# white mouth



## deviousangel1985 (Nov 15, 2010)

hi, some my cichlids have developed white mouths / lack of colour around their mouths. it is not furry like pics i've seen of mouth fungus, so what else could have caused this? any ideas?  :fish:


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## JimmyJam101 (Dec 6, 2010)

It would probably be easier to determine if you post a pic.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A pic would be good to confirm but it sounds like lip locking and/or scraping algae off the rocks. My demasoni look funny swimming around being such dark fish with white lips.


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

I had that happen with a female kenyi, though there was no evidence of fighting.


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

+1 for fighting. Happened to mine all the time. Just make sure they're not getting infected!


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## caseyof99 (Aug 5, 2009)

+2 for fighting. i have SRTs that look like they have white beaks


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## deviousangel1985 (Nov 15, 2010)

thanks for all you're posts. I will add a pic later, (when i get one). However, it only seems to be on the darker fish. :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Maybe the darker fish are the more aggressive fish? I see it the most on my demasoni although the cynotilapia do get the white lips fairly often.


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## deviousangel1985 (Nov 15, 2010)

[URL=http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/deviousangel1985/?action=view&current=20122010542.jpg]http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i37 ... 010542.jpg[/URL]

above is a pic of one of the cichlids with a white mouth.
while trying to get pics of them today, i've saw a lot of aggressiveness and chasing, and saw a short burst of lip locking, so think that is the cause of the white mouths. 
there seems to be 3 fish which are the most aggressive, i think one is a red top, and not sure what the other two are as they were from a mixed mbuna tank in the shop.
below is a pic of one of the unknown, anyone know what it is?
http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i37 ... 010541.jpg


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## deviousangel1985 (Nov 15, 2010)

[URL=http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/deviousangel1985/?action=view&current=20122010541.jpg]http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i37 ... 010541.jpg[/URL]

sorry this is the unknown fish


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

It could be from lip-locking. It can also be from them scraping algae off of the white rocks that I see. I wouldn't be worried about the white lips, but if the aggression gets to a point where fish are hiding up in the corners or if fins and scales start becoming damaged, that's when I would suggest making changes to your stocklist.

The fish in the picture might be a cynotilapia afra (red top), but it's hard to tell from that face-on profile.
*Edit: Didn't see that second picture. Looks like a Labidochromis Hongi (SRT).


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## deviousangel1985 (Nov 15, 2010)

[URL=http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i379/deviousangel1985/?action=view&current=20122010538.jpg]http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i37 ... 010538.jpg[/URL]

Kanorin this is the side on profile of what i think is the red top.

:fish: :)


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