medicated food for mouth rot

[Sgooosh]

hello, some of my swordtails got mouth rot for some reason. params perfect, only different thing is that I recently cleaned the filter and put a heater in. perhaps it's too hot.

did a large water change, which usually solves the problem.
wondering if some medicated food will help this?

 

[Ichthys]

did a large water change, which usually solves the problem.

This would mean you’re causing this by not looking after the water properly.
I would keep on top of maintenance to prevent this, rather than letting them get it and then treating.
Any bacterial treatment should work. Medicated food is much harder to dose.

 

[Colin_T]

Looks more like a fat lip than Columnaris. Try adding salt and see if it helps. if not, then add something to treat bacteria.

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SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), swimming pool salt, or any non iodised salt (sodium chloride) to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.

 

[Sgooosh]

This would mean you’re causing this by not looking after the water properly.
I would keep on top of maintenance to prevent this, rather than letting them get it and then treating.
Any bacterial treatment should work. Medicated food is much harder to dose.

thanks, do you think more frequent, smaller water changes is better than larger ones then?

 

[Sgooosh]

Looks more like a fat lip than Columnaris. Try adding salt and see if it helps. if not, then add something to treat bacteria.

--------------------

SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), swimming pool salt, or any non iodised salt (sodium chloride) to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres (5 gallons) of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate (4 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will affect some plants and some snails. The lower dose rate (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres) will not affect fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

When you first add salt, add the salt to a small bucket of tank water and dissolve the salt. Then slowly pour the salt water into the tank near the filter outlet. Add the salt over a couple of minutes.

Thanks! it seems to go away after the water cahnge, but I'll definitely watch out, and keep on the maintenance

 

[Ichthys]

thanks, do you think more frequent, smaller water changes is better than larger ones then?

If you end up changing the same amount of water, no. It sounds like you need to change more water.

 

[GaryE]

I like to do weekly 30%. If it creeps to 10 days, then 40-50%
If it passes ten days, then I give myself a boot in the backside (the invention of yoga) and get on track.

If you have a pathogen there, then frequency matters. It's taking advantage of declining water quality. I see a mild infection from lip locking or fighting. If it's clearing when you do water changes, then its return will tell you exactly when a water change is due. If it comes back in 7 days, then every 5 days is your goal.

I spend way more time taking the dog out than I do water changing... but here, bumps like that clear up on their own with no meds used.

 

[Sgooosh]

If you end up changing the same amount of water, no. It sounds like you need to change more water.

I like to do weekly 30%. If it creeps to 10 days, then 40-50%
If it passes ten days, then I give myself a boot in the backside (the invention of yoga) and get on track.

If you have a pathogen there, then frequency matters. It's taking advantage of declining water quality. I see a mild infection from lip locking or fighting. If it's clearing when you do water changes, then its return will tell you exactly when a water change is due. If it comes back in 7 days, then every 5 days is your goal.

I spend way more time taking the dog out than I do water changing... but here, bumps like that clear up on their own with no meds used.

the water change I did was around 40% each week.
I am very consistent with water changes every week or less than a week. I'm suspecting it's because I washed the filter too much, or because I added some snails.

 

[GaryE]

It may be unavoidable - swords and rainbows tend to get that. Rainbows get excited, and being geniuses, hit the glass. Swords do a little grabbing of each other's mouths in wrestling bouts, and a bruised lip results. It's never become an kind of 'rot' here, and I view it as a black eye in a boxing school - just one of those things.

The 'rot' diseases are way overdiagnosed, imho. Mouth rot and fin rot are rare except in store tanks when you buy fish you should not have bought. Betta splendens with long fins are prone to fungus in the fins where they fold, but that's a consequence of unethical breeding and rearing.

Your water change routine should keep things smooth, but fat lips are forever in the world of swordtails.

 

[MaloK]

If it is indeed mouth rot or cottonmouth, It can be treated with antibiotics. If you can obtain Tetracycline, you can make medicated fish flakes easily.

Dissolve the Tetracycline in 99% alcohol, add the fish flakes mix thoroughly spread in a large corning ware, and let dry completely. Then scrape the flakes from the bottom and distribute. Remember This thing will be really potent. Use sparingly and wait for effects to show.

Once fed to the fishes, They will poop all their digestive system empty. Try to siphon the max of it as much as possible.

Many LFS have this. But will refuse to tell you they have it and also refuse to sell it, in any situation.

When you know "the guy" and are able to look as much pitiful as possible. You might get lucky.

BUT... If the problem clears out only by doing water changes, You can try to raise your schedule and also run the water over activated carbon one week per month. This can remove a lot of nasty things you dont see in your water.

If you think you cleaned your filter too much, Test for ammonia and nitrite, then do required water changes to maintain all parameters way under critical levels.

 

[Sgooosh]

It may be unavoidable - swords and rainbows tend to get that. Rainbows get excited, and being geniuses, hit the glass. Swords do a little grabbing of each other's mouths in wrestling bouts, and a bruised lip results. It's never become an kind of 'rot' here, and I view it as a black eye in a boxing school - just one of those things.

The 'rot' diseases are way overdiagnosed, imho. Mouth rot and fin rot are rare except in store tanks when you buy fish you should not have bought. Betta splendens with long fins are prone to fungus in the fins where they fold, but that's a consequence of unethical breeding and rearing.

Your water change routine should keep things smooth, but fat lips are forever in the world of swordtails.

That makes so much sense, thanks! I think it's beacuase I raised the water temp too much they started going crazy breeding, flaring, and fighting... now they have battle scars. and the corys keep getting nipped too, so i lowered the water to slow down their breeding frenzy

If it is indeed mouth rot or cottonmouth, It can be treated with antibiotics. If you can obtain Tetracycline, you can make medicated fish flakes easily.

Dissolve the Tetracycline in 99% alcohol, add the fish flakes mix thoroughly spread in a large corning ware, and let dry completely. Then scrape the flakes from the bottom and distribute. Remember This thing will be really potent. Use sparingly and wait for effects to show.

Once fed to the fishes, They will poop all their digestive system empty. Try to siphon the max of it as much as possible.

Many LFS have this. But will refuse to tell you they have it and also refuse to sell it, in any situation.

When you know "the guy" and are able to look as much pitiful as possible. You might get lucky.

BUT... If the problem clears out only by doing water changes, You can try to raise your schedule and also run the water over activated carbon one week per month. This can remove a lot of nasty things you dont see in your water.

If you think you cleaned your filter too much, Test for ammonia and nitrite, then do required water changes to maintain all parameters way under critical levels.

thank you! I don't have access to many chemicals here, but I have a ton of activated carbon.

 

[GaryE]

I was in a swordtail filled river once, as a vacationer. I was in an inner tube, floating down that river at speed, with fish nipping my backside. I learned that swords come from fast water, as their body shape suggests. The water was cool, I would say around 23-24, and swords that wanted to fight would have been carried downstream too fast.
It was a quick little river.
In cramped aquariums, those little torpedos of fish can have a lot of pent up energy. They live their lives in gales, and in calm, well, they aren't always calm themselves.

 

[Sgooosh]

I was in a swordtail filled river once, as a vacationer. I was in an inner tube, floating down that river at speed, with fish nipping my backside. I learned that swords come from fast water, as their body shape suggests. The water was cool, I would say around 23-24, and swords that wanted to fight would have been carried downstream too fast.
It was a quick little river.
In cramped aquariums, those little torpedos of fish can have a lot of pent up energy. They live their lives in gales, and in calm, well, they aren't always calm themselves.

I'd love to have a vacation there! my swordtails pull and nip at the hairs of my arm...
my fish tank is pretty fast-flowing, a super powerful powerhead blasting at all times. but i guess a 75g with a high-ish concentration of massive swordtails isn't the best for them to release their energy!

 

[MaloK]

That makes so much sense, thanks! I think it's beacuase I raised the water temp too much they started going crazy breeding, flaring, and fighting... now they have battle scars. and the corys keep getting nipped too, so i lowered the water to slow down their breeding frenzy

thank you! I don't have access to many chemicals here, but I have a ton of activated carbon.

If you are using fertilizers for your plants, cut back a little a week before adding the carbon and replenish after removing it.

 

[Sgooosh]

If you are using fertilizers for your plants, cut back a little a week before adding the carbon and replenish after removing it.

okay, thanks. I'll add some carbon now, haven't done so for a few years. Haven't fertilised for a few weeks either, so after a week i will fertilise.