What is killing my Acarichthys Heckelii?

I just set up a 55g hospital tank to try and focus medication better. Please see the below pics and let me know if you have ever seen this before, I haven't. One is serious, now another of the group is starting to show the same initial signs as well. What do you guys think this is/should treat with?

*** click on the pics, they zoom in really big***

It started with a couple small red spots, the forehead started looking transparent and now looks as though something is coming up through the face from beneath.




Different fish, spot hehind the eye.


Spot on the front of the face (looks like a hole but it's not, below pick shows the spot better).



This is how they should look.


When th temp matches in the QT tank, I'll move her. Looks to be within an hour or so. Any suggestions appreciated.

I saw Lupin post this list of questions in another thread, hopefully this will help. See below reponses in red color.




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1. What is the size of your tank? (125g)

2. What are your water parameters? State the brand of test kit used. (API test kit, liquid = ammo 0ppm / nitrite 0ppm / nitrate 15ppm)

3. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or brackish water? (FW)

4. How long the aquarium has been set up? (Nov 2009)

5. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them? (x9 geo orange head (juviniles 1-3" growing out for another tank) and x5 satanoperca (4 juvies, 1 adult) x1 swordtail

6. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? (This fish was moved from the 220g where the rest of the group is because I noticed the small spots, thought it was getting picked on, now another indeviduals showing signs)

7. What temperature is the tank water currently? (81.5 degrees)

8. Are there live plants in the aquarium? (yes, anubias I have had for a very long time)

9. What filter are you using? State brand, maintenance routine and power capacity. (Fluval FX5, and two Hydor V sponges (the 125g model)

10. Any other equipment used (aside from heater and filter which are two very important components of the tank)? (no)

11. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? What is your lighting schedule (assuming you do not rely on sunlight for our viewing pleasure)? (yes, alot of sunlight, tank is in the dining room, lights are on for about 54 hours per day)

12. When did you perform your last water change and how much water was changed? How often do you change your water? Do you vacuum the substrate? (last WC was Wed night, WC's are between 2-3 changes per week consisting of around 15-20% each)

13. What foods do you provide your fish? What is the feeding schedule? (feeding twice daily morning and night time, hikari floating cichlid pellets, live blackworms, spirulina flakes, all fish still eating well)

14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish? (hiding, no other species seems to be showing any signs of the same thing in any other tank including the tank this one was in)

15. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? If so, what treatments did you use? State your reasons for planning ahead of proper diagnosis. (No, it will be moved to the QT tank within hours to begin treating)

16. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary. (please see above)

Pharaoh;4000939; said:

Very strange. Have you treated the tank at all? I would raise the temps and add some salt to the water to start.

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I have not treated at all, she took a dive over the lasst 24 hours, I don't treat a tank until I know what the issue is. I am moving the little one to a QT tank when the temp catches up in that tank. Maybe another hour or so.

I have on hand to use: salt, pimafix, melafix, methylene blue. You think Salt, higher temp and melafix will give her a fighting chance?

Pharaoh;4000976; said:

Edited my post. See above.

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I see that, thank you for your feedback. The water quality is very good in this tank though so I'm not sure it is due to that. I have some very expensive and pretty rare eartheaters in that tank so I pamper it. Septicemia does sound like a solid assessment though. This is definatly internal.

mike dunagan;4000972; said:

This is not good. I am not trying to scare you, but I had something similar once. I treated with everything. I even went and got meds from my LFS that they use that are now illegal. Nothing worked. I was never able to figure out what it was. I wish you better luck.

I would def try salt, or pima or melfix in the qt tank.

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Thanks Mike. I will do and see how she does, you never know. Did whatever your fish have spread to other fish/species? Again this is only affecting my acarichthys but I have had them for quite a while so I am kind of stumped.

Pharaoh;4000939; said:

Looks like Septicemia

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That second link was very helpful Pharaoh. Aside from water quality, it mentions live foods as a potential introduction of the disease. I feed live blackworms from my LFS every other day or so, that may have been the cause.

I just moved her to the QT and dosed with Melafix. If that doesn't help by tomorrow, I'll go pick up some Maracyn. I'm a total noob when it comes to diseases, this sucks....