Angelfish gill plates erosion

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Dom_Qc

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
10
Location
Québec, Canada
Hi!
First post on Aquarium Advice.

//Introduction:
My (planted) tank has been running for a couple of weeks now and readings are 0 ammo., 0 nitrite and 5 nitrates.
The tank was fish-in cycled with lemon tetras (all very healthy and still alive) and ammoniac/nitrite stayed at zero all the time with nutrafin cycle, so I introduced progressively the other inhabitants.//

After introducing my 5 juvenile angelfish, I noticed that one had an imcomplete gill plate (on one side). I can see the red gill under it. The fish appears very healthy, eating well, good colors, etc. The gill isn't swollen. After a lot of research, I tought it was a breeding deformity as it seems too frequent. However, in the last couple of days, it seemed a little bit worse (I can clearly see the gill / the gill plate is less complete), and a second angelfish started the same symptoms, on both sides. The gills seem to erode. I can't see any white spots, filaments, worms, etc. Only an imcomplete gill plate.
Since a second angelfish "caught" it, I put them in my 5 gallon hospital tank with half new Prime treated water and half main tank water, and a couple of plants. Temperature is the same as the main tank, at 77-78F.

What do you think? I didn't find something like this on the forums.

Thanks in advance,
Dominic

P.S.: English is not my first language..
 
Hi

Although genetic deformities like this are fairly common in angel fish, it does seem like yours have a bacterial problem that is eating away at the gill cover (which is called the opercula). As you have them in a hospital tank, treat the tank with an antibacterial medication.

Good luck
 
Thanks for replying!
Do you have an opinion on Pimafix combined with Melafix? They seem a little bit softer for the fish, and I could treat the main tank too with a smaller dose as it doesn't alter the bacterial filter or the plants.
Will the operculas (thanks for the correction) grow back?

Dominic
 
Thanks for replying!
Do you have an opinion on Pimafix combined with Melafix? They seem a little bit softer for the fish, and I could treat the main tank too with a smaller dose as it doesn't alter the bacterial filter or the plants.
Will the operculas (thanks for the correction) grow back?

Dominic

To be honest, I am not familiar with either, but having Googled them, I would say don't bother with pimafix as this is a fungicidal remedy and I believe your problem is bacterial. I notice both use natural remedies. The tea tree oil in the melafix is said to have antibacterial properties, so should be the better option, although I am not sure how effective it is as there appears to be insufficient evidence to back up these claims. I have always used remedies based on such things as malachite and formalin.
 
Hi!
Thanks for the advice. I decided to go the Melafix and Pimafix route as it seems less radical and for now the 2 angelfish seem healthy, eating well, etc. I still think it could be a breeding problem... but I hope it's bacterial and that it will go away! If the fishes start being weird, I'll switch to harder treatments.
Finally some pics. You can clearly see the damaged gill, this is the worst one (only on one side, the second angel has it on both sides but smaller.)
 

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