Please help!! Most mysterious fish disease (SAE) :/

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mimiluvsfishies

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 24, 2021
Messages
3
Location
so cal!
I have seven Siamese algae eaters, about five are showing small symptoms of something?? They have white (“ashy”) patches that seem to follow a scale pattern. The white patches are not “fuzzy”, and do not follow any of the progressive symptoms that bacteria or fungal infection seem to follow. Does not seem to be highly contagious because some algae eaters are completely fine, they do not look like they have been “sprinkled with salt” (like ick). Additionally, they have been suffering with these patches for quite a while (months), and they seem to not be responding to any medication that I have tried. All of my tank inhabitants are eating and swimming just fine, foraging for food, and chasing each other as normal, no one is hiding off or being bullied. (IM SO CONFUSED!)

Had the siamese algae eaters three months before any symptoms appeared, they have been suffering with whatever this is for over 5 months. Has not affected ALL algae eaters, about 4-5 of the 7. Illness has not spread to betta fish, or a common pleco even though they have been in close proximity, and same environment for months. I tried to use a combination of furan-2 and kanaplex(for five days), I quarantined the entire siamese algae eater population, but that didn’t seem to help, I also used an ick cure from API with no change.

My only possible thought is when I’m not watching maybe they are fighting? Or maybe scratching themselves against something? Although, they have not been exhibiting any scratching behaviors, no rubbing against rocks, or hard scapes, they haven’t really shown any signs of skin Irritation.


Temp: 76 degrees
Ammonia: x
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20>x
PH: 7.5-7.8
125gal set up over 2 years

Canister spray bar filter (cascade penn-plax 1200) (150gal, 315 GPH)
Water change every two weeks 30 gal, API stress coat+
Filter change/clean with (carbon) change monthly
Minimal Gravel vacuum because I have somewhere close to 1000 sugar cone snails lol
Add ins: “seachem excel” every other day, and “seachem flourish” weekly (for plants)
30% planted (Java fern, Anubis, Amazon frog bit) rocks and wood too
Fluval stratum substrate
5 female betta (2in)
7 SAE (3-4in)
1 common pleco (12in)
SNAILS! (So many!)
All my fish were floated in a bag on top of aquarium, slowly putting in water until the bag was filled for about 20 minutes.
 
Sorry no one got back to you but that’s probably because we don’t know! A picture would probably help!
 
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