What is this on my Lace Catfish?

[SciFyDi]

Hi,
I just wanted to ask about my Lace Catfish. I’m not sure if this is just new skin growing or something else.

He is about six months old. A few months after I got him I noticed he was always scraping himself on things. Really long deep scrapes. I’m not sure how he is doing this because I’ve sanded down all the decorations. Time and water changes with stress coat usually healed him. About two months ago I noticed he has what looks like a thick bubbling skin growing on his head and down his back.

At first I wasn’t concerned because he was still eating and was his usual self. I noticed though that the skin is still the same not healing, not getting worse.

Today I saw that he had some white around his left eye. He is still eating like a pig and is still very inquisitive. Came right over for me to take the pictures.

I’m just wondering what if anything I should do?
Sorry about the picture orientation.

Thank you

 

[SciFyDi]

Additional pics

 

[m.j.gomez]

Hello, the white coloring is from mood or stress. My feather fin squeaker(synodontis eupterus)can lighten its body color(a faded white)& will do this when it doesn't like something(water, netting, etc.etc.)
Thier skin is scaleless, so until I upgrade to sand my female will always have scratch marks. She will get pure white marks of various sz. I believe these are bruise marks from bumping into things in tank. As long as it is not a cut or fungused I try not to worry. Hope this helps you!

 

[SciFyDi]

This was very helpful thank you. I had noticed that my fish used to be super dark and was now very light colored. I just thought he was getting lighter as he got older. I didn’t think anything about stress. I’ve been having a algae outbreak for about as long as this has been going on so perhaps that is also stressing him.

I’ve been considering changing to sand for awhile now so I guess I have a reason to do it.

In the last pic is yours eating a cucumber or zucchini? I would like to give mine something other than pellets but he is super picky.
Thanks again

 

[m.j.gomez]

You may want to test water. If something is out of whack like high nitrates or little ammonia she will fade. She(think female round & 7"+) will eat zucchini, boiled pea but really prefers raw cucumber.
I fashioned a hook(freezer thermometer mount) out of stainless to sink raw cucumber, sanded all edges, points & attached fishing line so i don't have to stick arm in tank.

 

[SciFyDi]

That’s a good idea. I’ll have to make something like that.Mine got spoiled on the sinking carnivore pellets and will spit out anything else. I’d like to get some roughage into his diet. Before I got the catfish I was using a veggie clip with a suction cup. I stopped using that because it was to hard for the fish to get the food out and I was having to pull it out from the bottom of the tank all the time. What is the little guy in the bottom pic? He looks like loach maybe?

 

[m.j.gomez]

That’s a good idea. I’ll have to make something like that.Mine got spoiled on the sinking carnivore pellets and will spit out anything else. I’d like to get some roughage into his diet. Before I got the catfish I was using a veggie clip with a suction cup. I stopped using that because it was to hard for the fish to get the food out and I was having to pull it out from the bottom of the tank all the time. What is the little guy in the bottom pic? He looks like loach maybe?

When I first got my featherfin she didn't know vegetables were food. Simply embedded some shrimp pellets & algae waffers that she liked into it. She caught on in no time.

 

[Autumnsky]

When I first got my featherfin she didn't know vegetables were food. Simply embedded some shrimp pellets & algae waffers that she liked into it. She caught on in no time.

What a smart idea!!!