Mouth Rot

[Sunny_Bee]

I beleive that my neon tetras may be afflicted with mouth rot, but I've never dealt with this disease before and could sure you some input.

I have a heavily planted 20 gallon tank with black skirt, neon and 'xray' tetras, as well as 3 guppies, 4 corries and an otto. The nitrites and ammonia are at 0, the nitrates are typically below 10 and the pH is about 6.2. I use a kH buffer to keep the pH stable and I add prime water conditioner. The filter is a penguine biowheel.

For the past 6 months or so I've been having problems with just my neon tetras. I typically keep 3-5 of them, lately many of them seem to slowly fall ill and die, but until now I hadn't noticed any consistent symptoms. A while back I thought one of them had ich or fungus because he was developing spots, but they never seemed to grow or cause any damage. Then one of them had what I thought was a mouth injury, I noticed this last month. This week the one with the mouth injury looks as if his entire jaw is gone and I'm fairly sure he's going to die withint he next day or two. One of the others has what looks like a large white lump on his lower jaw and my only other neon is devloping those grey/white spots on his tail. I've been doing a bit of reading and I'm thinking this is mouth rot, does this seem right?

I'm wondering what I should do in terms of treatment. I dont have a hospital tank set up at the moment, I've just moved and had to keep my aquariums to a minimum, but if I have to I can set one up. I don't really want to dose the whole tank, but if I should as a precaution I will - but right now none of the other fish are showing any signs of illness.

 

[WILDER]

The tetra with most of his mouth gone I would end its misery.
The greyish white spots are they the size of a grain of salt.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
The lump on the jaw does it look hard or soft liked filled with fluid.
The stripe stripe on the neons is it vibrant red.

 

[Sunny_Bee]

I didn't need to end his mystey, he died before I needed to

It's hard to see because he hides a bit, but the one with the lump on his jaw looks almost as if it's a tumor - but it may be fungus, it looks a little soft. I'll try my hardest to get a pic. As for the spots, they're not ich, they're more grey and soft looking, but not white and fuzzy like typical fungus. I read somewhere that moutrot can start like this, with body discoloration, so that's what I was thinking Im dealing with.

 

[WILDER]

If there no signs of flicking and rubbing I would treat it as bacterial.

 

[Sunny_Bee]

Ok, no signs of rubbing. I hate to have to treat the tank as everyone else seems fine, but I'll do it.
Any suggestions for a medication? I have ottos and cories in there too, so I'm not 100% sure what's safe. I have a bottle of maracyn 2, salt and mealfix on hand.

 

[WILDER]

Melafix is not good only good on cuts and wounds.
No salt with corys and plecs.
Maracyn one and two to cover all bases.
Good luck.

Maracyn
Manufacturer: Mardel
A broad-spectrum antibiotic for gram-positive bacterial infections. For infections of columnaris (body fungus), fin and tail rot, popeye, gill disease, and secondary infections.
Active ingredient: Erythromycin.


Maracyn–Two
Manufacturer: Mardel
A broad-spectrum antibiotic for internal or external gram negative bacterial infections which can even be absorbed through the skin. Effective treatment of fin and tail rot, popeye, gill disease, dropsy (swollen body, protruding scales), septicemia (bleeding or red streaks on the body), secondary and internal infections. Effective even when fish won't eat.
Active ingredient: Mincycline hydrochlor.

 

[Sunny_Bee]

Thanks, that's what I'd hoped. I know they claim it won't harm the cycle...fingers crossed that it doesn't.

PS I'm still trying to get a pic, but that little guy is too quick for me!

 

[WILDER]

Maracyn can knock water stats as there antibiotics.

 

[Sunny_Bee]

That's my feeling too, but better to have a cycle problem than a bacterial outbreak, I'll just have to keep on top of water quality/changes for a while.

 

[WILDER]

If you have to preform a water change during a med course you just add the correct
amount of med back to the water removed.
Good luck
Don't forget to increase aeration with meds as they reduce 02 in the water..