Signifer Rainbow

[KLKELLY]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the tropical fish world. I have a 20G planted tank (lots of schooling room up front). It has been fishless cycled. While it was cycling I did a lot of research on fresh water tropicals and decided on the Signifer Rainbow.

I picked up 12 from the LFS today. I noticed many of the fish in the tank had protruding chins (the best way to describe it). They were in a top level tank. I thought it was strange because I hadn't noticed that in any of the pictures. I thought maybe it was a male or female thing and I would research it when I got them home.

They've been in the tank a few hours and only one of them has this protrusion. After watching her closely it's her mouth hanging open!!! She moves so fast and they are so small I can't see it very clearly but I can tell her mouth is open. I'm concerned because I'm sure others in the tank were similar. 11 out of the 12 I bought today are unaffected.

All fish look great on the exterior. Behaviour is normal. I've looked up Mouth/fin rot but can't really see it closely- doesn't look like fungus. I hope it doesn't spread to the others.

Do you guys have any ideas what this could be? Tank is untreated, AC30, great water parameters.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Karrie

 

[Parin]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the tropical fish world. I have a 20G planted tank (lots of schooling room up front). It has been fishless cycled. While it was cycling I did a lot of research on fresh water tropicals and decided on the Signifer Rainbow.

I picked up 12 from the LFS today. I noticed many of the fish in the tank had protruding chins (the best way to describe it). They were in a top level tank. I thought it was strange because I hadn't noticed that in any of the pictures. I thought maybe it was a male or female thing and I would research it when I got them home.

They've been in the tank a few hours and only one of them has this protrusion. After watching her closely it's her mouth hanging open!!! She moves so fast and they are so small I can't see it very clearly but I can tell her mouth is open. I'm concerned because I'm sure others in the tank were similar. 11 out of the 12 I bought today are unaffected.

All fish look great on the exterior. Behaviour is normal. I've looked up Mouth/fin rot but can't really see it closely- doesn't look like fungus. I hope it doesn't spread to the others.

Do you guys have any ideas what this could be? Tank is untreated, AC30, great water parameters.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Karrie

Hmm, well it doesn't sound normal that's for sure.
I have never seen this myself. I have seen bent spines and such in Pseudomugil signifer, but open mouths is new to me. Might be a birth defiancy though.

Signifer can also be quite aggressive (esp. males, mine spin around each other so fast I get dizzy by just looking at them ), so perhaps it's also the result of an attack?

Can she eat at all?

But you said more than one fish at the LFS showed this "open mouth" abnormality.

So I'm guessing:

1) Birth-defect
2) Damage during transport (got caught in the netting)
3) Aggression related

It doesn't sound like a disease, more like damage.
You could ask the others at my own rainbowfish forum perhaps they have additional ideas?

My suggestion:
Keep a close eye on her (esp. to see if she's eating). Or if possible return her to the store and ask for a healthy fish instead.