White Lips - Cottonmouth/columnaris?

[daizeUK]

Some of my fish are having problems with white stuff on their lips.  
 
I first noticed the white stuff after introducing some new fish from the LFS, can't remember if was my harlequins or threadfins originally, but it disappeared on its own shortly afterwards.
 
Now it's back again since a male platy suffered an injured lip and the white stuff has attacked the injury.  His mouth no longer quite closes properly and I am worried it might be permanently damaged.  He sometimes jerks which makes me think he is in pain.
 
Some of my threadfins are also showing signs of being affected with white stuff on their lips.
 
I read that it is most likely columnaris so I started a course of Melafix.  I'm now nearing the completion of a two week course of Melafix and the white stuff seems diminished but not disappeared.  The platy still has an injured mouth and the threadfins still have a small amount of white on their lips.
 
What should I do now?

 

[Fishmanic]

I had the same white lips on one of my red eyed tetra.  I separated him from the other fish into a hospital tank and use maracyn and maracyn two for two weeks.  I think it may have cured the most likely columnaris disease but his whole mouth area was rotted away.  He couldn't eat and I had to put him down.    None of my other fish were affected but in your case you probably did right to treat the whole tank as other fish are showing signs of the disease.  
 
If it continues,  you might try the maraycn and maracyn two treatment for two weeks as I'm not sure melafix is for treating columnaris.   If after two weeks ,  any of their mouths are compromised so that they can't eat,  you may have to put them down as I did with my singe infected tetra.
 
Best of luck in treating this disease.

 

[daizeUK]

Thanks - I don't think Maracyn is available in the UK  

 

[WILDER]

You can't get Maracyn in the UK.
The fish with the injured mouth does it look like it's rotting away?
 
Myxazin by waterlife not bad on columnaris (Mouth Fungus)
 
 
 
 
http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/columnaris.htm