PlanetCatfish.com

1. Water parameters
a) Temerature range. 26c normally, 30 due to a treatment of whitspot on 1 of my rams.
b) pH. 7.2
c) GH. 2.5
d) KH 3
e)Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, leavels.
0mg/l ammonia
0mg/l nitrIte
5mg/l nitrAte
f) Water change frequency. 50% every week

2. Tank set up
a) Size.
20" by 12" by 12" (50l)
b) Substrate.
silver sand
c) Filtration.
Ehiem aquaball 2208 and a interpet filter (small model, but both rated for tanks of 60l)
d) Furnishings.
terracota pots, 1fake 1 live plant, granite pebbles (from the beach, but thoroughly washed and then baked untill sterile)
e) Other tank mates.
7 pencil fish, nanostomus beckfordi
2 mountain minnows
2 rams
5 geophagur "tapajos orange head" (soon to be moved, this is a temp holding tank till theirs is mature)
f) How long has it been set-up?
in this box 2 months, BUT their only in there because their tank had to be resealed. the filter was transfered. the tank has been running for 2 years before that, these corys are over a year and a half old.

3. Symptoms / Problem description
look slightly swollen, the scales protrude lightly, but no other symptoms in common with dropsy (no lethargy, lack of appetite(the opposite, thats my other worry, maybey its being overfed)


i apologise for the photos, the only way to get anything like the needed angle to veiw the scales is from above, plus the walls of the plastic box are translucent, so doesnt make for easy photo taking.

4. Action taken (if any)
none (yet, lowered feeding a bit)

5. Medications used (if any)
none

Raising the temperature to 32 C (exactly, not over that and not under!) will kill the white spot parasite.
30 C will only do things worse, as it speeds up the life cycle of the parasite.

Remember that warm water contains less oxygen, so put in an extra air stone or something during the treatment period.

From what I can see from the pictures the fat looking fish is a female full of eggs and the slimmer fish in close attendance looks to be a male.

I think if you can separate the pair into a tank of their own, keep them at the temperature you have them at now for a week and then give them a 50% water change, replacing the removed water with slightly cooler water. You may very well have a pleasant surprise.

Ian