Bristle-Noise Catfish

Hi There!

Just found this circle growing on my bristlenoise catfish! Does anyone know what it could be? Google isn’t helping at all

Thanks

That looks like pop eye - a disease caused by pressure or fluid pushing the eye out like that. Usually a sign of an other disease, can you give us more information about your tank please - size, tank mates, how recent was anything added, how often do you clean it etc. If you have any test kits can you get us readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate please.

Wills

Wills said:

That looks like pop eye - a disease caused by pressure or fluid pushing the eye out like that. Usually a sign of an other disease, can you give us more information about your tank please - size, tank mates, how recent was anything added, how often do you clean it etc. If you have any test kits can you get us readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate please.

Wills

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It doesn’t look like it’s eye to me, it looks more like it’s side/back

I can't answer the question but in the past I had exactly the same thing happen to a glow light tetra. While I was trying to figure it out I made sure the water was clean. For me this mean extra water changes although I typically change 75% per week. After about 10 days it appeared to just drop off and the fish was fine. I have no idea if it actually dropped off but one morning it was gone (and I was able to identify the fish in the group).

JuiceBox52 said:

It doesn’t look like it’s eye to me, it looks more like it’s side/back

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Isnt that where BN's eyes are?

Hi Wills,

Thanks for the quick reply! I just searched pop eye and it says it grows on the eye but this isn’t on the eye? It’s near it though…

I’ve got a 160L tank, in the tank I’ve got…
- 2x Bristlenoise catfish
- 4x Angel Fish
- 1x Ghost Knife
- 2x Tiger Sharks
- 2x Clown Loach’s
- 3x Texas Cichlids

I changed 30% water on Saturday just pasted and added Seachems Prime and Seachems Stability. I change 30% water every week. I have got any testing equipment only ph and the ph is in the right range.

Found it - details here Turns out I could not identify her but I knew how many glowlights I had and all were accounted for

Wills said:

Isnt that where BN's eyes are?

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It’s near the eye not on it though, eyes are circled

Shaneo said:

Hi Wills,

Thanks for the quick reply! I just searched pop eye and it says it grows on the eye but this isn’t on the eye? It’s near it though…

I’ve got a 160L tank, in the tank I’ve got…
- 2x Bristlenoise catfish
- 4x Angel Fish
- 1x Ghost Knife
- 2x Tiger Sharks
- 2x Clown Loach’s
- 3x Texas Cichlids

I changed 30% water on Saturday just pasted and added Seachems Prime and Seachems Stability. I change 30% water every week. I have got any testing equipment only ph and the ph is in the right range.

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It could be some kind of bite - you have a lot of aggressive fish in there? I'm actually more worried about the fish you have listed in a 160 litre tank, most of them need more like a 160 gallon tank... When you say tiger sharks do you know what these are? I'm guessing some kind of loach?

Wills

Wills said:

It could be some kind of bite - you have a lot of aggressive fish in there? I'm actually more worried about the fish you have listed in a 160 litre tank, most of them need more like a 160 gallon tank... When you say tiger sharks do you know what these are? I'm guessing some kind of loach?

Wills

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I haven’t seen any of them been aggressive towards each other, they are all pretty young and small at the moment and I’ll be getting a bigger tank soon. I’ve attached a photo of one (not my actual one) they are a bottom feeder

Shaneo said:

Hi Wills,

Thanks for the quick reply! I just searched pop eye and it says it grows on the eye but this isn’t on the eye? It’s near it though…

I’ve got a 160L tank, in the tank I’ve got…
- 2x Bristlenoise catfish
- 4x Angel Fish
- 1x Ghost Knife
- 2x Tiger Sharks
- 2x Clown Loach’s
- 3x Texas Cichlids

I changed 30% water on Saturday just pasted and added Seachems Prime and Seachems Stability. I change 30% water every week. I have got any testing equipment only ph and the ph is in the right range.

Click to expand...

Not sure what species Tiger Sharks are but I would suggest an urgent review of what you stock. That is never going to be a peaceful tank and it is way too small for what you have. My guess would also be a bite -.i.e. something in the tank tried to remove (or eat) its eye.

Shaneo said:

I haven’t seen any of them been aggressive towards each other, they are all pretty young and small at the moment and I’ll be getting a bigger tank soon. I’ve attached a photo of one (not my actual one) they are a bottom feeder

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Ah ok thats a Red Tailed Shark but they have all kinds of names - was hoping it wouldnt be an actual Tiger Shark haha!

Bigger tank coming soon sounds great! But just so you know some of the fish you have are able to reach over a foot in size, the Texas Cichlids, Black Ghost Knife and Clown Loaches. The BGK and Clowns will potentially hit 18 inches or more too (eventually, they are slow growing).

In theory and a big enough tank most of your fish would work together apart from the Texas who are probably going to do quite a lot of damage to your Angels at some point. But if you are able to get a tank over 120 gallons you will be ok with the rest together for a while but eventually the Clowns and BGK will need over 6 foot.

seangee said:

Not sure what species Tiger Sharks are but I would suggest an urgent review of what you stock. That is never going to be a peaceful tank and it is way too small for what you have. My guess would also be a bite -.i.e. something in the tank tried to remove (or eat) its eye.

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I agree that it is likely a bite mark from something, keep an eye on it though as it is an unusual mark.

Wills