White spear things sticking out of head, plus popeye.... please help identify??

nikii

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
6
0
0
Canada
Hello! Any help would be appreciated. I have what I believe to be a convict cichlid, fairly big guy, in a 125 gallon tank. The tank has very few fish in it, it is not overstocked, he is the 2nd largest fish in the tank. I will post pictures below, I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with him and if it can be treated.

About a week ago he started growing these little white tufts on his head (it's not ich) they looked kind of fuzzy. I went to the LFS and showed the guy there who knows our tanks well some pictures and he told me to try Erythromycin. I'm starting to think he doesnt really know much.. So I set up the hospital tank, no carbon, etc, and did the meds course. He seemed better for the first 2 days then suddenly got worse. I ended up putting him back in the big tank after because its so much roomier plus has lights and his girlfriend (an angelfish) is there. I then suddenly had to leave for a family emergency and had to get a friend to feed the tanks for a couple days.

I got back today and he has severe unilateral popeye, and the white tufts appear almost to be like white plastic spears sticking out of him in random places in his head with little white fuzz at the bottom of them.... And this discoloured spot is developing on his forehead... probably has hole in head disease now on top of everything... Anyways please check the pics paying special attention to the white bits sticking out of his head and any tips will be appreciated. I tested the water before I left and had no concerns, the water is fine and the other fish are healthy. My boyfriend used to do 30% water changes weekly but he has been working out of town so now I only do them about every 1.5 weeks. This started right after he was in town and had just cleaned the tank and did a water change. (You can see some poops in the pictures that I took today but the fish is hanging out in the corner where our geriatric pleco lives and those things aren't clean) Also yes his mouth is small and crooked, my boyfriend adopted him when he was a baby because he was being beaten up by his tank mates at the LFS and his mouth has always been like that. He can still eat but he hasn't been eating since he has been sick.

P1100050.JPG

P1100045.JPG
P1100062.JPG

At this moment he is now up in the corner, very still with a slight tilt to him, I'm thinking he is probably on his way out and euthanasia might be the best idea. But we really love this fish and if anyone has a treatment that would be awesome.

nikii

P1100050.JPG

P1100045.JPG

P1100062.JPG
 

that_fish_Guy

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2013
2,087
313
122
27
CA
I think what you have is not a convict but a Severum. At the most a convict Severum hybrid. If I had this fish I would put him into a bare bottom hospital tank and treat with Epsom salt and general cure. This may not solve your issue and you may have to treat for fungal infection. Raise your temperature to 86 and treat with what ever you can cover all types of diseases with the salt and general cure and it wouldent hurt to feed peas also.... If you see him in pain and he isn't getting better and you really cannot take it mix up some clove oil and put him Down. I am no expert but I have told you what I know and what I would do. Out of all the fish I have had I am lucky enough to have never had to deal with this sort of issue to this extent. Best of luck and I hope he makes it through


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

nikii

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
6
0
0
Canada
Thanks for replying. I just cleaned and reset up the hospital tank (since it had been sitting for a few days) and put him back in it, and added the epsom salts and am now slowly raising the temp. I think I know now why I thought he was getting better at first, the net when I transfer rubs off the white things, and probably is what damaged his eye during the initial transfer. It just caused the top layer to come off the discoloured area on his forehead. I'll give him the rest of the night in the epsom, if I don't see any improvement on that eye I'll probably put him down tomorrow. And I think you're right about the Severum thing, that is more his body shape. He's always been our weird mystery fish, we know what all our other fish are but he was just adopted because my boyfriend felt sorry for him and he has grown into this big, ugly, slightly aggressive fish that is one of our favourites! My angel is going to be heartbroken, they always hang out together! :(
 

rmkblades

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2013
1,092
66
81
America
Don't be to quick to put him down. You have to give it more than a day in a hospital tank to really assess whether he is a candidate for euthanasia. Fish are resilient, give him a fighting chance. He really is an interesting looking fish!
 

Aquanero

Global Moderator
Staff member
Global Moderator
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2009
10,324
526
1,101
New Jersey
That's Hex with a secondary eye infection. Treat with Metro or API general cure. soak some food in a 10 gallon dose and pure it into the tank also treat the tank with a double dose of either med. for the first treatment then single dose for any subsaquent treatments. The epsom salt 1/4 teaspoon per 10 gallons will help remove fluid build up and releave pressure on the eye. The fish can be saved. After the hex is under controll we'll address the eye speratly if necessary.
 

nikii

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
6
0
0
Canada
you're totally right, it is Hexamita. The little white spikes were throwing me off cause I usually think of it as actual holes in the head, but this morning his head is all kind of yellowish-white kind of mottled appearance and it's a much more typical presentation. I did the epsom salt last night and the eye swelling has gone right down, although now the eye is all yellowish white like the rest of his head so I don't imagine he can see out of it. He's moving a lot less today. I started the Metro this morning, he isn't eating so I didn't put it on any food, I put in one capfull per 10 gallon like the bottle says, it's okay to put in another capfull right away? Maybe I'll wait till this evening? (sorry, I'm a nurse - for humans - so double dosing on meds scares me!)

Thanks again for your replies and help, this forum is a lot more friendly and knowledgeable than others I have been too! I'm trying to take care of my boyfriends tanks while he is working up north and it's a lot more difficult than I anticipated!

Fingers crossed J.C. (he is named after a former Canadian prime minister... don't ask lol) pulls through and is reunited with his Angelina :tropicalf
 

Aquanero

Global Moderator
Staff member
Global Moderator
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2009
10,324
526
1,101
New Jersey
You can safely double dose the first treatment. Then follow the recommended dosing and water change schedule. Additionaly you can add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per ten gallons of water along with the 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salt which will keep the swelling down. This will help releave the symptoms, facilatate healing and make the fish more comfortable.
 

krichardson

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2006
27,561
14,449
480
Datnoid Island
Plus one on it not being a convict but possibly a Severum hybrid.
 

nikii

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
6
0
0
Canada
I have the hospital tank covered with a cookie pan and I suddenly heard a loud bang, He was going nuts just now all of a sudden, swimming down then straight up and slamming against the pan, I held it down so he wasn't able to jump out, he did it a bunch of times then just stopped and is now laying on his side. His gills are still moving slightly. I don't think he is going to make it.
 

nikii

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 20, 2014
6
0
0
Canada
Time of Death: 15:10. RIP Jean the possible Severum hybrid, he is survived by his loving girlfriend Angelina and a bunch of smaller cichlids that he used to pick on. Thanks again for your help everyone, if only I had been able to start treatment sooner we may have had a better outcome.

Is it normal to cry this much when a fish dies?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store