Mouth Fungus Medication

[fish.com1]

Hi all,

I have noticed that my female siamese fighting fish has a fungus type build up around her mouth. She was fine this morning, but when i got back from school i noticed the fungus. She is shying away in the corner of my tank. She looks fine and normal other than that though. All the other fish in the tankj are healthy. I was just wondering what medicine i should add to treat this, and should i take out the carbon sponge in my filter? And with the medicine should i just add it to the tank, obviously the right amount, but do i need to do anything else when adding the medication to the tank?

Thanks for the help.

 

[minxfishy]

How are your water stats? Ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte? this may help find any underlying cause of the fungus.

Is it white cotton wool like fungus?

When medicating the tank you should always take out the carbon, as carbon will remove meds from the water, however to be able to advise best on medications a little more information is helpful, like the water stats, tank size, any other fish in the tank.

 

[fish.com1]

How are your water stats? Ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte? this may help find any underlying cause of the fungus.

Is it white cotton wool like fungus?

When medicating the tank you should always take out the carbon, as carbon will remove meds from the water, however to be able to advise best on medications a little more information is helpful, like the water stats, tank size, any other fish in the tank.

Tank size - 96 litres

Other fish -
5 Lemon tetras
6 Cherry barbs
2 rams
1 bristlenose catfish
1 red honey gourami
1 ruby barb
1 female siamese fighting fish(the ill one)

Sorry, i don't have any water stats (I am getting a test kit soon) but i did a 30 percent water change on friday, and the other fish are fine.
How urgent is the problem? - When should i get the medication? I could possibly go tonight (and get a test kit as well) but im only 13 and can't drive obviously (lifes unfair) but my mum has said she MIGHT be able to take me to my lfs tonight. How urgent is it?
Also what is the name of the medicine i shoul be buying?

Thanks.

 

[minxfishy]

Well as with any health problem, the quicker you treat it the more chance you have of curing it, however, if you cant get out today, dont worry, just as soon as you can, I cant be sure as Im no expert, but cotton like mouth fungus is columnaris, and as such needs treatment as quickly as possible.

I dont know where abouts in the world you are, however, if it is columnaris, the best treatments for the US are Macaryn One and Macaryn two (used together) in the UK Myxazin and Pimafix (used together).

Is there any chance of a quick photograph as this will help greatly in anyone being able to give you a diagnosis.

 

[fish.com1]

Well as with any health problem, the quicker you treat it the more chance you have of curing it, however, if you cant get out today, dont worry, just as soon as you can, I cant be sure as Im no expert, but cotton like mouth fungus is columnaris, and as such needs treatment as quickly as possible.

I dont know where abouts in the world you are, however, if it is columnaris, the best treatments for the US are Macaryn One and Macaryn two (used together) in the UK Myxazin and Pimafix (used together).

Is there any chance of a quick photograph as this will help greatly in anyone being able to give you a diagnosis.

Thanks i'm going out tonight to get the medication. I'll try and get a test kit too. I'm in the UK by the way.

 

[minxfishy]

If you cant afford a test kit, just take a sample in a clean plastic cup or something similar to the LFS and get them to test for you and write down the results (dont just let them say 'its fine'). Most LFS do this for free or for a small fee.

If you do get a test kit, get a liquid based test kit as strips are notoriously inaccurate.

 

[fish.com1]

If you cant afford a test kit, just take a sample in a clean plastic cup or something similar to the LFS and get them to test for you and write down the results (dont just let them say 'its fine'). Most LFS do this for free or for a small fee.

If you do get a test kit, get a liquid based test kit as strips are notoriously inaccurate.

Thanks for your help.

I got the interpet "anti fungus and finrot" medication and added the right amount to the tank last night.I got this instead of the pimafix and myxazin because in my book (the bumper book of tropical aquarium fishes by dick mills) it said that phenoxethol has been successful, and this medication contains that. Also pets at home didn't have myxazin. I bought the api liquid freshwater master test kit (rip off £27!)after reading threads saying that was the one to go for. I also got the api liquid gh and kh hardness test kit. Can i do a test of the water while the medication is in the tank? Also the siamese fighting fish now sort of floating against the slits in the juwel filter box. The mouth fungus doesn't seem any better and she is breathing heavily. Is there anything else i can do?

 

[minxfishy]

Increase aeration in the tank, either by an airstone, or preferably by angling the filter output to break the surface of the water, medication can decrease oxygen levels in the tank.

Yes test the water with the meds, it wont effect the readings (to my knowledge). Aside from the medication and increasing aeration I dont know what else you can do, test the water and let us know your readings, whilst you shouldnt normally do water changes during meds, if you have any traces of ammonia or nitrIte, you will need to for the sake of the fish.

I dont use the interpet meds, so I cant say how effective they are.

 

[fish.com1]

Increase aeration in the tank, either by an airstone, or preferably by angling the filter output to break the surface of the water, medication can decrease oxygen levels in the tank.

Yes test the water with the meds, it wont effect the readings (to my knowledge). Aside from the medication and increasing aeration I dont know what else you can do, test the water and let us know your readings, whilst you shouldnt normally do water changes during meds, if you have any traces of ammonia or nitrIte, you will need to for the sake of the fish.

I dont use the interpet meds, so I cant say how effective they are.

Thanks.

Unfortunately the poor fghter died today. I did the test to csee what was going on:

Ammonia - (The colour in the tube was colourless)?
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 15ppm
Ph 7.6
kh 179ppm
gh 215ppm+

I'm not sure what happened with the ammonia, but yellow was the lightest colour on the chart, and that was 0 while green the darkest was 5. Obviosly the gh and kh tests are worrying me as they are very high. The test kit instructions said to lower them both add a water filter. What are they and should i use it? I've increased the areation to the tank, i think that might have been part of the problem because the betta was gasping for water at the surface from time to time.

Thanks for your help.

 

[minxfishy]

To be honest, Ive never tested my kh/gh, my water is what it is and I dont mess about with it. Your ph is in the normal range, so I dont think you should start worrying about filters and the likes of things trying to adjust the water chemistry.

Try the ammonia test again, maybe you didnt do it right the first time or the meds are affecting the results. Sorry to hear the betta didnt make it, but hopefully the others will pull thru.

 

[fish.com1]

To be honest, Ive never tested my kh/gh, my water is what it is and I dont mess about with it. Your ph is in the normal range, so I dont think you should start worrying about filters and the likes of things trying to adjust the water chemistry.

Try the ammonia test again, maybe you didnt do it right the first time or the meds are affecting the results. Sorry to hear the betta didnt make it, but hopefully the others will pull thru.

I did the ammonia test again because the first time i only added the solution from one bottle and not the other, and the result was

ammonia 0 - 25 ppm more towards zero.

 

[snowflake311]

Sorry to hear about your fish.