Warn out bristles

[aisia_1999]

Hi guys,
Just wondering if someone can help with my problem. We have had a pair of bristle nose catfish for about a year. Recently our male has lost all his bristles. It looks like an open wound. After a week the wound healed over and the bristles seem to start re-growing. But now it seems that the whole thing is repeating again. Currently he stays in a large hollow tree trunk approx. 8 by 8inch with the female and sometimes our 2 clown loaches. He eats fine and he often out of his hole. The water is fine. If someone has any idea what is happing with my plec please HELP!!!!!!!!!

[TankGirl]

The first thing to do is check your water parameters (that is the first thing I do if I see anything unusual). Exceptionally high nitrates indicate excess waste in the tank, which can permit bacterial and fungal infections to prosper. Also, this fish requires highly oxygenated water, which usually means a tank that is heavily filtered, or heavily planted.

I am going to move this over to the unhealthy fish forum, and there you might get more responses. My bristlenose have not had this problem so I can't be of much help, but I suspect there is some kind of bacterial or fungal infection.

Good luck!

[aisia_1999]

thanks tankgirl
but our water parameters are fine, we have no nitrate, the [acronym:0ea0a36e7f="power head or Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions, depending on context"]ph[/acronym:0ea0a36e7f] is 7, no ammonia.
the female is fine as are all the fish.
the tank is well aerated and filtered and is also heavily planted.

[TankGirl]

Well, you got me!

Do you mean no nitrAte or no nitrIte?

[Allivymar]

*nods and agrees with TankGirl*

Which do you mean? There's a big difference between nitrites and nitrates. And what are the water parameters exactly? Having the levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates will help us help you.

[aisia_1999]

Hi guys
The parameters are: temperature 24.5, [acronym:b9bd2e7e99="power head or Measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions, depending on context"]ph[/acronym:b9bd2e7e99] 7, nitrate 0.1ppm, nitrites 0, ammonia 0, highly oxygenated, well planted. I’m feeding them tetra cat fish pellets and flake, high protein krill pellets, washed earth worms, algae tablets and frozen blood worms.
Someone suggested that he might try to protect the eggs from nosy fish and he scrapes his bristles on the wood. Could that be the reason?

[Allivymar]

Generallly when cats lose barbels, its due to either an infection or sharp gravel. What sort of substrate do you have? If its smooth, I suspect infection, especially since there appeared to be open wounds.

[TankGirl]

It could definitely be related to protecting the eggs, because it sounds like water conditions are in great shape. If the female laid the eggs in a tricky spot then that could be the entire thing. It will be important to watch the area for secondary infection that could really turn into a mess. I would use Melafix.

[aisia_1999]

hi again guys
the substrate we use is just smoothed gravel. but i dont think this is causing it as our corydoras are fine as are there barbels.
cheers for the tip tankgirl i'll try the medication.

seeya

[aisia_1999]

just out of interest do does anyone have any tips on breeding the bristle noses as none of the fry seem to survive im guessing they become a snack for our clown loaches

cheers ben and alice