White Cloud Disfiguration

[jayslub]

Please help. We have a newly established 10 gal tank. Had 10 white clouds, 1 betta, and 6 ghost shrimp. We lost one of the shrimp, was told the betta ate it. So we took him out. Found a white cloud dead and stuck to one of our sword plants. All this happened about 2 wks ago. Now... yesterday, I come home to find one of our white clouds with its mouth disfigured. It looked like the top half of his mouth was taken off. (the body shape was that of a male) It kept swimming near the surface and losing its balance. It ended up dying. We figured it was a one time thing. But today, we found another one just like it. Same result. What could be causing this?

[Chickieepooh2u]

Sounds like cotton mouth / mouth fungus. Get some antibiotic and that should take care of the problem. I had that last month too. Salt/ heat treatment doesn't work with this. I used E.M. tablets, I got them at Earl May. Follow the directions and everything should be ok.

Oh and that 10 gallon is running a bit on the full side. I suggest saving the fish you have and not getting any more for that tank.

[jayslub]

Thanks, I'll try that. No, we aren't planning on adding anything more except plants to this tank. We plan on starting up another tank for some guppies. What type of antibiotics should I be getting for cotton mouth?

[Chickieepooh2u]

Erythromycin. I got the 200 mg tablets and added 1 tablet for every 10 gallons of water. The directions are on the package and I just followed them. I saw an improvement in the fish after the first treatment. (4 treatments are suggested). I have guppies and I love them! They have my 20 gallon to themselves right now. My remaining white clouds and zebras have my 5 gallon.

[jayslub]

I went out and got the fungus clear by "Jungle" and put one in last night. I'm not sure if they got any better. None died so that's an improvement. One of them has some kind of white thing stuck to his mouth and last night another one kept hiding behind the driftwood. I don't know what's going on. My hubby is having a fit right now. He is researching all the fish right now and since this was our first tank ever, he says we started all wrong. So now, he's working on starting a guppy tank from scratch. I would call him obsessed. =P