Ancistrus is ill....pls advise

[Rob 28]

Bought 3 ancistrus last week - one died overnight so i took it back to shop and got another one.

Now another one has been sitting on the filter not eating or moving since then and ive took it out tonight and examined it and it has a white patch on its right side near its fin. It is obviously not well as it doesnt attempt to swim away when i touch it as the others do.

Can i leave it in a small tub of tank water on top of the tank overnight until i can get to the lfs tomorrow night ? or will it not be enough oxygen ? I went to the lfs today - before i knew this one was ill - and the tank i got it from has 2 dead fish in.

So what now ? Ive only been going three weeks - my tank is cycled, the other fish are fine - so far. Got a million questions to ask now being a newbie - will my other fish get sick now.....should the lfs treat the fish as ive only just got it...etc etc etc .....grrrr - thought i was doing so well

Please help

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I am sorry to hear that Rob,

Am i rght in thinking an "ancistrus" is a bristle nose plec?

What does the wite patch look like, is it fuzzy? Cotton wool like? If so it is probably fungus which can be treated fairly easily. I would not take the fish out of the tank because the whole tank may need treated anyway. What are the other fish like?

What are your parameters?

Dana

 

[Rob 28]

thx for answering B)

yep, you;re right - it is a bristlenose catfish. its so hard to say what it looks like but reading thru my book it does seem to fit more closely to fungus than anything else e.g cant be white spot cos theres only one spot !

water tests are perfect - only a bit of nitrAte - 10ppm. others are nil.

hmmmm - ok ill put him back in then and goto lfs tomorrow and ask them to tack him back do you think and then treat my tank anyway ?

Thanks again

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I think you shoud treat the tank. I don't know about taking the fish back, the shock might be enough to kill him

It might be better if you treat the whole tank and see if he gets better. If he died, then get a refund.