White Mouth

[rabidric]

Not sure this really counts as an emergency as I don't know if there's even anything wrong! While feeding my puffer with a well defrosted mussel one of my silver sharks grabbed a large piece that flew off. (puffers are messy eaters!!) After he'd eaten it I noticed that his lips had turned white and they're still white 3 or 4 days later. The fish is still swimming around ok and eating well - he just looks odd. If this could have any bearing I'm treating for ich at the moment with Interpet number 6 which is confusing. Put the second dose in on the 4th day, which is when? Is the first treatment put in on day 1, or day 0? The shop say day 1. Other than that everything's fine. The puffer is a good guide as he sulks the moment the water quality goes off a bit.

Any ideas on the white mouth thing?

Cheers

 

[raptorrex]

could you get a pic, failing that a much clearer description will be needed.

 

[rabidric]

could you get a pic, failing that a much clearer description will be needed.

I'm really bad a taking pictures of anything in the tank and the fish are no good at sitting still so a description will have to do. Mind you there's not a lot to describe, his mouth looks exactly the same as his mate except that it seems to have lost its colour. There are no bits missing, it works exactly the same as the other one, he eats the same and swims about the same. Other than the loss of colour you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with him, that is if there is anything wrong. It just looks odd. I know humans get something where they lose colour (vitiligo) can fish get something similar?

 

[WILDER]

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdcolumn.htm

 

[rabidric]

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdcolumn.htm

Thanks for that. Sounds lovely! The fish doesn't have any of the described stuff and his mouth turned white almost instantly. As I said he grabbed a piece of mussel and swam off and his mouth has been white since and that was a week ago. The white hasn't moved or grown or shrunk either come to that and he hasn't behaved any differently. I guess he's just got old and gone grey! Bit like me really.

Thanks for the help, I'll let you know if anything else shows up, if any of you are interested.

Cheers

 

[rabidric]

His mouth has gone back to a normal colour!!!!!

 

[WILDER]

Thats good news then.

 

[rabidric]

Thats good news then.

Well the white has returned, and the white bits on his fins are spreading!! I've quarantined him and treated for internal bacteria but other than piscine vitiligo he seems perfectly normal - perhaps it's me that's not well.

 

[WILDER]

If he has white on his fins as well sounds like columnaris.
Any fluffy areas on the fish.

 

[rabidric]

If he has white on his fins as well sounds like columnaris.
Any fluffy areas on the fish.

No there's no fluffy areas at all. The white he does have isn't on the surface, it'll really looks like a loss of pigment around his mouth and the white patches on his fins seem to have grown but not on the outside. That said I have put him in "quarantine" and treated for bacteria, interpet 9. He seems fine apart from the colour change, no erratic swimming, no loss of appetite, no damage to fins or anything else. As I said before it looks very similar to pigment loss in people. Very odd, and thanks for the interest.

Cheers

 

[raptorrex]

Neon Tetra Disease
Neon Disease is caused by a parasitic single called organism called Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. The cell, releases millions of spores in to the water during reproduction. The spores are consumed with food by the fish where they then enter the intestine. The spores grow and replace the muscle fibers weakening the fish. If an infected fish becomes wounded or dies, the spores can escape and infect a new host.
Symptoms: Pale white patches appear under the skin beneath the dorsal fin. The fish also becomes emaciated and may swim erratically.
Treatment: Commercial remedies are usually ineffective as by the time diagnosis is confirmed the fish is too weak to be saved.

probably nothing to do with it but its the only thing i could find that gives patches as you say.

 

[rabidric]

Neon Tetra Disease
Neon Disease is caused by a parasitic single called organism called Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. The cell, releases millions of spores in to the water during reproduction. The spores are consumed with food by the fish where they then enter the intestine. The spores grow and replace the muscle fibers weakening the fish. If an infected fish becomes wounded or dies, the spores can escape and infect a new host.
Symptoms: Pale white patches appear under the skin beneath the dorsal fin. The fish also becomes emaciated and may swim erratically.
Treatment: Commercial remedies are usually ineffective as by the time diagnosis is confirmed the fish is too weak to be saved.

probably nothing to do with it but its the only thing i could find that gives patches as you say.

Thanks but the only places he's lost colour is around the mouth, but the normal white patches in his fins have grown. Other than that he's fine. I've treated for bacteria and will just have to wait and see I guess. If it is that tetra nasty what do I do about the rest of the tank, will the whole lot be infected?
Once again thanks for all your help. I hope I can return the favour one day.