help! my sons fish is ill

[jdewitt]

Hi

My sons Synodontis catfish has some strange white type (looks like flaky dry skin) above his eyes. It started 2 days ago. This fish is my sons favorite and oldest fish. He is 2 1/2 years old.

My tank is a 33 gallon.
Nothing new was added.
Ph is 6.0
Ammonia is inbetween 0 and. 25
Nitrites is 0
Nitates is 80 ppm
Water temp is 76°f

I usually do a partial water change/gravel vacuum once a month. I run 2 hang on the back filters ( im not sure the brands off hand) but each is rated for 25 gallons and they are 2 different Brands.

Tankmates are 2 kuli loaches 1 dojo loach 2 bumble bee catfish 1 peco 2 black skirt tetras and 4 guppies.

One of my filters has been acting up and will be replaced soon (ran with out water while we were on vacation).
I will try to post some pictures.

Thanks in advance.
John

 

[jdewitt]

http://imageshack.com/a/img849/710/sqsi.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img513/7634/r6xc.jpg

Hope this works for posting pictures

 

[Delapool]

I wouldn't suspect bacterial so much off the low ph. Fungal or fish pox possible?
I can't tell much off the photos. Was there any other change in the tank? I assume it's not natural colour do you think ?

Also IMO Nitrates are a bit high and ph getting borderline low for nitrifying bacteria. I'd favour increasing the water changes to once a week. This should help the fish, especially if one filter is running rough.

 

[jdewitt]

Here are some more pics, hopefully they are better. It looks like he has peeling dry skin.
http://imageshack.com/a/img163/8259/fvcd.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img829/8337/13ju.jpg

I hope these these pictures give you a better idea.

Thanks in advance

 

[jdewitt]

Delapool thanks for replying. I looked up fish pox and that doesnt seem to be what it is. I uploaded a couple more pics, hopefully they are clearer. I will be getting a new filter this weekend.
I dont want to treat the tank with chemicals yet until i know what he has. The loaches are very sensitive to medication.

Thanks

 

[Delapool]

Hi, thanks for the extra pics. Fairly stuck on this. It doesn't look like a fungus that I've seen. I'm wondering if the eyes are protruding a bit more than normal or about the same? Does the patch come onto the eye rim at all?

I agree with holding off on meds. I would increase to weekly water changes. Unless it started after a water change or anything?

 

[jdewitt]

I did a partial water change last week. The patch doesnt appear to be on the eye rim, although his left eye is a little cloudy. Im not sure if his eyes are protruding more than normal, he is a shy fish who hangs out behind the driftwood. A couple of months ago he had a mark on his side that i think was caused by the heater. He used to rest along side of it all the time ( i have since moved the heater).

Thank you for helping me with this.

 

[Delapool]

Thanks, I wondered if a water change might have been done the same time but sounds too far apart. Heck, I wish I could be of more help - searching through the forum posts hasn't popped up much.

Perhaps with the cloudy eye it is bacterial then as near both eyes. And it seems to be more on the skin then a growth or cotton fibres above the skin? Is there any redness?

Just to knock off, you haven't added any plants? Just the water change in the last couple of weeks?

 

[jdewitt]

No plants. Used to have them but they were more trouble than they were worth( algae). I doesnt look like a growth or cotton. It looks more like peeling dry skin, like after a sunburn. I didnt notice any redness, just the white discolouration and the peeling skin.

I appreciate all the help.

 

[kevan07]

I have a platy that looks exactly like that except the white patch on him is on his side. If you look up Columnaris does the description sound like what your fish has? I am thinking that is what my platy has. Unfortunatly I have no idea how to treat it (have been trying to determine that myself) but at least it is something to look into. :-/

Another thought is maybe he burnt himself on the heater? Have you turned your heater temperature up recently? I had to in my tank to treat ich but although the ich is now gone is seems like it has caused a new problem.

Good Luck!

 

[pip walters]

This doesn't look like disease to me, but does look like heater burn as suggested by kevan07.
As the fish likes to hide beneath the bogwood, it could also be that it is abrading the skin, perhaps when it squeezes into its hidey-hole, especially as the marks appear to be consistently sized above each eye. It may have also scratched the eye, which may explain the cloudiness. You could try removing the bogwood for a while and replace with a dark coloured pipe that the fish can hide in without having to squeeze in??

 

[jdewitt]

Tom (the catfish), appears to be getting better. Tonight the peeled skin is gone but there is still some discoloration. I moved his wood hiding place. I think he is getting to big for this one. I think he deserves a new hiding place.

Thank you everyone for all the advice. Im hoping he continues improving.

 

[Delapool]

Good news So could be the hiding place doing it you think?