Anybody know what could be wrong with my gar?

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michael

michael

Tri-State Fish Hoarder
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2005
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Has started getting this fast on his head and now the other has it a little too? It doesn't seem like a disease or fungus but more like his skin flaked off in the creases along his face. Diet is mostly carnivore sticks and feeders, crickets on occasion.

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i have seen this happen with much larger gars in public aquariums; where it appears that their faces are being eaten away by some sort of disease, primarily in the grooves of the bony plates.
first thing i would suggest is doing a water change, go with as much as you can up to 50%. add some salt to the tank and increase the temperature to 82F. i would keep up the frequent water changes for the rest of the week, perhaps every other day.
i am not sure what causes or cures this, but it seems to be almost symmetrical on the face of the gar, and if its happening to both it could very well be contagious.
have you added anything different to the tank recently? have they been acting any differently? basically consider anything unusual or different that has gone on in the tank. either way, the water change/salt/increase temp procedure is a good start as you don't want to medicate gars unless you absolutely have to.
if you have the tank space, you may want to set up two quarantine tanks, or at least remove the worse one from the main tank and carry out the treatments there. please keep us posted and good luck with your tropicals--
--solomon
 
I have been adding fish periodically and doing water changes already but only about 20% changes. Water in my area isn't the cleanest so I try to stay away from huge water changes besides the quantity of water I'd have to change in the 300+g tank. The fish are still eating but it seems they have lost a little aggression towards the feedings. Hope to clear it up but...well see what happens. I don't have a tank big enough to quarantine these guys and the last time I did quarantine my lenticulata pike, I did a 75% water change and the fish died the next day and I am guessing due to the crap water here!?
 
stop feeding live fish for a time as this hurts water guality more than anything
 
Never seen it but I am betting it is a protozoal scale erosion, Try treating with quinine sulfate or metronidazole
 
I was just at shark aquarium and there are still some left. They have fed them nothing but goldfish since day 1 in may, and there is no facial marks. I( am guessing it probably isn't diet but who knows?!
 
Tried water changes and the marks on the one seem worsening and the other is staying the same. Fish are still eating but don't seem 100%. I love these fish and don't want to lose them.
 
If nothing else try 1 tbs, salt per 5g but I am betting on protozoans and they often take stronger measures.
 
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