Help - fish ill

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 22 Mar 2008, 09:57

Hi - I am fairly new to fish keeping. My tank has been setup since Christmas and everything has been going fine except with my pl*cos. I got a snowball 6 weeks ago who lasted 2 weeks. She died when we were on holiday but before we left she developed a small white patching. thinking it was whitespot (which I now realise it wasn't) we treated it with a white spot treatment.

Now I have 2 beautiful pl*cos - a chocolate zebra and a queen arabesque. The zebra is a shy but has a cave it likes and eats happily. The queen was okay for a day or two but now she has white patches on her that seem to multiply and she only eats algae wavers. She has left her cave and is just sitting out on a rock. Something she would never normally do during the day.

Help - does she have an infection. What is the best thing to do. I don't have a quarantine tank setup.

1. Water parameters
a) Temerature range - 28 degrees
b) pH - exactly in the middle 7.
c) GH - don't know
d) KH - don't know
e)Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, levels. - Nitrite reading is zero
f) Water change frequency - 30% once a week

2. Tank set up
a) Size. - 220 litres
b) Substrate. - yes, black (sorry I don't know more)
c) Filtration. - Fluval filtration that came with the tank
d) Furnishings - planted, bogwood, small and large rocks
e) Other tank mates - 7 corys, guppies, harlequins, 2 rams, 2 double reds
f) How long has it been set-up? - 3 1/2 months
g) When was the last new fish added? - last week
h) Foods used and frequency? - morning we put in some flakes or pellets evening we put in some algae wavers, twice a week we add a tropical feast of shrimp and bloodworm and twice a week we also add cucumber or red pepper.

3. Symptoms / Problem description - white patches (not solid can still see her markings) across her body

4. Action taken (if any) - water change and panic!

5. Medications used (if any) - non yet.

Please please help. I really don't want to lose another beautiful and expensive fish.

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 22 Mar 2008, 12:49

Is there any chance of a photo? - we really wouldn't want to give you any info that wasn't absolutely correct - it sounds as though she has been scraping herself on the decor - or minor heater burns - but this might not be accurate - it may be some sort of infection but there are so many things it could be.

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 22 Mar 2008, 23:25

i will try - not known for good photos but if it will help.

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 22 Mar 2008, 23:50

so the photo below is the best I can do. the flash wasn't too popular and she is hiding away but you can see the white patches on her back. They have definately spread (both in size and number) since this morning.

I went to my lfs and have treated the tank with melafix. But no change.

help......

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 22 Mar 2008, 23:55

my photo wont upload! It isn't too big (only 332kbs) any idea why?

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 23 Mar 2008, 00:00

so to speed it up I have put the photo up on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24984383@N08/?saved=1

but if someone can help me get it up on here....

Please help. Thank you.

andywoolloo · Post by **andywoolloo** » 23 Mar 2008, 00:05

here he is

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 23 Mar 2008, 00:07

thank you! You wouldn't believe that I used to work as an IT consultant.... not got a clue!

Anyone got a clue (nice link!) what's going on with my poor queenie?

andywoolloo · Post by **andywoolloo** » 23 Mar 2008, 00:10

see this for how to do pics:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/faq/index. ... opular=yes

I am sure someone will be able to help you. I don't own a pleco...yet..just synos. Good luck!

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 23 Mar 2008, 04:26

It is difficult to see enough to be sure but it appears to be on the thin side. It has probably been sick for awhile. Maybe it is run down from a parasite infestation if it was never properly de-wormed?

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 23 Mar 2008, 08:34

Thanks - I am heading out today to buy some sinking pellets for carnivores to bump up its diet. Is there anything I should treat it with.....

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 23 Mar 2008, 09:18

could it be gold spot?

The reason I ask is that one of my corys have been flicking itself against the substrate and is very slightly gold around the gills......

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 23 Mar 2008, 09:24

actually looking at the photos on here my corys don't have gold spot...... I didn't realise they are gold around the gills. Beautiful

misscoolkitty · Post by **misscoolkitty** » 25 Mar 2008, 20:15

I don't know if it has been properly de-wormed. So I did a bit of online research and found Sterazin Waterlife. It deworms and apparently treats other parasites.

Should I stop the Melafix (been adding recommeded dose for 4 days now) and use this instead?

Just to recap one Cory is flicking and my Queen Arabesque isn't looking so happy - she still has white patches.

Any thought?

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