Hole in the body?!
- Thread starter Barry Tetra
- Start date
Picture of the fish or something similar?
I have never seen a catfish with hole in the head disease.
Hole in the head disease is commonly seen in cichlids and starts out like small white pimples around the face and lateral line. Eventually the pimple looks like a small white worm sticking out of the fish's skin. Over a period of weeks or months, the area around the white stuff erodes away leaving scars.
Without seeing the fish and knowing what it died from, there is no point trying to treat the tank because it could be caused by bacteria, fungus, protozoa, virus or something else.
Your best bet is to do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week, then monitor the remaining fish for similar symptoms. If any show symptoms, then get pictures straight away.
I have never seen a catfish with hole in the head disease.
Hole in the head disease is commonly seen in cichlids and starts out like small white pimples around the face and lateral line. Eventually the pimple looks like a small white worm sticking out of the fish's skin. Over a period of weeks or months, the area around the white stuff erodes away leaving scars.
Without seeing the fish and knowing what it died from, there is no point trying to treat the tank because it could be caused by bacteria, fungus, protozoa, virus or something else.
Your best bet is to do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week, then monitor the remaining fish for similar symptoms. If any show symptoms, then get pictures straight away.
OP
OP
I would say an internal bacterial infection and then something ate its insides.
Plecos have bony armor on their back and most fish can't bite through it. However, the Pleco's stomach does not have bony armor and is very soft and easy for shrimp, snails and other fish to eat. If there were other fish, shrimp or snails in the tank with the Pleco, they probably ate the abdomen after the Pleco died.
Plecos have bony armor on their back and most fish can't bite through it. However, the Pleco's stomach does not have bony armor and is very soft and easy for shrimp, snails and other fish to eat. If there were other fish, shrimp or snails in the tank with the Pleco, they probably ate the abdomen after the Pleco died.
OP
OP
What I’m talking about is weeks ago there was a red pimple (Red arrow) and today after he died there was this ‘exploded stomach’ happened (cyan arrow)
the smells of it are herrendous like rotting from the inside, I’ve already done 75% water changes and the water is still smelly should I do another?
I have changes my clothes and took a bath multiple time now and I can still smells it.
the smells of it are herrendous like rotting from the inside, I’ve already done 75% water changes and the water is still smelly should I do another?
I have changes my clothes and took a bath multiple time now and I can still smells it.
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That's a big dead rotting fish creating the smell. Even small catfish stink after they have been dead for a day.
I usually do a 75% water change and gravel clean every day for a week after any fish die. This helps dilute ammonia and disease organisms that might be in the tank.
It will probably take a few water changes to remove the smell of a large dead rotting pleco.
I usually do a 75% water change and gravel clean every day for a week after any fish die. This helps dilute ammonia and disease organisms that might be in the tank.
It will probably take a few water changes to remove the smell of a large dead rotting pleco.
OP
OP
Black patching on fish is usually bruising. However, if you have a number of catfish from the same shop and they are all starting to get black in the same place on their body, they could have a parasite of some sort. But I don't know what sort, I have never seen a black parasite like that in fish.
OP
OP
Yes the video is correct about the black marks on the fish being genetic.
There is a small parasitic worm that causes black dots on fish, however, it's very uncommon and the dots are small (about the size of a white spot parasite). These small black dots are only found on wild caught fish from some Asia countries and don't affect the fish unless they develop in the organs, and normally they appear in the rear half of the fish in the muscle tissue. I have only seen it twice in all my years of fish keeping.
There is a small parasitic worm that causes black dots on fish, however, it's very uncommon and the dots are small (about the size of a white spot parasite). These small black dots are only found on wild caught fish from some Asia countries and don't affect the fish unless they develop in the organs, and normally they appear in the rear half of the fish in the muscle tissue. I have only seen it twice in all my years of fish keeping.
OP
OP
I’m now doing 85% daily water changes, should I use Formalin or Metro to prevent the parasite infections?
Also the pleco have stunned growth in the 53 gal tank, is there anyway to make them grow other than buying new tank?
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