Mouth fungus??

[BTTRFLYGRL]

I have a Potters Angel. I have had him for about a month. He is in a 20 gallon qt. He was very healthy at time of purchase..I observed him for 2 weeks and made sure he was eating before I brought him home.. I know this is not the hardiest of Angels but this guy was alert ,curious , a great looking fish all around

Well, the day I picked him up is the day I believe his troubles started.
The employee used one net to catch him. I even grabbed him another net but he didn't think it necessary. Anyway, after chasing the poor thing for 5 minutes, he finally PINNED HIM TO THE GLASS WITH THE NET BY HIS MOUTH!! Needless to say, I was not happy, but I took him anyway.
He was great when I brought him home..great appetite..very alert. After 3 weeks this changed He was not as eager to eat and not the energetic swimmer he was..he would hover on the bottom and he no longer got excited when I came in the room. His fins started to appear a little frayed so I started doing daily 40% water changes [was doing them every other day] This did not help..I treated him with Furan-2..The morning of his second dose I was getting ready to do my daily water change and was shocked to see my poor angel's mouth It looked as if it had exploded!! There was white kind of 'hairy' stuff protruding from his mouth..the area around his mouth appears to be cracked..the day before his mouth was fine.. Anyway, I stopped the Furan-2, did a large water change and did a lot of reading. I realize that fungal infections are rare but everything I read points me to that condition. I had some Kanacyn..Kanamycin sulfate..and purchased some Maroxy..then I read some more..I was not sure which to use, but decided on the Kanacyn just in case this turned out to be bacterial...I gave him his second dose this morning, he doesn't appear any better..The poor thing cannot eat because of this white clump of stuff in his mouth

I am very concerned about him and was wanting advise please..I had thought about mixing the Kanamycin and Maroxy but I cannot find any info about mixing these two meds

So Leebca, Terry, any advise?

 

[leebca]

Kim,

The only error:

. . .but I took him anyway

You brought home an injured fish. I'm not against you doing this, since I have seen your posts and gotten to trust your ability in this hobby. But taking this fish sends the wrong message to the store. Refusing the fish and making a fuss is what I would have done and most likely the next time the employee/owner won't do that again.

I think I would use Nifurpirinol (which can be combined with Neomycin (a gram negative antibiotic)) for the true fungal infection. But Maroxy should do the job, too.

It's generally not a good idea to mix Kanamycin with anything (other than a select group of antibiotics).

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

He appeared okay till the 3rd week of qt. But you're right

Thanks!!

 

[leebca]

This 'case' has the great opportunity for learning a few things, if you don't mind, Kim.

Think of the number of posts you read starting off, ". . .The fish looked fine and healthy, but after. . ."

An experienced aquarist knows that stress caused days or even weeks earlier can manifest itself long after the event. Think of all the things that 'may' have happened to any given fish you see in the LFS tank! It can be spooky.

I'm at an LAX wholesaler. The employee is filling a mail-order order. He nets a hippo tang. It gets away. Flops on the floor. Flops around. The employee is having a 'good time' trying to catch the little guy. Finally pins it beneath the rubber mat on the isle. And of course. . .pops it into the collection cup and takes it to the packaging table. Wonder what the aquarist thinks when, a week or two later, the new pet fish, never having begun to eat, died in his tank?

And aquarists still argue about whether or not to quarantine new fish!

We forget that stress can manifest itself weeks later in our fish. You likely have first-hand knowledge of this 'hard-to-see' fact of our hobby.

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

You are so right. After bringing this fish home, I watched him closely. I remember reading somewhere about fish with mouth injuries are doomed..I qt all my new fish, no exceptions. I didn't always do this, in the beginning I used to just drop them in my main...until I had a horrible ich outbreak I lost a couple of really cool fish. I am getting pretty good at treating ich and the secondary infections that often accompany it. [I have just finished treating A couple of Hippo Tangs and a Ancanthurus Japonicus-all in separate tanks] This however is new to me..I have done a lot of reading and I am working hard to keep this guy alive. I am placing Cyclopeeze in his tank, It appeared as if he got some today.
I started work at a local online retailer..they tease me, call me 'quarantine girl' ..hehe that's okay, they know I'm right I can look in my main and see healthy fish and I am satisfied I have done the right thing! I feel good to have nursed these Tangs to health..they look great. They are healthy and it does give me a sense of accomplishment.

Now if we can only get everyone else to use a quarantine!
I'll keep you posted on this little guy
Thanks, Kim