mouth sore on blue paradise fish

Question
QUESTION: hello! we've had our fish, Jiffy, for over a month, do a partial water replacement every week, feed him twice a day, siphon up the debris twice a week, he seems fine in all respects except 2 days ago he started developing what looks like a sore on the side of his mouth. could you please tell me what that could be, and what we can do about it? thanx much!

ANSWER: Hi Dean,

Let's find out if it's a parasite, injury or a fungus.  Basically, these are the 3 main causes.

I'd have to see a photo.  Can you send one, please?

Thankyou,

:)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


jiffy fish   QUESTION: thanks for replying so quickly- here's jiffy!

ANSWER: Okay, so we are dealing with a fungus.

If it's a parasite, it's not developed yet, but it is urgent to get this taken care of, so I advise the following:

Jiffy will survive this, if you act promptly.  Let's turn his heat in the tank up to 80F, and I recommend adding 2 teaspoons of salt per gallon.  There is salt for fish sold at the petstore.  It contains no iodine.  Our tablesalt would kill poor little Jiffy, but this won't.

He is a freshwater fish, so he can handle up to 3 teaspoons per gallon okay, but my recommendation is only for 2.  I would like you to thoroughly dissolve it, in his aquarium, and then wait.  It might take 3 days for the fungus to dissipate.

As soon as his lip goes down, begin doing a 10% water change every 3 days until the salt has cycled out.  Leaving a teaspoon of salt per gallon is not going to hurt Jiffy!  It will in fact really help him to stay healthier and not to get fungus.

Do regular monthly water changes of 25%, change filtration media immediately and lower the temperature also, once the course of treatment has passed.

His lip fungus will cure up.

If you want added quick repair to his lip, you can take a clove of garlic (it sounds like a lot, one clove, but it's required to use at least half of the clove daily), crush it in a teaspoon and then throw half of that into the tank.  Oil is essential to his recovery and is an anti-fungal.  We grimace when we eat garlic, but to a fish, it's a delecacy!  They love it.  If he doesn't take it right away, he will, with time, if you crush it small enough.

Not only is it an anti-bacterial plant, but it contains vitamins that cause fishes to become hungrier as well.  Jiffy will love having some garlic every week, if you'd like to add that to his diet.

Happy fish-keeping and I will cross fingers for Jiffy. :)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello again, fish diva!  since our last correspondence, jiffy has less of an appetite (tried the garlic, he wasn't interested), and a couple of little white spots have developed on his middle and back. now what? thanx for your time! :) dean

Answer
Hi.  

Has the salt been added?

Add 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon.  If the salt was already added, at 2 teaspoons per gallon, add one more teaspoon per gallon.

It should have stopped, not multiplied.  You can additionally add something such as an over the counter antifungal, alongside the salt.  

I recommend Jungle products.