Flowerhorn - Mouth Issue.

[Tilapia-mariae]

One of two irreplaceable fish I have seems to have something wrong with its mouth.

A bit of history - yesterday I divided the fish at questions tank with two problematic americans (both healthy with no visible infection of any sort) to get them out of my community tank. He wasnt happy and has been patrolling the eggcrate since; long story short im praying this is the cause because I herd a huge wack a few hours after dividing the new residents in his tank sometime yesterday.

Looked at him today and just noticed this.. ABOVE his upper lip (which is what confuses me - maybe he rammed the divider not bite it hard as I suspected yesterday)

NORMAL (1 month prior)

TODAY

What do I do as you can see ive removed all gravel, water parims are completely fine; he still is eating and acting normal - cleaned filters and did a 70% water change and added epsom salt.

Im paranoid its the infamous flowerhorn 'duckmouth' leaving them like this.

If it is this duck lips - some have managed to save their fish with 'metro' .. should I be trying this or wait a day or two to see if it gets better or worse before treating. I dont want him to be permanently scarred.


Please help!!!!!

 

[Camphilophus]

85* water, and a ton of oxygen would be my first step. Then I'd add salt if you already haven't. Do a 50% change and start treating with metro. Duck lips is hard to treat I don't know much about it good luck.

 

[unkle_billy]

hey thats my fish! I was hoping I would never see that pic again! After that one my titanium got ducklips. raising the temp is a bad idea if it a bacterial infection! slowly lower it to about 73, add kosher salt, soak food in metro if he is still eating and drop a bit of meth blue in the tank as well as giving him a meth blue dip. this method saved my titanium! pretty quick too. more women would wear tight leather pants if hot moist conditions didn't cause bacteria to grow! from the look of your fish you are not too late. my rd died because I was on vacation and the disease was ver advanced when I returned. Also soak the food so it becomes soft. I used grand sumo and fed once a day.

 

[poly-nomial]

85* water, and a ton of oxygen would be my first step. Then I'd add salt if you already haven't. Do a 50% change and start treating with metro. Duck lips is hard to treat I don't know much about it good luck.

Ditto. He nailed it.

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

Salt bathed him when i found out, removed gravel, cleaned filters and a big water change. I can only get Dimetridazole will that work with his treatment its all that i can get today. His not eating this morning but the swelling seems to have gone down a tiny bit.

 

[Camphilophus]

Salt bathed him when i found out, removed gravel, cleaned filters and a big water change. I can only get Dimetridazole will that work with his treatment its all that i can get today. His not eating this morning but the swelling seems to have gone down a tiny bit.

There goes any chance your fish had at recovering. You just killed all the beneficial bacteria in your tanks if you rinsed the filters and removed the gravel.

never heard of dimetridazole and the link you gave us says.. "a nitrothiazole compound used therapeutically and prophylactically in histomoniasis in turkeys. Poisoning is manifested by infertility and hepatic and renal insufficiency."

That doesn't help at all. Your fish has duck lips, not turkey lips.

 

[TwistedPenguin]

1st of all the picture of *your fish looks like he rammed it against the divider. Everyone is getting a little ahead of themselves and I don't think it's anything more than an injury. Most seem to be seeing only the 2nd picture and assuming that's your fish when it's not.

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

Thanks for the kind works camp, I lightly rinsed the filter media.

Going to hold out one more day as upon closer inspection theres a clear straight dent in his upper lip leaving me to believe he rammed the divider really hard. This is a special little tankbuster in the making hence my procautionary paranoia.

By the looks of the dead one (I take it that is not yours):
Excess slime production leading to Necrosis of the skin in small patches
Swelling of the muscles in the mouth, including visible redness
Points to a bacterial infection - almost or possibly systemic = septicaemic.

Possible causes:
Poor conditions (post or present) as a primary cause, with secondary bacterial infection (mouths are often damaged due to aggression in these types of fish, opening a wound for infection.)
Blood born protozoans (trypasomonas/cryptobia etc) as a primary cause, with secondary bacterial infection
Facultative aerobic/anaerobic bacteria taking advantage of a weakened fish.

Products to consider:
antibiotics like Tetracyclines and Triple sulpha for common aerobic gram negative bacteria
or if Metronidazole has worked in the past, the Metro or DMZ (Dimetridazole) for treatment of internal Protozoans and Anaerobic bacteria.

All 3 can be used at the same time or treatments can overlap with no side affects to the fish, but caution must be taken in terms of filtration bacteria.

^ Local fish expert.


If this isnt duck lips ill be investing in some acrylic dividers :O!

Wish him luck!

 

[unkle_billy]

raising the temp will cause the bacteria to grow extremely rapidly and kill your fish fast. that is if it is ducklips.

 

[Tilapia-mariae]

I ripped the heater out yesterday before the big water change, he ate just then and the swelling on the side of his jaw has gone down. Fingers crossed.