Cotton Mouth?

[teri]

Over the weekend one of my platies started with a kind of grungy
looking mouth, white and bumpy. Yesterday another one showed the same
thing. Today I set up my Eclipse 3, no carbon filter, just the
biowheel which has been dry for months. The two fish are now in there
and I emptied a capsule of Triple Sulfa into it. There is no heater
in that tank, temp is currently 72.5 with the light off, their usual
tank runs 77 - 78ish.
So my plan is to give the medication as directed on the package. (Is
it best to try to disolve them into some water first (?) because the
powder just seemed to lay on the top of the water), keep an eye on the
ammonia since this is a newly set up hospital tank, and change water
every other day, or more if the ammonia level is up. If they live,
right now they are not moving or eating since going into there.
Does this sound right? Anything else I should do?

TIA,
Teri

[js1]

On 2005-11-15, teri > wrote:
> So my plan is to give the medication as directed on the package. (Is
> it best to try to disolve them into some water first (?) because the
> powder just seemed to lay on the top of the water),

Put some aquarium water in a plastic bottle. Put the medication in the
bottle and shake well. Pour medicated water back into the tank. Even
if that doesn't work, the powder eventually dissolves into the water.

--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

[js1]

On 2005-11-15, teri > wrote:
> So my plan is to give the medication as directed on the package. (Is
> it best to try to disolve them into some water first (?) because the
> powder just seemed to lay on the top of the water)

Forgot to add... depending on the medication, it may be more effective
if the fish actually ingest the medication.
--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

[teri]

>> So my plan is to give the medication as directed on the package. (Is
>> it best to try to disolve them into some water first (?) because the
>> powder just seemed to lay on the top of the water)
>
>Forgot to add... depending on the medication, it may be more effective
>if the fish actually ingest the medication.
Thanks.
I think I realized what happened. I had gotten three new harlequins,
and in about 2 weeks one died. When I got home and found it, the
abdomen was hollowed out, I figured someone was picking at it. So
that could be it, the platies ingested some of the dead fish who
probably had some infection. Yes I am feeling very guilty because
these are cool platies. Don't know if they will recover.
Teri

[teri]

well after three days of the triple sulfa so far they are getting
worse. more of their faces are involved and looking kind of like they
are rotting away. no suggestions huh? how about adding another kind
of antibiotic with this one?
how long can they go without eating?
teri.

[Daniel Morrow]

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Bottom posted.

- --
You can find my public key at https://keyserver1.pgp.com
"teri" > wrote in message
...
>
> well after three days of the triple sulfa so far they are getting
> worse. more of their faces are involved and looking kind of like
they
> are rotting away. no suggestions huh? how about adding another
kind
> of antibiotic with this one?
> how long can they go without eating?
> teri.

Try using activated carbon in your filter for 2 days if you can and
then add different medication. The only definite compatibility
between different medications at the same time I think is possible
only with mardel brand products and other mardel products, other
brands in the mix might be risky - anyone else want to chime in? I
have read here that some fish can go for up to 21 days without eating
but assuredly the fish suffer up to that point. If you go on vacation
for a few days your fish would be just fine without any food with
disease being the exception. Good luck and later!

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[teri]

started them on amoxicillin, added a heater, swimming, still not
eating, faces still getting worse. this is sad.
teri

[Elaine T]

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teri wrote:
> started them on amoxicillin, added a heater, swimming, still not
> eating, faces still getting worse. this is sad.
> teri

You need a different antibiotic. Flexibacter is generally resistant
to the common ones like tri-sulfa, tetracycline, and amoxicillin
because of over use by fish farms. Try either oxytetracycline if
you can find it, or a mixture of kanamycin and furanace if not. My third
choice would be the easily available Furan 2, but the methylene
blue in it will interfere with biological filtration in your
quarantine tank. The other thing that's quite good for external
Flexibacter is acriflavine, although it will stain your tank's
silicone and any plastics like airline tubing. You may be a little
late for acriflavine - it's hard to know whether the infection has
gone internal after nearly a week.

You also didn't mention salt. For platies and other livebearers,
you can gradually add pre-dissolved salt in three doses of
1 tsp/gallon to end up with 1 tbsp/gallon (0.3%) in the water.
It can help considerably with Flexibacter. Use a pure salt with
no anti-caking additives like aquarium salt, sea salt, or pickling
salt. Some Kosher salts are pure too.

Sick fish can go a week or two without eating and still recover,
but five days of illness is definately hard on them.

- --
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
PGP public key available at https://keyserver1.pgp.com/

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[teri]

>You need a different antibiotic. Flexibacter is generally resistant
>to the common ones like tri-sulfa, tetracycline, and amoxicillin
>because of over use by fish farms. Try either oxytetracycline if
>you can find it, or a mixture of kanamycin and furanace if not. My third
>choice would be the easily available Furan 2, but the methylene
>blue in it will interfere with biological filtration in your
>quarantine tank. The other thing that's quite good for external
>Flexibacter is acriflavine, although it will stain your tank's
>silicone and any plastics like airline tubing. You may be a little
>late for acriflavine - it's hard to know whether the infection has
>gone internal after nearly a week.
I guess it is about three weeks now. One of the fish died last
Sunday. The other one (who first presented with symptoms) is still
alive. It doesn't seem like there is any new growth, but her mouth is
a bit eaten away. She has not eaten in all this time since going in
the q-tank, and now her fry are being born. Last time I just let her
eat them (before this started) but now she isn't even eating them, so
I guess she won't eat anything. Some of the babies were born dead,
but there are some just happily swimming around. I don't know what to
do with any of them, how to help the mother anymore, or the babies who
are alive.

>You also didn't mention salt. For platies and other livebearers,
>you can gradually add pre-dissolved salt in three doses of
>1 tsp/gallon to end up with 1 tbsp/gallon (0.3%) in the water.
>It can help considerably with Flexibacter. Use a pure salt with
>no anti-caking additives like aquarium salt, sea salt, or pickling
>salt. Some Kosher salts are pure too.
been adding salt to each water change which is every day or every
other day according to the antioboitic instructions.

>Sick fish can go a week or two without eating and still recover,
>but five days of illness is definately hard on them.
And still counting.
Guess I will hit the store tonight for yet another antiboitic, I don't
really think it could make matters any worse.
teri