Ornate Bichir 16" has pale white patches, bleeding. pics disease? bruise?

[Dieselhybrid]

Hello all,

I just got this ornate bichir about 4 days ago. I'm not sure what these white spots are but I'm hoping that maybe someone here can help me. They look like pale bruises. The scales have lost their color and you can see red/bloodlike areas between the scales inside the white circles. They don't appear to be spreading but they definitely aren't going away and are getting paler in color.

I have two theories.

When the kid at the pet store netted him he spooked him the fish thrashed and it was a heavy driftwood tank and it easily could have knocked itself. this would explain why i didn't see it until I got home if they were fresh.

Perhaps they were already there and I didn't notice in the dim tank the poor fish was in. I hope this isn't a disease, that's my big fear. I've done a large water change and added tetracycline. I figured with open sores it's an invite for infection so I'm going to do small water changes every other day and keep the meds going. I'll also add some salt and raise the tank temps to around 80f.

Any advice would be great, if anyone knows what this is please chime in. All theories are welcome.

I really think/hope they are bruises. My pleco won't stop chasing him to try and suck on him so the pleco is going to get taken into the pet store tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.
Hybrid

 

[brich999]

could be sores caused by the pleco. often times pleco will go after the slime coat on bottom dwelling slow moving fish such as rays catfish and birchir. id seperate the 2 asap and give the ornate a chance to rest and settle in

 

[Dieselhybrid]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I agree with you. I removed the pleco to another tank and it will get traded in tomorrow. Hopefully the Bichir will have a chance to rest and settle in now. I think they are from the sloppy net job, but the red hasn't cleared up yet and i thought it would have by now. Healing could also have been delayed because of the damn pleco constantly trying to eat its slime coat.

 

[brich999]

really doesnt look like any injury ive seen from a bruise or poor net job. sounds like you have taken the right steps to get him on the way to recovery. goodluck and welcome to mfk

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

is the plecos mouth about the size of the white patches?

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[Dieselhybrid]

Thanks I appreciate the advice and support.

Thanks for the welcome too. I've been here since 10' and frequent the site. I just haven't posted until now.

The search function has always been able to answer most of my questions, this place is great!

If anyone thinks they recognize this condition please share what you think.

 

[Dieselhybrid]

yes it's nearly the same size.

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

it may be marks from the pleco, what kind of pleco is it? I've never had this happen to me but it could just be marks from the pleco, I would put stress coat in it (although a lot of people on here don't like it) because if the pleco got a good bit of it off then it will be very vulnerable, something like stress coat will help replace it

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[Dieselhybrid]

Additional stress coat has been added. I like the stuff like yourself. I just don't use it in salt tanks.

The pleco is a 14" common pleco. When it was small it ate algae, that was great. Then it grew, and started only eating left over food. Then it grew some more, and started constantly trying to suck on my other fish no matter how many algae wafers and sinking pellets I feed it. It's in another tank now, and will get traded for credit at my lfs tomorrow.

 

[Nim Dibbley]

it looks like he is losing his slime coat. Plecos are known to eat the slime coat off of bichirs so that is possible. Also, look up bichir worms. the damage looks very similar to pics i have seen like here: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?155783-Worms-on-Bichirs