Help - something wrong with Texas lips/mouth

[duanes]

It's opportunistic. When the stress levels are high enough or an injury is sustained, the other fish will eventually succumb. Right now all of their immune systems are able to keep it in check. If you plan to keep the fish in that tank, just don't service it the same days as your other tanks, and use different equipment that doesn't cross over. Maybe put masking/ colored electric tape on any equipment that is used on that tank.

Totally agree.

 

[Deadeye]

Out of curiosity, how would copper meds work? I know that’s usually an extreme for the most tough infections, though I’m not sure if it works on bacteria.
Is it just resistant to most antibiotics, or does the aquarium trade not have access to some of the stronger ones that would kill it?

 

[duanes]

Because columnaris is a Gram Negative bacteria, many antibiotics that treat Gram Positive bacteria will not be effective at treating it, and a generic broad spectrum antibiotic may only be partially effective.
Below a study that found copper to be ineffective.
Acute columnaris infection in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatushttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...