# Sunshine peacock with swollen lip fungus HELP, its spreading



## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

MY male sunshine peacock has gotten a weird illness since i brought in a new fish from the petshop. His lips are swollen and look like they are disintegrating. Now it has spread to another fish. I read somewhere else that this killed someones whole tank. I read to use myacin?? I dont know what this fungus is but im pretty ubset that i might loose my fish i had for years due to a dirty petshop


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## bibbs68 (Dec 1, 2006)

I'm not a pro at all but you may do some reading up on columnaris. It was suggested to me that it may be what my fish are experiencing. Sadly, I can't get a good enough photo of my fish to post.

Anyway, a pro will be along to help you soon I'm sure. I hope you don't lose all of your fish, that is what is happening to me. I'm down from 10 to 6 since Monday.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm no expert either but I'm fairly certain Maracyn should take care of it. You can combine both Maracyn I and II.
Perform a water change, vaccuum your substrate, remove carbon and dose according to the instructions.
I've also read that lowering the temperature will slow the bacteria's reproduction.
Also, do regular water testing, these medications might wipe out your existing beneficial bacteria, watch for an ammonia spike during the course of treatment.
Hopefully, I haven't given any erroneous advice  
Good luck!


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

The guy at the pet store said maracyn and he came to the ile with me and he ended up giving me maroxy(for true fungal infections). The intructions say to put it in the tank with out any changes being mad to ur water or filter and to do so for 5 days. In a few hours i think i already noticed some swelling going down on him. I need someone to let me know if i still need maracyn or is maroxy good enough ?


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## twohuskies (Mar 1, 2008)

They are two completely different medications. Maroxy is used to treat TRUE fungal infections. If you have columnaris, maroxy won't help at all. If you have a true fungus, however, maroxy will help. Have you done a google search on columnaris? Look at some photos of fungul infections and columnaris and see which comes closer to what you are seeing in your tank.

I"m still betting on columnaris. A true fungus is rarer, IMO, than columnaris. Columnaris is bacterial, but LOOKS like a fungus. I've had success treating with Maracyn and Maracyn II together for columnaris.


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

Yes it looks like columnaris.


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

twohuskies said:


> They are two completely different medications. Maroxy is used to treat TRUE fungal infections. If you have columnaris, maroxy won't help at all. If you have a true fungus, however, maroxy will help. Have you done a google search on columnaris? Look at some photos of fungul infections and columnaris and see which comes closer to what you are seeing in your tank.
> 
> I"m still betting on columnaris. A true fungus is rarer, IMO, than columnaris. Columnaris is bacterial, but LOOKS like a fungus. I've had success treating with Maracyn and Maracyn II together for columnaris.


+1 - I tried getting around purchasing Maracyn I & II.... and always lose that battle. I got a smaller quarantine tank so that it didn't require as much meds.


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## twohuskies (Mar 1, 2008)

RaV3N said:


> Yes it looks like columnaris.


If it looks like Columnaris, then I'd recommend getting Maracyn AND Maracyn 2 ASAP. They are costly, but as another poster said, you can move the fish to a smaller tank to reduce the meds needed to dose properly. You can also use Kanamycin.

Either way, I'd recommend starting antibiotics immediately. Run some carbon in your filters to remove the maroxy, do large WC, and start with antibiotics. Columnaris can be deadly and quick. Don't delay treatment.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Hold up with the meds for a second- are you sure it's not just a bit chewed from fighting? From the photos, I think that the injuries look very typical for lip-locking with another male.

As with any potential infection, start with large water changes- 50% today, 50% tomorrow, using a high quality dechlorinator. Keep the lights off, cut back on feeding, and perhaps add some salt (Kosher, canning, or table salt is fine, use 1 TBS per 10 gallons, predissolved). If it's an injury, Melafix may help with preventing infection and aid healing.


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

triscuit said:


> Hold up with the meds for a second- are you sure it's not just a bit chewed from fighting? From the photos, I think that the injuries look very typical for lip-locking with another male.
> 
> As with any potential infection, start with large water changes- 50% today, 50% tomorrow, using a high quality dechlorinator. Keep the lights off, cut back on feeding, and perhaps add some salt (Kosher, canning, or table salt is fine, use 1 TBS per 10 gallons, predissolved). If it's an injury, Melafix may help with preventing infection and aid healing.


Great point. If it's an injury, then it wouldn't spread. In my limited experience (2 or 3 instances of illness), when the fish is ill, you can see it spread very quickly from one day to the next.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

> I dont know what this fungus is but im pretty ubset that i might loose my fish i had for years due to a dirty petshop


Don't blame the pet store--or yourself or the fish or--!? The bacteria that causes Columnaris, (also called Mouth Fungus even tho its NOT a fungus) is ubiquitous to your tank. It resides harmlessly until the fish come under some sort of stress. That stress can be anything from an aggressive tankmate to abrupt changes in water quality or conditions. And it might very well have gotten it's start due to an injury from lip-lock-fighting.

Columnaris can move fast, (hours) or slow, (weeks) to kill a fish and it can and does spread from fish to fish but it doesn't automatically follow that if one fish gets it you will lose your entire tank.

Here's what you can do: 
Start off with a large water change. (if its been longer than a few weeks since your last water change then do several smaller changes with a few hours inbetween)
Adding salt, (sodium chloride) will help prevent the bacteria from adhering to the fish's skin. Increasing water movement will also help in this regard. 
Lower water temp to 76.
From there you can treat with an antibiotic or you may want to try a salt dip which is different than just adding salt. You can read about how to do the salt dip in the article on Columnaris in the library section of this site. 
Antibiotic choices: 
Maracyn and Maracyn-two, used concurrently
Furan 2
Kanamycin

Robin


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I followed the above directions . I have been using maracyn I and II for a few days now and contditions are worsening. It seems to be spreading up the face in whole like patches. Im not sure what else I can do. I will try the other medicine above. Im also curious if maracyn TC is the same as type I


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

*maracyn:*
Active ingredient: erythromycin.
*maracyn- two*
Active ingredient: Minocycline.
*maracyn tc*
Active ingredient: tetracycline

Just the one fish with the rapidly spreading white patches or all of them? 
The maracyns may have been started too late or they just need more time.

An other approach: 
check out this article: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... isease.php
I might try the salt dip if I were you but make sure you read and carefully follow his directions.

Robin


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Maracyn and Maracyn2 is a 5-7 day treatment, right? If I recall mine got worse for the first half of the treatment and got better for the second half.

I also tried Triple Sulfa and Kanamycin, but the Maracyn plus Maracyn2 worked the best.


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

Guys im starting to think there is a possibility this is something else. For the fact that it seems to be effecting the mouth directly. The mouth on one of the actually fell off . the other part of his mouth is folding in like. There are 3 fish that have it and it only effect the lips. I also remember for a positive fact a baby moori that i put in had what my fish have now exactly the same thing before i pulled him out. Now even with him pulled out it still spread to my fish a day later. This is something that was contracted from another fish not my water im sure of, which would that indicate it can be somethign else or the same thing can happen with columnaris??.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Mouth Fungus is one name for Columnaris and that's because it often starts on the mouth.

That doesn't prove that it's Columnaris, the only way to do that is by taking a sample of tissue and looking at it under a microscope.

But more than likely it's either Columnaris or some other bacteria and the treatment would be the same. We choose antibiotic combinations like Maracyn and Maracyn-two because together they will cover a wide range of bacteria and fungus so it's not imperative that we know the exact bacteria.

Have you done everything else suggested along with the antibiotics? Water change(s), salt, lower temp, increase water movement? And you've got the meds in there at their correct strength? Maracyns are expensive and it can be tempting to cut costs by not going full strength.

I know you must be frustrated that this isn't turning around yet. Hang in there. Fit in water changes whenever the med schedule allows

Robin


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

Ok , yea the maracyn is expensive but I have been keeping up. I will let you guys know the outcome.


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Best of luck- that's a tough disease to fight. :fish:

Thanks for posting the pictures- I'll learn something from this too.


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## RaV3N (Aug 11, 2009)

Guys I dont know if Im being over cautious but I noticed when one of the fish with the disease (Scianchromis Ali) exhales this worms like strans come out. I guess that skin, but I was wondering if it could be worms, maybe parasites. Just fillin you guys in . Thanks


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

I feel your pain, I'm going through something similar right now, my quarantine tank is full! The symptoms you describe are identical what mine have. I've beaten this once before with the combination of the two meds, but this time it seems to be getting worse (as DJ mentioned) even after a few days of meds.

Hope you make out well, keeping my fingers crossed.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

RaV3N said:


> Guys I dont know if Im being over cautious but I noticed when one of the fish with the disease (Scianchromis Ali) exhales this worms like strans come out. I guess that skin, but I was wondering if it could be worms, maybe parasites. Just fillin you guys in . Thanks


The bacteria can definitely look like worms. I mean make sure they aren't, but they're probably not.

You've got the temp lowered and you're fitting in partial water changes whenever the med schedule allows--right? That will help the meds work. And the salt and increased water movement also helps.

Hang in there
Keep us posted

Robin


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

How are you making out *RaV3N*?

I'm still struggling, lost 3 (of 6 in quarantine) aceis despite the meds, salt and water changes. The 3 other fish in quarantine are still battling the illness.

2 more in the main tank may have to join them in quarantine.....


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