# Is my fish getting something? White areas near mouth



## FerociousP (Sep 18, 2011)

He is looking a little rough and has white areas around his mouth. He seems to be swimming and breathing normally, but he has probably the most damaged or torn fins in the tank. Most of the others look almost perfect.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I am not sure if columnaris or not. I hope not but it usually starts out around the mouth and appears to be a mouth fungus. Do you have a hospital tank? If it is columnaris it will spread. Again...not an expert on columnaris but it does start around the mouth usually.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

For now I would increase frequency of water changes and watch for any increase in growth. Some of my mbuna get this occasionally and it has always cleared up on it's own.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Yep...water changes always good idea.


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## nudge (Aug 1, 2011)

Looks loke hes been in a punch up and come off second best. I take it hes being picked on. With the torn fins it may just be from a fight, might pay to move him out to a hosp tank for a while.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

His lip appears to have a shred hanging off. His fins look a little roughed up too. Is that a mbuna in the tank with him?

Regarding the white coloration...white lips come from lip locking, but that looks like it's the skin around and under the jaw. I don't see any fuzz (columnaris).

I'd isolate and observe.


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## FerociousP (Sep 18, 2011)

I guess now its time to get that 10gal tank I held off getting for my fry. This seems MUCH more important if it may be a danger to the rest of the fish!

So, for the hospital tank i'll be setting up tonight, Can I take a filter from my old tank and some of the sand (my sand is pretty deep), and some of the tank water and move him directly to it?

Whats the best way to do it quickly??


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Don't put him in old water, there's no point. Can you steal some media from the main tank to put in the filter?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

There's no need to move him to a hospital tank yet. That's added stress that he doesn't need.
If you want to get your hospital tank ready, steal some media from the other filter and add it to the 10g filter and run both on the large tank.
If and when you need the 10g all you have to do is add water and dechlor and move the filter over. 
Up your water changes to twice weekly and give him some time to heal.


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## nudge (Aug 1, 2011)

If hes getting picked on and fighting he might not get achance to heal. If u have a hosp tank i'd set it up with some sand and media from your filter from main tank and move him into it, cant hurt.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

nudge said:


> If hes getting picked on and fighting he might not get achance to heal. If u have a hosp tank i'd set it up with some sand and media from your filter from main tank and move him into it, cant hurt.


Something I neglected to consider. If he is still being harassed then yes, I would move him as well.


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## FerociousP (Sep 18, 2011)

Update: He has been moved into a 15gal "kit" aquarium. I took a chunk of the old filter media and placed it in with the new media as well as a light layer of sand and a rock and cichlid stone from the main tank. Also added a bubbler for extra oxygen. Temp at 78. Its been a week now and the ammonia and nitrites are still low. I've done a few small water changes to keep the cycling stress to a minimum. Here are some updated pics. His bottom lip has seemed to clear up a bit, but he is looking paler than usual. This could be due to the stress of moving him, but maybe not. He is energetic, all around the tank, and eating. If he was being bullied, how quickly would he regain his color on his body?

Or am I seeing things?


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## FerociousP (Sep 18, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> His lip appears to have a shred hanging off. His fins look a little roughed up too. Is that a mbuna in the tank with him?
> 
> Regarding the white coloration...white lips come from lip locking, but that looks like it's the skin around and under the jaw. I don't see any fuzz (columnaris).
> 
> I'd isolate and observe.


Yes there are three White labs (Nkhata bay). At least one male and one female (have two fry at the moment) and the other i'm still not sure. Supposed to me an all male tank so I will be removing the female soon.

Tank mates:

(All between two and three inches)
3x White Labs Nkhata Bay
1x Taiwan Reef Protomelas
1x S. Fryeri Tanzania
1x Red cap lethrinops
1x Trimitachromis
1x Benga Peacock
1x Ngara Peacock
1x Firefish Peacock
1x Bristlenose Pleco


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks MUCH better!! I am glad to hear he is doing ok.

If he is being picked on when re-adding him it may be tricky.

Also...make sure to keep checking ammonia and nitrite levels as you have been.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The white color on the actual lips is not a concern...it is common to get white lips from lip-locking with other males. It was the fact that the skin around his lips was white. I don't see that any more, but maybe it's the angle. Fatten him up a little!

What are the dimensions of the tank?

Is the sick guy your Ngara? Mine is the tank wimp too. There is hope though. Mine is becoming more brave and coloring up better after a year.


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## FerociousP (Sep 18, 2011)

Sick one is the Ngara. His lip isn't as white but the bottom under it still is, not so much fuzz as just discoloration. I've only been feeding once a day in the main tank for a while after dealing with rapid nitrate rise, even while doing 50% water changes a week. Its so hard to read the chart on the API nitrate tube test once it goes over 20 or so. But, I have had my mbuna spawning, so the water conditions cant be too bad right? Anyway, I'll try to get some bulk on him before putting him back in.

Tank sizes

15gal
24x12x12

55gal
48x13x20

Thanks for your help DJ!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Keep your nitrates under 20ppm. Better for the fish and easier to read the results. :thumb:

You need to figure out who was picking on him, and whether you want to keep the ngara or the aggressor.

You might find the fryeri and taiwan reef too big for a 55G, so if it was one of those, you might want to remove him or them.

Shoot for 8 fish in an all-male 55G. I'm not sure the non-yellow labidochromis are as peaceful as the yellow ones...so the lab might be a candidate for removal as well.

Bottom line if you change no fish and put the Ngara back...it's likely the same thing will happen again.

If you do decide to put the Ngara back...you don't ever want to add one "new" fish so you might want to remove a couple more. Hold everyone out a week or more before you try to add them back.

Or if you remove the taiwan, fryeri and lab, you could buy 3 replacements, quarantine them for 3 weeks and then add them along with the Ngara.

Aren't all-male tanks fun??? :thumb:


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