Ugly spots on squareback anthias - updated 4/24

[Scoot]

Not sure if this is a problem, but its new.

My anthias (had him for a week now), is acting perfectly healthy, but has a couple whitish-colored scales (see photo below). He's eating well, acting normal, not fidgety at all, swimming about, and as usual, stares at me from time to time when I'm sitting in front of the tank.

The photo is color-enhanced a bit to bring them out, its hard to capture what I'm talking about in a photo (I tried and tried).

These spots are mostly in his "square", which has always been a solid, even pink, but a couple of the areas on above the square.

There looks like a slight "crease" along the white spots, almost like he had a rock fall on him or something (which didnt' happen, but he could have gotten stuck in a tight spot?)

 

[Brenden]

Do the scales appear to be extruding from the body?

 

[Scoot]

Maybe a tiny bit. It really does, today anyway, look like an injury, a scrape almost. Its on both sides (one side is a little worse) at about the same place.

He's still fine (very fine in fact), so really think he got wedged into some of my LR somewhere. None of it can fall, but there are lots of branches and holes.

Here's the tank:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=11689

 

[Brenden]

Any pink or redness, like blood under the scales?

 

[Scoot]

Updated

No - just pale/whitish scales, in a row sort of (my wife also thinks it looks like a scrape of some sort).

(update)

Yes, from looking a tthe close-up photos, it does look like some redness under/around the affected area.

Still there tonight - maybe a little worse looking. I'm a little concerned, even though he's acting okay and eating.

It looks like there's some "nicks", though very small, along his top fin, too.

Here's some pics - the 3rd one really shows what I'm talking about:

Any thoughts?

Updated pic from today, 4/24. The colors are exaggerated somewhat, I enhanced the photo a little to bring out the spot (otherwise its barely visible in photos), but this is close to how it looks.

The redness looks a little worse, but the affected area doesnt' seem to be spreading. It almost looks like he's missing a scale or two, like he's scraped up against something really hard.

 

[Melissamustang]

You said and eating? Is it eating good or picking and spitting it out? sometimes if they are not getting enough nutrition they can have this color under the skin. What are you feeding?

 

[Scoot]

Updated, 4/27

He's eating just fine. The redness in the pics above are only visible when a flash is used. Otherwise, it mostly looks like white, slightly peeling/flaking scales.

He's getting a frozen mix of a seafood blend for carnivores, frozen brine shrimp, frozen brine with sprirulina, and flakes.

The frozen preparations are doused with a garlic treatment (which they all go crazy for).

He only spits it back out when he takes a big bite (the size of say, a pencil eraser), and then its just part that he spits out. He will usually then go after the rest a few seconds later.

The LPS, where I got him, after showing some big full-sized photos, thinks it looks like a wound, especially since he doesn't have any other symptoms of being sick, and as long as he's not being lazy, hiding a lot, and eatin well, he'll probably be okay (unless he gets a bacterial infection).

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New photos/updates, 4/27

These aren't as sharp, but the guy is moving around too much for me to get a good shot. I think the flash freaks them out.

A little worse, and a little different looking tonight. Now its like two parallel cuts - almost like he was clawed (that's just for the mental visual, I don't think he was clawed). You can see hints of this shape in the earlier photos.

Earlier today the area looked better, I think the cleaner keeps removing scales. That's what this looks like - dead scales, exactly like a wound (but one that keeps getting re-injured). Its all white, not fuzzy at all. Just like peeling skin/scales.

He's still acting fine, still eating fine. I tried to catch him, had a QT tank all setup, but he's too fast, nearly jumped out of the tank. If I can't catch him, I can't treat him with antibiotics.

Is there anything that will slow a fish down? Maybe a shot of vodka? (just kidding!)

 

[steve-s]

You should actually continue to try catching the fish. By the looks of the affected area it's Uronema. How it's treated will depend greatly on how advanced the problem becomes. If you can catch the fish and get it QT'd before lesions set in, it will be easily treated with PARAguard. If lesions set in, you will need to treat with a high dose of Nitrofurazone.

Cheers
Steve