Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

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ahmandi2
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Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by ahmandi2 » Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:05 pm

I've got a couple of neons with cotton-like little growths' on their mouths, and one has his fins eaten away by the same thing (i think). We just got done nuking the tank with antibiotics, so it is NOT a bacterial. I'm guessing it's fungal. My rainbows have white lips but no growth, yet, so I need to get going on it....but some advice would be nice....what is a good antifungal? I've got dojos, rainbows neons and a pleco, oh and four hatchets as well. Most of these fish are fine, with the exception of those neons and the lips of the rainbows...I think.
Recommendations?
"I'm not *THAT* kind of hunter"

Diana
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by Diana » Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:19 am

Try a different antibiotic. Research the one you used, and see what it treats and what it does not. Then find an antibiotic that treats the things the first one did not.

However, fuzzy can be fungus. Usually fungi attack tissue that is already compromised by something else. Injury, bacterial infection...

Remember all the other things that go into fighting an infection in the tank:
Extra water changes, thorough gravel vacs...

Here is a site I use to diagnose fish diseases:
http://www.nationalfishpharm.com/
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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ahmandi2
Posts: 221
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:43 am
Location: Northeast Pennsylvania

Re: Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by ahmandi2 » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:47 am

Used Maracyn & Maracyn II in conjunction. No change.
Tried another antibacterial, for the things that were NOT covered with these two. No change.
Used A Fungal treatment which also had an antibacterial component for "secondary infections. No change.
Tried another treatment, fungus elimanator. No change.
"I'm not *THAT* kind of hunter"

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by Diana » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:29 am

Are you using each treatment for the full duration as stated on the label? Sometimes a problem will continue to look bad up to almost the last day of treatment, then will suddenly turn around and go away. If you just used each treatment for a couple of days that might not be long enough to really attack the problem.

Another treatment:
Run a UV sterilizer on the tank. This does not affect the infection that is on the body of the fish, but may kill other things in the water, so that there are fewer microorganisms to re-infect the fish. I have heard of these making the difference in fish health even when the fish had some internal infection.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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ahmandi2
Posts: 221
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:43 am
Location: Northeast Pennsylvania

Re: Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by ahmandi2 » Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:36 pm

Yep I am using all per directions; some are as small as four day treatments, some a bit longer....but here's the thing. I read last night about someone else having some neon tetra issues. Reading replies to that, I found a reference to Neon Tetra disease. I looked it up and the symptoms don't seem right...but, on the post, the person mentions the fuzzy lip issue, and that is discussed in the reference to the disease symptoms.
I am guessing MAYBE that's what it is. My rainbows are actually awesome today; the one I was realy worried about is no longer gilling hard, her gills have become flush with her body again, no white yuck hanging out of her gills, and she SEEMS to be more welcome with the gang again (of rainbows). The neons, are just getting worse every day :(. Every neon now has symptoms.
I really have to go with that. I've treated so many things in the past month or two; every other fish is doing great, even manage to have a Betta in my 55 gallon and he is THRIVING, no fin rot anymore in that tank at ALL, or he'd be long dead...
I know that neon tetra disease is incurable. The cool thing is that the two (sad I know but can't find any healthy ones around for less than TEN BUCKS a fish) Cardinals are completely unaffected; it seems they're immune to neon tetra? That, at least, is a happy thing.
"I'm not *THAT* kind of hunter"

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Fuzzy lip; cottony growth on mouth?

Post by Diana » Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:20 pm

NTD is more internal, you would see the body losing color, not fuzz on the mouth area, nor disintegrating fins.

Fin rot is most often caused by any of several bacteria, and ammonia can burn the tender tissues in the fins. Flavobacteria columnaris is one cause of fin rot. There are others.

Mouth problems might be a bacterial disease called Mouth Fungus, or it could be a combination of something attacking the mouth and fungus moving in on the damaged tissue.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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