Mouth Rot

[Mariachi]

I was just wondering how you can tell a fish with mouth rot is "Getting
better" from what i have read damage done to the mouth takes longer
than fins to heal. So how will I know when I know the fish is getting
better. I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment. I thought only
2 fish had mouth rot but there was a baby fish that also had it that I
didn't notice. Unfortunatly he didn't make it. I think the other are
better off since I gave them a strong salt bath last week.

I am going to get some proper antibacteria medication this weekend if
there is no obvious change in the fishes condition. The bigger fish is
still eating but the smaller one is having trouble the food is blown
away most of the time - it still gets a few small pieces every now and
then.

Also how do you tell when a fish is too far gone in mouth rot to
survive?

Thanks

[Mister Gardener]

On 18 Apr 2006 03:23:53 -0700, "Mariachi" > wrote:

>I was just wondering how you can tell a fish with mouth rot is "Getting
>better" from what i have read damage done to the mouth takes longer
>than fins to heal. So how will I know when I know the fish is getting
>better. I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment. I thought only
>2 fish had mouth rot but there was a baby fish that also had it that I
>didn't notice. Unfortunatly he didn't make it. I think the other are
>better off since I gave them a strong salt bath last week.
>
>I am going to get some proper antibacteria medication this weekend if
>there is no obvious change in the fishes condition. The bigger fish is
>still eating but the smaller one is having trouble the food is blown
>away most of the time - it still gets a few small pieces every now and
>then.
>
>Also how do you tell when a fish is too far gone in mouth rot to
>survive?
>
>Thanks

What kind of fish have the mouth rot and can you tell us a little more
about the tank and your water quality / chemistry.

-- Mister Gardener

[Nikki]

"Mister Gardener" > wrote in message
...
> On 18 Apr 2006 03:23:53 -0700, "Mariachi" > wrote:
>
>>I was just wondering how you can tell a fish with mouth rot is "Getting
>>better" from what i have read damage done to the mouth takes longer
>>than fins to heal. So how will I know when I know the fish is getting
>>better. I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment. I thought only
>>2 fish had mouth rot but there was a baby fish that also had it that I
>>didn't notice. Unfortunatly he didn't make it. I think the other are
>>better off since I gave them a strong salt bath last week.
>>
>>I am going to get some proper antibacteria medication this weekend if
>>there is no obvious change in the fishes condition. The bigger fish is
>>still eating but the smaller one is having trouble the food is blown
>>away most of the time - it still gets a few small pieces every now and
>>then.
>>
>>Also how do you tell when a fish is too far gone in mouth rot to
>>survive?
>>
>>Thanks
>
> What kind of fish have the mouth rot and can you tell us a little more
> about the tank and your water quality / chemistry.
>
> -- Mister Gardener

Mr. G, would it help to mix the pimafix and melafix in this case? It might
work better right?
any way, with rot in any place it takes some time to heal, i used the
melafix after treated for the rot with MG twice, i used the melafix for
almost 2 weeks, it helped a lot with healing after the MG got rid of the
rot.
Nik

[Mister Gardener]

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:36:35 -0400, "Nikki"
> wrote:

>
>"Mister Gardener" > wrote in message
...
>> On 18 Apr 2006 03:23:53 -0700, "Mariachi" > wrote:
>>
>>>I was just wondering how you can tell a fish with mouth rot is "Getting
>>>better" from what i have read damage done to the mouth takes longer
>>>than fins to heal. So how will I know when I know the fish is getting
>>>better. I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment. I thought only
>>>2 fish had mouth rot but there was a baby fish that also had it that I
>>>didn't notice. Unfortunatly he didn't make it. I think the other are
>>>better off since I gave them a strong salt bath last week.
>>>
>>>I am going to get some proper antibacteria medication this weekend if
>>>there is no obvious change in the fishes condition. The bigger fish is
>>>still eating but the smaller one is having trouble the food is blown
>>>away most of the time - it still gets a few small pieces every now and
>>>then.
>>>
>>>Also how do you tell when a fish is too far gone in mouth rot to
>>>survive?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>
>> What kind of fish have the mouth rot and can you tell us a little more
>> about the tank and your water quality / chemistry.
>>
>> -- Mister Gardener
>
>Mr. G, would it help to mix the pimafix and melafix in this case? It might
>work better right?
>any way, with rot in any place it takes some time to heal, i used the
>melafix after treated for the rot with MG twice, i used the melafix for
>almost 2 weeks, it helped a lot with healing after the MG got rid of the
>rot.
>Nik
>
My personal experience with Pima and Mela is minimal, so I really am
not in a position to give advice about their use. Going by the
manufacturer's information, API seems to be suggesting that the
addition of Pima makes the Mela more effective. I haven't suggested
Pima or Mela to the OP in this thread, because I think we need more
information on the fish involved and their environment, which might
help some of our real experts get a better picture of what's going on
and perhaps zooming in on a likely diagnosis and treatment.

There. I step danced around that sticky question pretty neatly, eh?

-- Mister Gardener

[Nikki]

"Mister Gardener" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:36:35 -0400, "Nikki"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Mister Gardener" > wrote in message
...
>>> On 18 Apr 2006 03:23:53 -0700, "Mariachi" > wrote:
>>>
>>>>I was just wondering how you can tell a fish with mouth rot is "Getting
>>>>better" from what i have read damage done to the mouth takes longer
>>>>than fins to heal. So how will I know when I know the fish is getting
>>>>better. I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment. I thought only
>>>>2 fish had mouth rot but there was a baby fish that also had it that I
>>>>didn't notice. Unfortunatly he didn't make it. I think the other are
>>>>better off since I gave them a strong salt bath last week.
>>>>
>>>>I am going to get some proper antibacteria medication this weekend if
>>>>there is no obvious change in the fishes condition. The bigger fish is
>>>>still eating but the smaller one is having trouble the food is blown
>>>>away most of the time - it still gets a few small pieces every now and
>>>>then.
>>>>
>>>>Also how do you tell when a fish is too far gone in mouth rot to
>>>>survive?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks
>>>
>>> What kind of fish have the mouth rot and can you tell us a little more
>>> about the tank and your water quality / chemistry.
>>>
>>> -- Mister Gardener
>>
>>Mr. G, would it help to mix the pimafix and melafix in this case? It
>>might
>>work better right?
>>any way, with rot in any place it takes some time to heal, i used the
>>melafix after treated for the rot with MG twice, i used the melafix for
>>almost 2 weeks, it helped a lot with healing after the MG got rid of the
>>rot.
>>Nik
>>
> My personal experience with Pima and Mela is minimal, so I really am
> not in a position to give advice about their use. Going by the
> manufacturer's information, API seems to be suggesting that the
> addition of Pima makes the Mela more effective. I haven't suggested
> Pima or Mela to the OP in this thread, because I think we need more
> information on the fish involved and their environment, which might
> help some of our real experts get a better picture of what's going on
> and perhaps zooming in on a likely diagnosis and treatment.
>
> There. I step danced around that sticky question pretty neatly, eh?
>
> -- Mister Gardener

yes nice foot work, I was just thinking if melafix is being used all ready,
maybe pimafix would help it work better, I don't have pimafix and was not
sure what the bottle says about it working together. but I think in any case
rot can get bad and I would use something for the rot. but again after
treating the rot, I know the melafix helped my betta, I will take a pic of
him sometime and show you guys, his fin/tail was gone, he now has a long
flowing tail growing back, think it looks better then it did the first time
around.
nik

[Koi-Lo]

"Nikki" > wrote in message
...
.. but I think in any case
> rot can get bad and I would use something for the rot.
==========
Let's hope it's not one of those rots becoming immune to everything out
there. :-(
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Mariachi]

Completely forgot the important information:

10g tank
Mollies
Tiger Barbs
Crayfish

it is the mollies that have mouth rot.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

[Frank]

Mariachi wrote,
> I thought only 2 fish had mouth rot but.....
>I am dosing my tank with melafix at the moment....

There are two kinds of Mouth Rot, one bacterial = Flexobacter
Columnaris (flesh eaten away around mouth and/or, redness at base of
infected area and/or, white threads in/around mouth area), the other a
fungus = Saprolegnia Fungus (flesh eaten away without the white cotton
or white threads or redness at base of infection...
Flex disease (black mollie disease) is brought on by stress. Infections
run from fuzzy lesions of the mouth to fuzzy patches scattered over the
body. It kills fast with high temps. and hard alkaline water. Best
treated with an antibiotic such as Kanamycin or Maracyn Two - treat for
10 days...
Saprolegnia Fungus is brought on most likely by organtic laden water
and is treated with something like Fungus Eliminater.

>So how will I know when I know the fish is getting better...

Well, if it is Flex. Disease and the fish are still living by the 3rd
day - they are getting better! If it's a true fungus and the flesh
isn't getting eaten away any more, its beginning to heal. Eather one,
healing may take 2 or 3 weeks - I would feed a medicated food to keep
infections at bay....... Frank

[Mariachi]

hmmm....am not sure exactly which type of mouth rot my fish has.

There is no white threads, or redness around the sores. not sure if
there is "white cotton" around the mouth, one side of the fishes mouth
is just sort of bigger than the other side and slightly further back.
It is white there but could that just be the flesh? it is hard to tell
since my mollies never stop moving around. it started off looking like
a bit of a cut with the side of one lip sticking out and looked up it
had been ripped a bit or something (it was definatly white then) I just
thought it was a cut so didn't take much notice of it esp since it was
much less noticeable the next day. (this was like 2 weeks ago) Then
last week i realised it still looked funny and that one of my baby
fishes was swimming around with ti's mouth open - I think the top lip
has rotted back so it can't really close its mouth...

Anyway am going to my LFS this weekend to pick up some meds. With
medicated food is that speical food if is what kinds? or is it the food
soaked in the sugguested med (Fungus Eliminater/Kanamycin/Maracyn Two)
- if so do I how much do I dilute the meds before soaking the food?

Thanks

[Nikki]

"Mariachi" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> hmmm....am not sure exactly which type of mouth rot my fish has.
>
> There is no white threads, or redness around the sores. not sure if
> there is "white cotton" around the mouth, one side of the fishes mouth
> is just sort of bigger than the other side and slightly further back.
> It is white there but could that just be the flesh? it is hard to tell
> since my mollies never stop moving around. it started off looking like
> a bit of a cut with the side of one lip sticking out and looked up it
> had been ripped a bit or something (it was definatly white then) I just
> thought it was a cut so didn't take much notice of it esp since it was
> much less noticeable the next day. (this was like 2 weeks ago) Then
> last week i realised it still looked funny and that one of my baby
> fishes was swimming around with ti's mouth open - I think the top lip
> has rotted back so it can't really close its mouth...
>
> Anyway am going to my LFS this weekend to pick up some meds. With
> medicated food is that speical food if is what kinds? or is it the food
> soaked in the sugguested med (Fungus Eliminater/Kanamycin/Maracyn Two)
> - if so do I how much do I dilute the meds before soaking the food?
>
> Thanks

If its fungus they have applus+ anitfungus which I have used and it works
pretty good, I had a couple fancy guppies that had wounds that had fungus on
them which I dabbed with peroxide and Neosporin and that also worked.
Nik

[Mariachi]

Thanks so much for your advice. Now just one last question. Are any of
the mentioned medications harmful to crayfish?

Cheers!

[Frank]

Mariachi wrote,
>Are any of
>the mentioned medications harmful to crayfish? .....

I can't help you there - I have never kept crayfish or shrimp - I don't
know. If I were to guess, I would think any fungus or parasite
medication would kill crayfish or shrimp. Don't think an antibiotic
would do them any harm.......... Frank

[Nikki]

I don't think anything with MG in it is good for crayfish, snails ect. I
removed my snails when I used it to be on the safe side
Nik
it usually has it on the bottle

"Frank" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Mariachi wrote,
>>Are any of
>>the mentioned medications harmful to crayfish? .....
>
> I can't help you there - I have never kept crayfish or shrimp - I don't
> know. If I were to guess, I would think any fungus or parasite
> medication would kill crayfish or shrimp. Don't think an antibiotic
> would do them any harm.......... Frank
>

[Frank]

Nikki wrote,
>I don't think anything with MG in it is good for crayfish, snails ect...

I agree, MG is a fungus treatment.............. Frank

[Mister Gardener]

On 20 Apr 2006 23:28:08 -0700, "Frank" >
wrote:

>Nikki wrote,
>>I don't think anything with MG in it is good for crayfish, snails ect...
>
>I agree, MG is a fungus treatment.............. Frank

I presume that by MG you mean Malachite Green and not Mister Gardener.

-- Mister Gardener

[Nikki]

"Mister Gardener" > wrote in message
...
> On 20 Apr 2006 23:28:08 -0700, "Frank" >
> wrote:
>
>>Nikki wrote,
>>>I don't think anything with MG in it is good for crayfish, snails ect...
>>
>>I agree, MG is a fungus treatment.............. Frank
>
> I presume that by MG you mean Malachite Green and not Mister Gardener.
>
> -- Mister Gardener

either one
Nik