Raised Spots in Giraffe Cat Mouth

[Alan]

Last night I noticed some raised spots on the inside of the lips of my Giraffe Catfish. They can be seen here, with the most obvious being at 4 o'clock and 10 o'clock:

(click the image for a much larger version)

Does anyone have any suggestions what they are, what caused them, and what I can do about them, if anything?

[Birger]

I know it may be difficult but is it possible you could take another shot this time have the camera focus on the surrounding lip area as opposed to deep in the throat

You probably did this already but make sure it is in macro if your camera has it

This may be the reason no one has answered it is hard to determine(at least for me)what we are looking at...must be the sort of yellowish spots in the picture...are those the spots that you mean?

Birger

[Alan]

I was using macro, and you don't know how many photos I took to get the above shot, which was the best I could manage! I'll have another try today, hopefully he's feeling a bit less camera shy!

[Birger]

and you don't know how many photos I took to get the above shot

Oh, I sure do,for every decent shot there seems to be one hundred bad ones...at least for me

Birger

[Alan]

Sorry about the wait, but I've finally managed to get some half decent photos. Again, click on the pics for the very large versions:










So all suggestion as to what they are, what caused them, and how to treat them are welcomed.

[Birger]

I was hoping someone else who has kept these would kick in and say if they have seen this or not....

Have you noticed if the "spots" come and go?
What environment is it in? (water conditions,tank mates,size tank)
What are you feeding this fish?
Is the fish otherwise acting normal?
What is the age of the fish?

I am thinking some kind of bacterial infection(possibly even viral) in chemoreceptor sites(smell & taste)within the very sensitive mouth, "if" it is something wrong...
I am not really sure
Hopefully there is someone else more schooled in fish health and has worked with these fish.

Birger

[Alan]

I only first noticed the spots the night before I put up the first post. I've never noticed them before. The other day I put one dose of Melafix in the tank, and the next day they were all gone! Yesterday, however, I did notice one of the spots again. It has been suggested by a shop that it is because of the gravel in the tank, as opposed to sand. When I get back from getting married in Grenada (going next week! Hence lack of posts on here due to other things to worry about!) I will change the substrate to silver sand.

I was told the fish is about 3 years old when I got it in November '07. It shares it's 850 litre (225 US gallons I think, 190 UK gallons) tank with a BGK (14"), 3 synos (decorus, pleurops and hybrid, all 7-8" SL). pH is 6.8.

Food is mixed Koi pellets and prawns, mussels, scallops and some catfish pellets. It's 28" TL, and has a suck like an industrial vacuum cleaner!

[Birger]

Guess it is a bacterial thing, could be right about the gravel

Does it suck and spit or throw it(sand/gravel) out its gills?

Must be impressive to see this guy cruising around

Birger

[Alan]

About 90% of the time it sucks the gravel and throws it throw it's gills.

[Birger]

About 90% of the time it sucks the gravel and throws it throw it's gills.

Which makes the sand that much more important I would think, I wonder if the sand gets too fine if that would start to affect its gills, I would not think so

Congrats on your marriage!!

Birger