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Some disease is killing my Trachelyichthys sp. `RIO TAPAJOS`. At least that is what I think. I've already lost 3 of them. The first one was some weeks ago, since I didn't note something else, the only action I undertook was closer monitoring. Last week I saw one with his tail missing, I wasn't sure because he moved to fast. Saterday I found one dead. Sunday I saw one with missed some parts of the soft fin-tissue. I added fmc-50 and Cytofex pro. A few hours later I found the third corpse. Today I took these pictures.





Tank is 100 x 40 X 30cm devided in two. The Trachelyichthys share their half with some Ancistrus (max 5cm) and some endler livebearers. The other half is inhabited by a breeding pair of Tilapia snyderae who spawn regularly. Other fishes are not showing any signs from disease, Trachelyichthys are still eating.

Water parameters are tested with some strips, my liquidtest are far too old to use.
-NO3: between 25 and 50. Weekly water change (30%) not done yet this week.
-NO2: not measurable
-GH: 14
-DH: 10
-pH: 7,6

temp: 26°c

Is the tank fully divided? Can the cats get through to the Tilapia?

I'm 100% sure the Tilapia and the trachelyichthys can't meet eachother.

Hi Bijn,

it looks quite disturbing. Are you suspecting it's something, a disease maybe, that they are carrying... being wild fish? They don't look like they've been attacked.
Its guesswork, but aside from the loss of fins, they look healthy in the photos. Because they look so well I think its not bacterial, but perhaps an internal parasite or a virus maybe.

As you keep other woodcats be careful of cross-contamination.

Hi!!

Must be a bacterial disease??!!
I would try to isolate them, or treat the whole tank?
Are you sure no other fish is being hit with such problem??
Cheers
Yann

Could the Ancistrus be to blame? I know from experience that Ancistrini (Peckoltia and Panaque in my case) are quite capable of chewing the tail off other fish they find in their cave. Do you know where the Trachelyichthys hide?

wrasse wrote:it looks quite disturbing. Are you suspecting it's something, a disease maybe, that they are carrying... being wild fish?

something they were carrying or something an other fish was carrying without being harmed by it.

wrasse wrote:As you keep other woodcats be careful of cross-contamination.

I do, I'm very happy they are the only woodcats in this tank.

Yann wrote:Must be a bacterial disease??!!
I would try to isolate them, or treat the whole tank?
Are you sure no other fish is being hit with such problem??

I think it is bacterial also although I don't have prove for that. I treating them in their tank, curing them and then putting them back in a contaminated tank is not a good idea, and so I avoid the stress of moving them twice. I really couldn't see anything on the other fish.

panaque wrote:Could the Ancistrus be to blame? I know from experience that Ancistrini (Peckoltia and Panaque in my case) are quite capable of chewing the tail off other fish they find in their cave. Do you know where the Trachelyichthys hide?

It is possible but I assume I would also see some other damage if this is the case. Their other fins are damaged also.