guppylove23

i just got a new 10 gallon tank and added the fish (guppies) yesterday. they already have babies but while examining them today, one of the males has cottony stuff around his mouth. i think this is the fungus cotton mouth but im not sure. he has not been eating and has been hovering near the surface of the water. i separated him from my other fish. is this the cotton mouth fungus? i probably bought him with it so i dont know how long it has been there. is it too late to treat? will the others be infected (he was with them for about a day before i moved him)

My tank:
3 male guppies
7 female guppies
9 guppy fry
one apple snail

temperature: 79-80 degrees

Another fish has funny looking scales. the scales on her stomach are sticking off a bit but i dont think its dropsy. shes not bloated and seems healthy. another male has discolored scales. should i be worried?

aquarist48

Hello GuppyLove and Welcome to Fish Lore. Sorry to hear your fish is ill. Do you know your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Just to make sure you aren't having tank cycling issues.
As for the cotton mouth...Melafix is listed for the treatment of cotton mouth. I don't see any reason it wouldn't be safe for your guppy. However, let's get some more responses first.
I hope it gets well soon!
Ken

Lucy

Hi welcome to FishLore
I've had luck with Jungle's Fungus Eliminator.
I don't have experience with live bearers, I'm sure other members will be able to give some advice about your female.

I see the tank is new, do you know your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
If you're cycling with fish, the toxins weaken their immune system and makes it harder to fight off disease and illness.

Best of luck, I hope your fish feel better.

guppylove23

im really sorry and i dont have readings for my levels. i need to get the reader things in the past i havent had them and the fish have been fine but i want to do this the right way.

do you think the male has cotton mouth? what about the other two fish (discolored scales and one with scales sticking out on its belly)

i have only had them a day so any problems existing were there when i got them probably

Lucy

If you can post some pics, it might help the other members ID whats going on.

guppylove23

okay thanks so much im going to get the readings of my tank by monday. i need to know if i should quarantine the other two that may be sick. are there any contagious diseases involving scales sticking up?

guppylove23

ill post a pic of the quarantined one but the other two are moving too fast i cant get a good pic

iloveengl

It will help all your fishies to do daily partial water changes with a water conditioner. If your pet store carries a bottle of Prime, I suggest using that as your water conditioner. Prime (with daily partial water changes) neutralizes ammonia that builds up with fish poo and rotting food. This will help any sick fishies feel better, keep healthy fish healthy, and fry need pristine water.

guppylove23

sorry i dont have my camera and my phone is malfunctioning the pics wont upload.

ill describe it the best i can. my fish is sitting at the surface of the water with his mouth out and he isnt moving. theres a cottony, clearish slime attached to his mouth and floating around it

the girl has scales sticking out on her belly (not bloated) and the area is a little pinkish more so than usual. shes moving around just fine

the other male has a section between his body and tail where the scales are cloudy and white/discolored. he hangs out closer to the bottom of the tank and isnt as active as the others. maybe hes just old hes really big

additional observations that may be helpful:

the girl with the strange scales has a really flat belly while the other girls are round. she swims around and is active though. the other fish arent bothering her

the boy with the discoloring sometimes has his front half float up he was vertical for a minute. hes still staying at the tank bottom. should i quarentine them

I've merged your two back to back threads to save some space. Don't forget there is an "edit" key that you can use for additional thoughts and or corrections.
Thanks!
Ken

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore! im sorry its because your fish babies are sick tho

sounds like ammonia poisoning with the water surface slime maybe around his face? do you have the surface of the water moving around? sounds the same with your girl


I think you need to get some prime or amquel+ as soon as possible and start with daily water changes so the fish dont die...in a 10 gal tank, thats a very large bioload and im sure the ammonia/nitrites are going to be really high!

guppylove23

is this contagious?

Shawnie

if its ammonia poisoning, no its not but all the fish can get sick with ammonia/nitrites....the tank needs to be cycled and the daily water changes will help them survive...

guppylove23

is it my tank that has the problem or did i buy them with the problem? ive only had them a day. is that long enough for poisoning to develop? i know that teh two males with the problems were bought that way.

the girls stomach has a little indent in it she looks like shes rly skinny but she eats

aquarist48

The girls stomach sounds like she may have been picked on. However, if this is the case then she is probably ill from something else. Possibly ammonia poisoning but until we know the readings it's hard to say.
Wishing you the best. Great advice about doing some water changes and adding some Prime or Amquel +.
Ken

Shawnie

that many fish in a 10g tank, could be ammonia...if you bought the fish that way, why? did they have the fuzzys around their mouth before you got them? the raising of scales and redness is probably ammonia....it wont take long to spike it in the smaller tanks..especially with the fish you have...hence the water changes with prime or amquel+ is needed asap...it will detox the ammonia/nitrites and help keep the fish safe for 24 hours until another water change..thats going to have to be daily until the tank cycles which takes a few weeks with fish.....

guppylove23

okay thanks! i didnt get to examine them before i got them i didnt notice till today

guppylove23

is the only way to fix ammonia to do water changes?

i changed the water and after i did one of the females (not the sick one) started racing up and down the side of teh tank. is she sick? should i be worried or is she just scared?

iloveengl

Yes, a bottle of Prime (or Amquel +) that we suggested earlier will neutralize the ammonia in between water changes. That means the ammonia will not hurt your fish, but it will allow the tank to cycle properly. Most pet stores carry Prime or Amquel +.



She may be acting like that because of the new water. Having fresh water makes them happy and gives them more energy.