HELP! Whats wrong with my gar?

thatdudeoverthere21

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2013
133
1
0
Chicago, Illinois
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gar. He's getting worse :(. I have no clue whats happening to him! His head is getting worse, and now he's developing like what fungus on his back. Im gonna post pictures of him, but please help me! What is happening and how do i prevent it from my other gar getting it (btw my other one is getting very better for those who have seen my other gar thread.) and how do i stop it from spreading and getting worse.
He is a longnose gar, ive had him for about 7-8 months. He's about 14-15" and in a 180g. 6'x2'x2'. I feed him frozen silver sides, brine freze-dried shrimp, rarely live flathead minnows, and massivore delights. I have increased to about a 40g weekly water change.
He is one of my favorite fish in my tank. I dont believe he is stressed out or that my tank is over stocked. I have 2 Pbass thats about 16", common pleco 16", TSN 15" and another longnose thats about the same size 13-14". He's still active and eats everything, he is acting perfectly normal.
If you look closely at one of the pictures of the close up on his back, it looks like there is blood on his back. The white on his back looks similar to mold on strawberries.
I dont know if i should try some of that metro medicine i mentioned in my other gar thread, maybe some aquarium salt if it is type of fungus. Should i increase my water changes and the amount of water i take out? I just need advice and any possible suggestion to what this is!
I really hope you guys can help me out. No one else knows what it is. Maybe you've had something similar happen to you. I hope the pictures are good. Dont be afraid to ask questions about him either, or my tank. Whatever i can do to help.
I have another thread about my gars regarding hole in head for those of you who are interested in looking at that.
 

jsodwi

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jul 9, 2005
2,738
692
425
south of heaven
I had that happen to one of my gars years ago. But I can't remember what it was. How is your water quality? Ammonia, nitrates? Did you add any new fish or anything else to the tank recently?
 

piranhaman00

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Sep 15, 2009
1,917
553
150
Wisconsin
looks like velvet maybe?
 

piranhaman00

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Sep 15, 2009
1,917
553
150
Wisconsin
Google velvet. That might not be what it is but kinda similiar


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thatdudeoverthere21

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 9, 2013
133
1
0
Chicago, Illinois
Oh wow, I never thought of that in a hundred years! My common pleco is between 16"-17" But they never interact! ive never my pleco suck or attempt to do that to another fish. But now that you mention it, there is a clean spot in the middle and it does look like a round mouth thats been on it. Will it heal? What should i do if its that? Can you give me more info on it and possibly a picture, i couldnt find one. Thanks!
 

pharmaecopia

Polypterus
MFK Member
Aug 21, 2010
1,601
113
96
Ontario, Canada
It can heal up if this is the cause. Have to watch because the gar can be prone to secondary infections as it would be missing part of the slimecoat. If the pleco is sucking on the gar the pleco generally has to be removed from the situation. Once they start slime sucking they generally continue this behaviour. As far as treatment, up water changes and add salt. This might also help with the head erosion that the gar has as well. You might want to consider incorporating more of a vegetable component into the diet as well, (ie algae wafers, spirulina based pellets), as these are said to help gars with some face erosion happening.
 
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