# Trying to treat cotton mouth...



## CDederick (Mar 24, 2010)

My poor red Betta has a sudden attack of cotton mouth, which I've never had in a fish before so I'm not exactly sure how to treat it. He's in a 5.5 gallon with a new working heater and filter. I know he got sick from the cold water temperature, when I first bought him I also got a new heater which was defective and made the water go down to 68 degrees overnight. He had ich first, but that's gone away since I've cured it with nox-ich. He's only started showing signs of mouth fungus since yesterday, I think. Today I bought some stuff that's supposed to help fungal infections. When I put it in though (less than the recommended amount, just in case) he began swimming up at the top and sticking his mouth out to breathe, so I just did a big water change, it was stressing him out too much I think. I'm at a loss at what to do now. Should I just try to keep the water clean every day and add lots of salt? Should I try a salt bath? I've read up on a lot of complicated-sounding antibiotics that you can get for sick fish, but my local pet store didn't have anything like that, and I don't think Petco would either. What can I do? I hate the idea that this could eat away at him until he dies.


----------



## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I suggest using a broad spectrum antibiotic for gram negative bacteria. Most Petsmarts stock API's Triple Sulfa and most Petcos stock Mardel's Maracyn Two. You should call the store to see if they have it in stock before you waste valuable time going there--the store should have no problem with sending an employee over to look at what they have in their medication aisle. Before you begin treatment with an antibiotic, I recommend reading this article so that you understand how antibiotics work and some of the risks involved: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa084

In the meantime, you can try a salt bath treatment--they are reported to be helpful in dealing with bacteria, although most of the information I've found on the subject deals with the treatment of Discus fish. From what I understand, this involves placing the fish in a 2% salt solution (14 tbsp of salt per 3 gal) for a short amount of time--this should be done multiple times a day for no more than a few minutes at a time. The duration of the bath should decrease greatly with each subsequent bath throughout the day, the first might be three minutes, the next one minute, the next 20 seconds, and the rest 10 seconds and under. Carefully monitor the fish for signs of stress and remove immediately if any signs of struggle are evident.


----------



## Bettas are Betta (Aug 3, 2010)

My fish ,Ramen has cotton mouth too and on some website it says to pick up your fish and wipe it off his mouth or say goodbye or something like that!!! 

Is that crazy or what!


----------



## CDederick (Mar 24, 2010)

My goodness, he just now died. :-( I'm really bummed, that's the first time I've had a Betta die on me. He was such a beautiful red, too. I'm just glad he didn't have to suffer over a too long period of time... 
I wish you other Betta owners, whose fish have cotton mouth, all the best. Hopefully you'll do something right that I didn't! I suspect the fungus treatment might have stressed him too much and speeded up his death, even though I immediately changed his water. Wish I would have had more time to save him...


----------



## TharBePirates (Aug 15, 2010)

Aww, I'm so sorry


----------



## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

I once lost an entire stock of fish to ich (I didn't diagnose it in time I think, first time having to deal with it). I was irritated, because I had a red-bellied pacu and a few other coool tropical fish in a 55 gallon tank. The pacu was my favorite, he would always follow people as they walked around teh tank and when we would sit on the couch he would go up to the glass and watch us. Anyway, lesson learned now. Good luck when you get another.


----------



## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

Im sorry for your loss!


----------



## Dizzy Izzy (Aug 6, 2010)

tooo bad im so sorry


----------



## Dizzy Izzy (Aug 6, 2010)

hope bettas are betta's fish survives!! goodluck


----------



## Bettas are Betta (Aug 3, 2010)

thank you!


----------



## CDederick (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks guys. I do have my two other Bettas still, my favorite male and a female. They seem to be doing perfectly fine. I think my red Betta was just extra delicate because he was younger and wasn't as hardy.


----------



## KukaaKatchou (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm sorry you lost your betta CDederick


----------



## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

Me too!


----------

