GOLDEN SEVERUM GILL ULCERS

[artistnan]

Hello everyone. My Little Girl is suffering. It has taken a long time for visual manifestation. The base of her fins have red ulcers. I have been treating the tank with antibiotics and today is the seventh day. I will need to change water 25%. It looks somewhat less angry today but I wonderwhy she is always at the top of the tank and if I should do another full 7 day cycle.

We have a very bad problem with brown algae as well but no one seems to suffer but me. I have been thoroghly cleaning walls, rocks and plants every two weks but it just comes back.

How long do severum live? Mine is about 10 years old. I have a spotted catfish, Spot, that is 17 years old and is happy as a clam. Two clown loaches seem to hide most of the time as of recently...maybe 6 months.

I appreciate your time and advice. If it is more humane to kill my Little Girl, how can I do it? It would break my heart. She usually is a very happy and fun fish.

Thanks, Nancy in Atlanta

 

[roka64]

What are your water parameters?
Are the "ulcers" truly red?
Do they look like worms or cysts?
Can you get a pic?

 

[rich311k]

Yes please test your parameters the antibiotics could very well have destroyed your bio filter. Melafix may help the ulcers heal. Is she eating?

 

[artistnan]

Thanks for being there. I have taken readings which are quite off regular and snapped a few shots. Not perfect.

Hardness 180
Carbonate 40
PH 6.0 (low)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

Today was last day of 7 using Melafix with carbon removed from Eheim.

Thanks

 

[Zagz]

Do you have your ammonia reading?

 

[i3k]

Sorry to hear about your fish. Hopefully she pulls through.

After you solve this problem and all is well I would suggest getting one or two plecos for your algae problem. I've had the same problem in my tank. It would not go away and my entire tank was covered in algae. I got 1 tiny pleco and I swear overnight he "cleaned" up the entire tank. By day two I did not see any algae period and it has been a few weeks now since I got the pleco and he's keeping the tank clean!!!

 

[artistnan]

SEVERUM GILL PHOTO

Here is a shot of my lady. No, I have not checked ammonia, Thank you kind folks.

 

[krustykrab99]

I would definetly try antibiotics and combo some malachite green or blue with it. It looks like it could be parasite related. I am not sure but medicate it. Also with tank raised fish a ph of 6 may need to raised to near 7 it could be ph related. Cichlids most of get ulcers from ph either too high or too low. Hope it helps.