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Contents 1 About Flavobacterium columnare (Mouth Rot) 2 Other names 3 Causes 4 Symptoms 5 Treatment 5.1 Commercial treatments 5.1.1 King British 5.1.2 Interpet 5.1.3 WaterLife 5.1.4 Pets at Home 5.1.5 API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) 5.1.6 Tetra UK 5.1.7 Tetra USA 5.1.8 Jungle Labs (USA) 5.1.9 PondRX USA 6 Preventative 7 Links

[edit] About Flavobacterium columnare (Mouth Rot)

Flavobacterium columnare formally known as Flexibacter columnaris as well as Bacillus columnaris, and Cytophaga columnaris. This is a common gram-negative bacteria which gives the appearance of white fungus on fish but is actually a bacteria. Its name is derived from columnar shaped bacteria, which are present in virtually all aquarium environments.

If left untreated it is usually fatal and is highly contagious. A tank that has had columnaris in it should be completely restarted and cleaned out after an outbreak if all fish have been lost. This disease can be spread easily between tanks from contaminated fish nets, your own hands if they have not been washed in-between tanks, shared containers and even food.

[edit] Other names

Columnaris, Cotton-Wool, Cotton-Mouth, Flexibacter, Mouth Fungus, Mouth Rot.

[edit] Causes

Columnaris is partly caused by bad water quality, allowing uneaten food to remain in the tank causing this bacteria to multiply, as well as the fish having an inadequate diet or stressed from being introduced to a new tank. Wounds and injuries can easily become infected by this opportunist bacteria.

[edit] Symptoms

Symptoms of this condition are as follows:

• White spots around the head, edges of fins and scales
• Cotton-wool-like mouldy growths around the mouth
• Fin rot
• Lesions around the base of the dorsal fin
• Rapid breathing
• Fungus around broken affected skin

[edit] Treatment

In order to rid your tank and fish of this disease:

• 30% water change, and do bi-weekly water changes keeping an eye on water quality, include vacuuming the substrate
• Copper sulphate, Acriflavine, Furan, and feeding food dosed with Terramycin (Oxytetracycline), Tetracycline or Kanamycin may all be used externally to treat Columnaris.
• Nifurpirinol, Acriflavine, Chloramphenicol and Malachite green are also said to be effective.^[1]

[edit] Commercial treatments

[edit] King British

• Fin Rot & Fungus Control (contains 2-Phenoxyethanol 5.66 %w/w) ^[2]
• Disease Clear (contains Protargol 0.151%w/w (Silver proteinate) ^[2])
• Bacteria Control (contains Formaldehyde (35.6 % solution) 10.92 % w/w, Sodium Chloride 0.60 %w/w, Magnesium Sulphate 0.30 %w/w % Allantoin 0.04 %w/w) ^[2]

• Methylene Blue (contains Methylene Blue 2.44 %w/w) ^[2]

[edit] Interpet

• No.8 - Anti Fungus and Fin Rot
• No.10 - Methylene Blue
• Catalogue

[edit] WaterLife

• Myxazin - broad spectrum bactericide (contains Formaldehyde 0.12%w/w, Malachite Green 0.085% w/w, Acriflavine Hydrochloride 0.055% w/w) ^[3]

[edit] Pets at Home

• Disease Treatment (contains Protargol 0.151% w/w (Silver proteinate) ^[3]

[edit] API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals)

• E.M. Erythromycin™ Powder - Broad spectrum Antibiotic. (contains Sodium chloride >80%, erythromycin phosphate 1-10%, Amorphous silica 1-5%. See MSDS)
• Furan-2™ Powder - Kills gram-positive & gram-negative bacteria (contains Sodium chloride >90%, Nitrofurazone 1-5%, silica amorphous 1-5%, furazolidone < 1%. See MSDS)
• Melafix® (contains Melaleuca, as Cajuput oil 1%. See MSDS)
• PimaFix™ Anti Fungal & Bacterial (contains bay oil 1%. See MSDS)
• T.C. Tetracycline™ Powder - Kills gram-negative bacteria (contains Sodium chloride >60%, tetracycline hydrochloride 10-30%, amorphous silica 1-5%. See MSDS)
• Triple Sulfa™ Powder three sulfa antibacterial medications (contains Sodium chloride >60%, sulfathiazole 10-30%, sulfamethazine 1-10%, sulfacetamide sodium 1-10%, amorphous silica 1-5%. See MSDS)

[edit] Tetra UK

• TetraMedica GeneralTonic Kills bacteria, fungus and parasites.

[edit] Tetra USA

• Lifeguard™ All-in-One - Kills bacteria, fungus and parasites.

[edit] Jungle Labs (USA)

• Lifeguard - All-in-One - Kills bacteria, fungus and parasites (contains HaloShield (1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone))
• Anti-Bacteria Medicated Fish Food - for bacterial Infections (Mouth rot)
• Binox (Crystal) Broad range anti-bacterial and Fungus treatment contains Nitrofurazone <9%. See MSDS)

[edit] PondRX USA

• TRICIDE-Neo™ - Antibacterial Dip - a concentrate of NeoMycin antibiotic ^[4]

[edit] Preventative

• Regular water changes.
• Do not over feed or over populate the tank.
• Fitting a UV device to the tank will help to keep the overall levels of bacteria down.
• Setting up a tank with a natural soil-based substrate will suppress the levels of this bacteria down. See Walstad.

[edit] Links

• Flexibacter columnaris on Wikipedia
• Columnaris on Wikipedia
• Fresh Aquarium
• Flexibacter on Flippers & Fins