What is this on my BN Pleco?

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Oh my ever loving god I want to vomit

W.T.F!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

W.T.F!

Now I've calmed down a tad, was this critter formally identified?
It made me think of certain predatory worms, (as well as the aforementioned anemones and corals), and got to wondering if he could've eaten one that survived and burrowed its way out of his mouth.

 

[Essjay]

It turned out to be normal spikes on a plec which were infected with something that turned them white and fuzzy.

 

[Avel1896]

I asked on PlanetCatFish but no accurate answer....

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I asked on PlanetCatFish but no accurate answer....

We got it figured out though:

It turned out to be normal spikes on a plec which were infected with something that turned them white and fuzzy.

 

[Avel1896]

Excuse me but "something" doesn't allow us to know what this "thing".

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

It turned out to be normal spikes on a plec which were infected with something that turned them white and fuzzy.

Never. There's no way they were BN spikes.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Excuse me but "something" doesn't allow us to know what this "thing".

Never. There's no way they were BN spikes.

If the Pleco is OK and recovering well, does it really matter?

 

[Avel1896]

If the Pleco is OK and recovering well, does it really matter?

Yes it matters !!
but a "something" doesn't allow us to know what is this "thing" nor how to fight it if found else where.

 

[Rocky998]

Oh for f*#% sake, why didn’t I think of this? ?

When it opens the bristlenose seems to flinch in pain. I think everytime it opens it causes pain like a sore. poor little guy

 

[Colin_T]

The fact the tentacles were found in the same spot on both sides of the fish, and it has been seen on other bristlenose (although it's rare), and the fish has not been adversely affected by it, would suggest it is normal and might be a different species of bristlenose to the normal ones. Or it might be something older male bristlenose get. But there aren't any disease organisms like that, at least not that are described in books. So it's either natural or an alien species that infects male bristlenose.

 

[Rocky998]

Hi guys, people were asking for more pictures so I have got some. I’ve only seen the one on his left gill open up but as you can see there is now one on each gill, and potentially two more towards his tail.

Whilst I appreciate suggestions about manually removing it, I really don’t think I could manage to do something so gentle and intricate, also, I haven’t actually seen it “open up” for the last 24 hours or so...

New pictures attached...

on the 4th pic there seems to be redness around it. That could mean that whatever it is is eating away at the bn sadly. Im no expert but ive seen the way things like this go.

 

[Rocky998]

Watch the initial video, now watch this

Looks exactly the same to me. Only in the case they are infected odontodes and the pleco flaring them in annoyance/pain... Exact same placement, exact same shape. Exact same flaring, I don't see any mysterious tentacle creature

The thing is... The movement may be the same but the "tentacles" seem thicker and they are a pinkish color with white tips. It looks like a separate living organism to me.

 

[Essjay]

I thought it had been established earlier in this thread that this was normal plec cheek odontodes that were infected with a fungus or bacteria and the fish was flaring them out either in annoyance or pain. Whatever the infection was, the OP reported he treated the fish and the infection went away and the plec is now 'normal' again.
I don't think it was ever established what the infection was. Looking back through the thread, the OP reported trying several treatments. Phenoxyethanol did nothing. Salt helped a bit. Waterlife Protozin did help but the plec reacted to the med. Further meds were suggested to him but he doesn't say if he used them. But the fish is fine now.

 

[Rocky998]

I thought it had been established earlier in this thread that this was normal plec cheek odontodes that were infected with a fungus or bacteria and the fish was flaring them out either in annoyance or pain. Whatever the infection was, the OP reported he treated the fish and the infection went away and the plec is now 'normal' again.
I don't think it was ever established what the infection was. Looking back through the thread, the OP reported trying several treatments. Phenoxyethanol did nothing. Salt helped a bit. Waterlife Protozin did help but the plec reacted to the med. Further meds were suggested to him but he doesn't say if he used them. But the fish is fine now.

Oh ok. Good. I never was able to get to the end. I was following the story like it just started lol