Fish bruising?

[Javentule]

I have sort of a perplexing deal with my opaline gourami.

In the area between his eyes and the start of his top fin there is an area that looks "bruised". That is, the scales look a little discolored as if below the scales there is trapped blood (exactly like a bruise). On one side there is a red spot as if a scale was torn off.

The gourami shares the tank with a red tailed shark who likes to hassle him, so I'm strongly suspecting that is where this mysterious bruise comes from.

He's eating well and is active.

Do you think I should treat the tank with some melafix? I've got a slew of other fish in there, but I hear melafix won't hurt the others. I've got an ornate bichir in there, though so I don't want to do anything CRAZY that might hurt him. D'ya think the gourami will heal on his own, otherwise?

 

[Mr Miagi]

View him from above, does he look like a pine cone?
Edit: i should really say are his scales standing on edge. Hence the pine cone efect from an above view of your fish.

If not, it sounds to me like a bacterial infection if there is blood showing. Make sure to remove all old and dying leafs and plant scraps from your water evryday or two. Leaving them in can cause bacterial infection.

I dont use melafix. So wont comment. But someone else who comes along might.

 

[black angel]

sounds like septicemia. You will need to get a bacterial med and do more water changes.

 

[WILDER]

Bacterial Disease



1) Aeromonas hydrophila (Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia)



A) Gram negative motile rods



B) Effects many freshwater species and usually is associated with stress and overcrowding.



C) The clinical signs and lesions are variable.



The most common finding is hemorrhage in skin, fins, oral cavity and muscles with superficial ulceration of the epidermis. Occasionally cavitary ulcers (similar to A. salmonicida) are observed. Exophthalmus and ascites are commonly observed. Splenomegaly and swollen kidneys are common. Histologically, multifocal areas of necrosis in the spleen, liver, kidney and heart with numerous rod shaped bacteria are observed.



D) Diagnosis is rendered by culturing the organism from affected animals: Remember this is a common water saprophyte with a great variation in virulence in serotypes.



E) Disease is transmitted via contaminated water or diseased fish.

You will need to treat with an antibiotic can you issolate the fish, as it will wipe your bacteria colony out in your filter.

 

[Javentule]

Oy!

He does NOT look like a pinecone. I'll see if I can get any worthwhile pictures this evenin'.

Is it bizarre that only he's got it and one one else is worse for wear?

Sounds like I should get another tank - I've got no sick tank and I wouldn't want to medicate everybody.

So change some water, and the filter too?

 

[black angel]

As its bacterial then you will need to treat the whole tank. Most bacterial meds only kill the bacteria in the water so if you can, try and get some medicated food in him.
Bacteria is always present in the water and the fishes immune system can cope with it in small numbers. The problem comes when a fish gets stressed and the bacteria infects a fish, and some bacterial diseases can be transferred from fish to fish.
Doing a 50% water change then adding bacterial meds to kill the remaining bacteria is a good idea and then doing 30% after the first dose and again after the second may help.

 

[Javentule]

Awesome, thanks for the info. Any medication in particular you would recommend?

I got those pics..

 

[Javentule]

I circled the area in THIS one so you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Javentule]

And here is an "action shot" of the gourami being harassed by the redtailed shark. I don't know why (I got them at the same time and they're about the same size) but the shark LOVES to pick on the gourami, but not really anyone else. I even have some small liver bearers in there, and some MUCH smaller glolite tetras but he doesn't touch 'em.

 

[black angel]

Theres the cause of the stress then, gouramis dont like a lot of stress. if your in america then you can use maracyn2 and in the uk interpet number 9.
If you can try and seperate the gourami and the shark and hopefully he will heal

 

[Javentule]

Dang! I thought they were supposed to be compatible, though? I'm sort of thinking the shark should be in another tank since he should NOT be in with my bichir, anyway (though, like I say, the shark harasses almost exclusively the gourami). Maybe I could stick the shark in with my livebearers and see how they do?

 

[BettaMomma]

HI!
If it looks like your little guy has a black eye - like a big ol' bruise spot behind his eye, I have a betta that had the same thing. Turned out he had acute viral hemmoraghic septicemia. Nasty stuff. Also, the way I knew he had it was because he was very lethargic and when he swam he went in complete circles - never swam in a straight line.

You might want to look into that disease. I treated Jasper with a round of Maracyn 2, followed up by a full round of Tetracycline. He has made quite an amazing recovery.

Good luck!

Hmm- I just went back and read through everyone else's posts (you'd think I'd have done that BEFORE i posted -lol) and maybe my contribution to this post doesn't really apply, but just another piece of info on fish health to file away. Or, maybe it will apply, who knows.

 

[Javentule]

I haven't done anything to him yet (I go into work today and was going to pick something up) but the discoloration is completely gone now. I wonder if it just wasn't an injury from the redtailed shark that has healed up.

I think I'll get a 10 gal and move some fish around - get the redtailed away from the poor harassed gourami