Help My Fish Has Huge Swollen Lips ! Pics Included

[ddyerfamily]

What do you guys think is the problem ?


The Tank conditions ;

2 convicts. A pair I have had for over 2 years.
Person before had them for several years.
They are older ,I guess around 6 or so years for the male and 4-5 years for the female.
40 gallon tank has ran for 8 mths in my care and I bought it fully set up(mature/cycled)
I have kept it running smoothly not problems.(no deaths)

I will test water here soon and post results.

The only change was a large sponge I removed from another running aged 55 gallon tank.
This 55 has in it 1 large clown knife and 1 large pleco.(have seen floating poop in this tank ?)

I rinsed it well before adding it to the filter of the 40 gal.(so the fry don't get sucked in & extra BB)

that was a couple days ago.

This pair has a very large batch of healthy looking fry (over 200 easy)

I a nervous this will spread to the others,only the male has the swollen lips.





View attachment 160793

 

[ddyerfamily]

Looking at test tubes right now...

nitrite = 0

nitrate = 0-5.0 trace

ammo = 0

ph always 8.0



Still swollen when I got water for tests.

 

[Kitiara]

This may just be irritation from digging around in the gravel. I know my convicts lips swell a bit at times from this. Was any of the substrate moved when you were changing the filter media? If so he may be rearranging it more to his liking (which they do when they are spawning more than any other time)

Personally I can't think of any other reasons for swollen lips. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can cope up with other reasons!

 

[ddyerfamily]

This may just be irritation from digging around in the gravel. I know my convicts lips swell a bit at times from this. Was any of the substrate moved when you were changing the filter media? If so he may be rearranging it more to his liking (which they do when they are spawning more than any other time)

Personally I can't think of any other reasons for swollen lips. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can cope up with other reasons!

I really don't thing digging can cause this much damage.
There are no jagged edges,very smooth ? like an Infection ?

The swelling is worse ,I am starting to dout if he will pull through this.
For now he is hiding alot instead of guarding fry,like normal.

He is 1 of my favorite fish never would have thought I could get to liking a convict this much. Sad

Here are some old pictures of "Brad".

 

[ddyerfamily]

up

 

[duke33]

I wish I could help ddyer, I have no clue. I've looked around and can't find anything that might help. Sorry.

 

[Weylin]

Fights ?? Or they r making out too much... lol

 

[ddyerfamily]

I wish I could help ddyer, I have no clue. I've looked around and can't find anything that might help. Sorry.

I have searched but also didn't find anything that fit.?
Only thing effected is the lips/mouth area.

WeylinFights ?? Or they r making out too much... lol

The lips are not toren or ripped.
Smooth and swollen like Infection.
Sucks.
He is worse today

They have a large batch of fry currently.
I haven't seen them fight but it would be a couple weeks before they are ready to breed again. And will nip at each other then.

 

[SimonL]

There is a bacterial infection of the lips/mouth I've seen on angelfish...

 

[bigspizz]

It looks like someone snuck in to your house and gave him collegen....No but seriously though I am just trying to get you to laugh...Now to the fish...



It looks like he was lip locking and perhaps got an infection. I would treat with an antibiotic and isolate him if this is the case.


The other guess is, if they are breeding, and the kids can get as close to the tank as your baby in the pic....He may be excessively hitting the glass. I had one get pretty swollen in the mouth, just not as bad as yours.

In either case, he should be isolated, and put somewhere where it can remain dark and quiet. I left my banged up brute in my basement for a few months because if it was not one thing it was another with him, and the solo darkness was/is the best thing to recover an overly aggressive con.

Don't worry about breaking up the pair. He will take right back to her like as if he were never gone when he returns from his break....Hope any of this helps and good luck.