Neon Tetra: Growth On Mouth

[Txen]

Hi

i am pretty new to the hobby and this is my first fish tank. Its a 50litre planted freshwater aquarium with currently following residents: 5 otocinclus and 8 neon tetras.
Since i matured it ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels have been fine. I keep it at 25°C.

I do water changes once every 2 weeks as the weekly routine stressed the otos too much.
(I do 35-40% water change)
I also add seachem flourish excel, 1-2ml every 2-3 days to keep my plants alive. (low lighting)

Otocinclus went in first, then the neons.
I got the neons nearly a month ago. 1 of them as i noticed the 1st week had a growth by the side of its mouth. It looks as though it belongs to the fish, its fish flesh..or whatever one calls it.
I thought that it might be just due to the breeding of them that some develop slight mutations such as the one who has the his side of the mouth slightly overlapping.

I noticed today that another neon has the same growth. It could just be me not spotting it earlier as half of them hide behind the decor or plants when i try to check if they re ok or it could be an illness that is spreading.

Help an advice is greatly appreciate.

Im concerned that if it is a disease my otos might get it as well though they do not have any sign of disease at the moment and seem quite content.

Thanks in advance

ml

(tried to take pics but they just wouldnt keep still long enough for any useful pictures)

 

[shang hi]

does it look like a coliflower? if it does then its proberly cotton mouth
what does it resemble?
is it anywhere else on the fish?

 

[Txen]

Thanks for the reply!


Well, it does appear to be whitish but that only seems to be as the tetra is rather white/ see through around the mouth area anyway.
There are no further white marks on any of them. Nor do they appear to breathe more rapidly than any of the others.

Its very hard to determine if it looks like coliflower or not. I d say however that id doenst. It looks more like a flap of skin that has overgrown by the side of the mouth.

And as I have had them for close to a month, shouldnt I have seen them decay faster if it was cotten mouth? I thought cotten mouth would kill fish within a few weeks if not days if not treated??
The one of them had this growth like thing for as long as I ve had him.
Oh, and none of them has a lack of appetite or difficulty eating as far as I can tell. They all eat well.

You still think its cotten mouth?

 

[ShoC]

Interesting as I have been suffering from this for 3-5 months
I have treated with cotton mouth (no luck and it makes them gasp like mad)

Recently i have been treating with Melafix 10ml a day and I thought it was working

Some of it was flapping like a hanging bit of white-ish flesh
but today its all come back and now on one of my other ones (comes and goes)



EDIT: I'm thinking of trying to add some Aquarium salt to see the outcome as if it's bacterial this will knock it for six.

some questions will is either the Neon tetra or my bristlenose catfish sesative to this?
and will me having Melafix+interpret anti fungus pose an issue mixed with the salt?
I don't think it will but better to be safer than sorry

 

[ShoC]

Strange things go *Bump* in the night.

Any ideas about the salt.