Treating Cotton Mouth Disease (Flexibacter Columnaris)
Caused by the parasite Flexibacter columnaris, and also known as Cotton mouth disease (or Cotton-Wool or Cotton-Mouth or Flexibacter or Mouth Fungus), this is a deadly disease which needs quick action.
The bacteria are most likely to infect fish that have been stressed by such conditions as poor water quality, inadequate diet, or handling and shipping. Columnaris can enter the fish through the gills, mouth, or via small wounds on the skin. The disease is highly contagious and may be spread through contaminated nets, specimen containers, and even food.
While it is not as common as Ich, it is way more dangerous. Starting as a gray or white line around the lips and later as short tufts sprouting from the mouth like fungus, symptoms include white spots on mouth or edges of scales, and fins, a cottony growth at the mouth, disintegrate of the fins beginning at the edges, ‘lesion near the dorsal fin, rapid gilling in cases where gills are infected, loss of appetite, etc. If care is not taken, and fast, the whole mouth can rot away. Even more is the internal version, which displays little or no external symptoms.
Brutal as it may sound, the best option is to kill the fish as soon as you spot this disease. However, this may be difficult, and the next best option is to:
- Quarantine the fish for sure, while you continue treating the rest of the tank.
- Change the water immediately
- Add aquarium salt and/or methylene blue solution
- Keep the infected fish in a quarantine tank with a higher degree of salt in it.
- Since columnaris thrives in low oxygen conditions, the addition of an airstone or lowering the water level to create more splash from the filter will also help.
- Among the most effective solutions, is to add about 50 mg of Terramycin or Aureomycuin per gallon of water in the tank.
Prevention, as they say, is always better than cure, and here are what you can do to prevent your pets getting the disease:
1. Quarantine new fish when you buy them before adding them to your tank, and observe them.
2. Ensure a nutrituous diet
3. Regular water changes and tank cleaning to ensure a high water quality.
4. You can use small amounts of salt in the tank.
Must reads:
What Is Ich, And How To Keep Your Aquarium Ich Free
5 Top Reasons Why Fish Die, And How To Save Them
Introducing New Fish To Your Aquarium
