Catfish covered in...algae?

[reapermedic]

I have 2 catfish in one of my community tanks to clean up the usual messes. The water parameters are fine. 0 nitrates and nitrites, pH 7.8, 0 ammonia. The tank is well established and they've been in it for a year and some months. There isn't an algae bloom and it hasn't been a problem. It is a planted tank with a relatively shallow bio load, no high density planting in this one. Just introduced a CO2 diffuser two weeks ago.

There are little green spots on one of my guys. He hasn't been acting weird or any of that nonsense. Seems to be in otherwise good health but I swear it looks like the small bit of algae that handle for me that grows on the tank walls.

What do you folks think?

 

[Delapool]

Um, can't spot it - can I get a hint. Sorry.

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

Are the small white spots really green spots? From the pics I would have thought possibly ICK.


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[reapermedic]

Yes the tiny white spots are actually green. Bright green...

They're lace catfish so they're naturally marbled, look past that. The flash and lighting don't help this picture at all.

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

You could dose with seachem excel. Rivercats can tell you the right dose for killing algae. Someone told me Erythromycin also kills blue green algae, but not green spot algae or other types.

And, you are not alone. This guy had algae grow on his fish, too.
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/disease-forum/55567-algae-growing-fish.html

Another link: (cites saprolegnia, which when I looked at google pics looks kinda like algae)
http://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/can-algae-grow-on-fish.6898/

Another here, too:
http://www.koimag.co.uk/forum/algae-growing-on-fish-what-to-do-t228951.html


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[reapermedic]

Sigh...I think it may be ich. I checked my other fish and the guppies have the tell tale signs. So I pulled my plants to a holding tank and moved my scaleless fish to their separate tank to half dose the treatment and gradually increase the temp. The scaled fish left got a vacuuming, partial water change and dose of treatment.

I was hoping it wasn't ich, those catfish are my babies (well all my fish are, but they've been with me longer than any fish in the house with exception of Seamus).

Such a bummer

 

[RightTurnClyde]

It doesn't make sense that you would suddenly get Ick after so long. Did you add any new fish or plants recently? If not, I would think it has to do with the introduction of the CO2.

 

[reapermedic]

I added a few new plants about 2 weeks ago. I suspect they are the culprit.

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

Best of luck Reapermedic


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[reapermedic]

Thank you dear

I had to put my catfish down today. The whole tank broke out but he was on the worst shape :/ tough day

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's hard to say good bye when you've had them long like your catfish. ((( hugs )))


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)