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i have 7 multipunctatus in a a 120 gal tank with some rainbowfish and two of the multis have developed white patches on their sides. they have been there for awhile, but seem to be getting worse in the last couple of weeks. i am guessing that they came from collisions with driftwood in the tank. i originally thought it was fungus, but after treatment they were no better. it doesn't seem to affect the fish at all, they eat well and are very actice. tank is 78 degrees, ph is around 7.0, i do big water changes every week and the tank is well filtered so i don't think it's environmental. i feed a varied diet of flake and frozen bloodworms, and frozen tubifex. and ideas?

Are the spots near the pectoral area?
My feeling is that the injuries are from squabbles among the syno's themselves,either for dominance or from a more dominant fish...watch closely for any arguing over favorite spots or if the injured are two males or even females...injuries of this sort heal okay usually but watch for persistant bullying.
It is hard to tell what things of this nature are sometimes with a picture but without it is quite often only a guess.

Birger

A good quality photo would enable us to be much more specific with an answer.

Multis do get abrasion marks from rocks & also marks from squabbles but there are other things to consider & i would like to advise you 100% accurately

i will try to get pictures, the white areas are rectanguler shaped, running horizontally along the catfish's body, it looks like the scales have been rubbed off and the white underneath is exposed. it's not fluffy white like fungus, just white.

multis don't have scales as they are a naked scaleless catfish, but i know what you mean - the patteren has gone leaving white skin showing - it sounds like marks from fighting or abrasion & shouldn't be too much concern unless marks become infected or worse fighting occurs - close observation is needed,

if you do manage a photo it'd still help us be more precise

i'm going to catch (attempt to, at least) and hopefully photograph one of them tonight, but you're exactly right it looks like the "skin" under the normal color pattern, will it fill in eventually? (not that i won't love them anyway:)

Yes, after a recovery period it would be fine (unless it is something else or it keeps being scraped)