Elephant nose fish

[Elisabeth83]

I was at my lfs yesterday and they had just gotten in a batch of elephant nose fish (Gnathonemus petersii). One of them is in really bad condition. It has a white layer of something covering it's whole body with one area on it's side looking as if it's literally peeling off kinda like a sunburn I've never seen any disease like that before. I'm wondering if anyone knows what it could be? I feel bad for it and would like to be able to tell the people who work there whats going on with it and what they can do to treat it.

I don't think it's shedding?? I googled shedding and elephant nose fish and nothing came up. There are about 6-8 others in the tank and none have whatever this one has.

Any ideas as to what is going on?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Since they are scaleless, it is easy for them to succumb to severe bacterial infections.

 

[Fruitbat]

I've seen Mormyrids like Gnathonemus petersi do that before. It is generally a response to high nitrate (or nitrite or ammonia) levels in the aquarium. Have the store check their water parameters in that tank. Oh....it also happens occasionally when the fish isn't properly acclimated to a new tank and may be from a wide swing in pH and/or hardness.

-Joe

 

[Elisabeth83]

I know for a fact that they weren't acclimatized correctly. The guy was just putting the bags in the tanks and opening them up straight away

I am sure these fish wont sell either...most likely they will all succumb to whatever disease it has if they haven't already.