| Common names: | | | | brown in appearance and the fish's mouth may be |
| Columnaris Disease, Mouth fungus, Body fungus | | | | eaten away making it difficult for fish to feed. In the |
| Type of disesase: | | | | latter stages of infection, due to the bacteria |
| Bacterial Infection | | | | attacking the fish's gill filaments, the fish's breathing |
| Cause: | | | | may become laboured. |
| Stressed fish, poor water quality, inadequate diet and | | | | It's vitally important to treat this infection in its |
| rough handling. | | | | earliest stages if numerous fatalities are to be |
| Symptoms: | | | | avoided. There are a number of remedies available |
| Gray or white spots (may become yellow or brown) | | | | for the treatment of mouth fungus with those |
| around the gills and head and the fungus-like growth | | | | containing copper sulphate considered to be the best. |
| on the fish's mouth. Fish's breathing may become | | | | Chlormycetin has also proved to be successful in |
| laboured. | | | | treating mouth fungus. This should be administered |
| Medication: | | | | using 10 to 20 milligrams of chlormycetin per litre of |
| Copper sulphate based medication, Chlormycetin, | | | | aquarium water. |
| food containing oxytetracyline. | | | | Another highly effective method to treat mouth |
| Often mistaken for a fungal infection, due to the | | | | fungus is to feed fish with food containing |
| fungus-like growths that appear on the mouth and | | | | oxytetracyline. There are several of these foods |
| body of an infected fish, mouth fungus (false fungus) | | | | available and all are readily obtainable from most good |
| is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium | | | | freshwater fish stockists. However, it may be that |
| Chondrococcus columnaris. Unlike "true fungal" | | | | the fish has stopped eating. If this is the case the |
| infections such as Saprolegnia, mouth fungus is highly | | | | best form of treatment is to use an antibiotic such |
| contagious and will rapidly infect and kill all the fish in | | | | as penicillin. Antibiotics are available from most |
| an aquarium unless it is treated quickly and | | | | veterinary surgeries. |
| effectively. | | | | As with all contagious fish diseases infected fish |
| The bacteria that causes mouth fungus are present | | | | should be placed in a quarantine tank (see: How To |
| in all freshwater water aquariums and under normal | | | | Quarantine Aquarium Fish) during treatment and |
| conditions they are regarded as harmless. However, | | | | should only be returned to the display tank after a |
| the bacteria will infect fish that have been subjected | | | | minimum of four weeks. |
| to excessive stress. Poor water quality, inadequate | | | | Because mouth fungus is one of the most contagious |
| diet and rough handling are known to increase fish's | | | | and deadly freshwater aquarium diseases prevention |
| stress levels. | | | | is of the utmost importance. The bacteria that cause |
| The columnaris bacteria will enter a fish through its | | | | mouth fungus thrive on organic waste. Regular water |
| gills and mouth or via small lesions on the fish's skin. | | | | changes and gravel vacuuming will help to control the |
| Catfish and live-bearing fish such as guppies, mollies | | | | amount of waste in your tank and will decrease the |
| and swordtails are particularly vulnerable to attack. | | | | risk of infection. |
| Following infection fish will display symptoms including | | | | Finally, all new fish should be quarantined in a separate |
| gray or white spots around the gills and head and the | | | | tank for at least two weeks before being placed in a |
| fungus-like growth on the fish's mouth. As the | | | | display aquarium. |
| infection spreads these spots may become yellow or | | | | |