

 

[Saekalive]

I have 2 neons with the same problem. Something I heard like neon tetra disease. Mine still eat and swim fine.

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[Saekalive]

Scratch that. Not neon tetra disease XD I should read before I post about a disease

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[Autumnsky]

Check if something is in his mouth. But otherwise it is probable Columnaris. Also a gram negative disease.

 

[Matt68005]

NTDs is pretty hard to mistake. Its a brown leasion, columnaris is white patches. You can order antibiotic flake, cheap, last a long time, and works wonders, even during active outbreaks, as long as its not TOO TOO late, then you might just cull them and get more. What are they like 2 dollars? But in the future, this will take care of all your bacterial problems in a fish, guaaarn'tee it. Antibiotic Fish Flake Food
Personally i go with Oxytetracyline, it is more broad spectrum than kanamycin sul kills Gram + and Gram - bacteria, wont wreck their liver and kidnes, and last a long time as long as its kept out of the light! (same with all tetracyclines, dont go out in the sun, my dad took Tetracycline one time and went fishing, He was so "out of it" he was throwing back very big nice catfish.....lol until some guys came up and said "why are you throwing those back" and he realized what happened.)

 

[Shana0310]

Thanks for all your responses. You've all given me a lot to work on.


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[Shana0310]

Let's say he does have something stuck in his mouth. How would I get it out


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[Autumnsky]

Catch him, have someone maybe help you. But take a thin tweezer with the pointy ends and see if you can hold him in the net make sure your hands are really clean and rinsed off of any soap or anything else including under the nails I would sanitize the tweezers before and after with alcohol, rinse very well. (of course done and ready when the fish comes out of the water. Maybe get him into QT. He could have some other illness.

Hold him maybe between forefinger and thumb, try to grab the stone or what ever with the tweezer. Honestly it is very scary but simple to do.

Hold the little guy and see if you can see anything. I have had to remove a pebble from a Koi and a dead Oto from the mouth of my fish where the barbels had punctured his mouth and couldn't get him out. Hard to see

 

[Delapool]

Just another thought but was wondering if it could be dislocated (if off-centre or something), just in case.

 

[Autumnsky]

Just another thought but was wondering if it could be dislocated (if off-centre or something), just in case.

How could someone fix something like that?

 

[Delapool]

How could someone fix something like that?

Really good question!

I found the thread and it only talks about knocking the fish out with clove oil and then massage / alignment with a q-tip (cotton bud).

Much larger fish though - pan sized like an oscar or so.

The OP in that thread had tried massage with no success. Perhaps the clove oil would relax the muscles/ligaments as well but from my own experience with a dislocated thumb it seems there is some mucking around to get things to click back.

I did quickly find another thread which suggested it can just pop back into place. Just thought to suggest it though as something to check.

 

[Autumnsky]

Great job Delapool. Poor little guy. It looks almost like he has lock jaw.

Although also an anesthetic, too much Clove oil will kill a fish so be careful.

 

[Delapool]

Great job Delapool. Poor little guy. It looks almost like he has lock jaw.

Although also an anesthetic, too much Clove oil will kill a fish so be careful.

Was just reading more - if lockjaw I read the fish may sometimes be able to eat enough to keep going?

Sounds kind of frustrating to deal with.

 

[Shana0310]

This little guy is is eating and swimming just fine. I've seen him even suck stuff in and spit it out. I wonder if it's really bothering him? I mean I'm sure it's not comfortable. But what's worse? Living with it? Or my accidentally killing him trying to fix him?


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[Delapool]

Can you see anything? A growth or something pushing out (from inside jaw) or jaw looking off-centre?

There's a few ideas on here now, any looking like they might fit I guess?

 

[Shana0310]

Well, I sterilized tweezers and a paper clip.and was able to get a little hard bluish grey something out of his mouth. He seemed gone swimming around. But his mouth was still open. So I tried again thinking I missed something. Well...I didn't see anything else but I accidentally ended up killing him. ?. I shouldn't have gone in again. They are just so darn small. He probably would have been fine had I not fooled with him.


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[Delapool]

Well, I sterilized tweezers and a paper clip.and was able to get a little hard bluish grey something out of his mouth. He seemed gone swimming around. But his mouth was still open. So I tried again thinking I missed something. Well...I didn't see anything else but I accidentally ended up killing him. ?. I shouldn't have gone in again. They are just so darn small. He probably would have been fine had I not fooled with him.


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That is so bad So close.

Great effort though for as you say a small fish.

 

[Autumnsky]

Sorry to hear it didn't fix his mouth. You can only do so much you gave it your best effort, they are really small and as hobbyists, we aren't doctors. I am sorry for your loss. At least you tried to make it better for him.