Mouth Rot In Rams

[pandafish]

Hi,

I been keeping fish for about 10 years and think I have my first case of mouth rot.

A week ago I bought 2 Common Rams, unfortunately due to lack of space I don't have a quarantine tank. On Sunday I noticed one of them had a white dot on its fin, I thought this was the beginning of white spot, so treated the aquarium with Interpet white spot plus. Now I notice the other one has large cotton wool type growths around its mouth. I have watched and it still seems to be able to eat, although the growths look pretty bad.

Questions is do I still give the 2nd dose of white spot plus? or should I do a water change and start treating for mouth / fin rot?

What is the likelihood of the fish recovering?

All other fish in the tank are settled and at least a couple of years old and have shown no sign of any disease.

Thanks

 

[minxfishy]

Are you in the UK or US, as the treatments differ.

Whitespot treatment wont work on columnaris (mouth rot/fungus).

50% water change and run some carbon in your filter to remove the whitespot meds. You will need to remove the carbon again before treating with the mouth fungus meds.

The in the UK, you need myaxzin and pimafix, in the US, Maracyn one and Maracyn two.

What other fish are in the tank, as some can be sensitive to the meds?

Do you know your water stats for ph, ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte as these may show up any water quality issues that could be causing an underlying problem.

Rams are very sensitive fish and can be hard to keep, depending on the severity of the columnaris already will depend on whether you are able to cure it successfully.

 

[pandafish]

Hi

I am in the UK

Other fish are lemon tetra, rummynose tetra, marble hatchetfish, glowlight danios, bothia sidmunki and corydoras juli. Tank is only about 50% stocked at the moment, Ph is 8, and always has been as I live in a hard water area, ammonia is 0 as is nitrite, nitrate is between 25 - 50. I do have an algae problem which I have been treating.

It is a small tank only about 90L, it is only a few months old. I upgraded from an old tank. All the other fish were from my old tank and all have made the transfer with no problems. These are the first new fish in the new tank.

I am still not sure if one of the Rams has white spot or whether that is also the beginnings of fin rot.

Thanks

 

[minxfishy]

I would suggest half dosing with the myxazin/pimafix because of the cories (unsure on how botia react to meds), do a 50% w/c 1st, keep the temp around 26/27 as columnaris is said to develop faster in warmer water. The rams may well have had the problem unnoticed when you bought them.

Can you get pics by any chance?

 

[pandafish]

Hi

Unfortunately I found a dead hatchetfish this morning and one of the corys seems to be flicking against the gravel. So I think it may be Whitespot after all. I have had this a couple of times but never seen such large spots. (about the twice the size of usual)

The Ram with the mouth problem is very hard to see as it is hiding at the back of the tank among the thickest plants. I dont want to stress it even more so haven't tried to get it out. I have managed to see it a couple of times and suprisingly the 'growths' seem to have got smaller and its mouth is now able to open. On closer inspection it may be a cluster of large white spots around the mouth and side of head.

The other Ram is still only showing the 1 white spot on its fin.

Most of the other fish are fairly old (between 2 and 5 years), the hatchetfish was about 5 years so I think it may just have been old age as it had no symptoms and inspection of the body showed nothing unusual. The only young ones are the corys which are about a year old.

I think the Rams did have the problem when I got them. As the symptons showed up very quickly after I got them.

tried to get photo's but it is quite heavily planted and everytime I get close the Rams hide at the back.