flesh eating disease on my lima..?

[Camphilophus]

I just noticed it yesterday and it was already really bad. Its a lot worse now, this picture was taken 8 hours ago. The bad parts are all dark red and all the skin that was on them looks like I could peel it right off but its peeling itself off anyways. I've been treating with melafix and doing 50% waterchanges every day and its only been 2 days but it doesn't look good. The fish still moves around fine but I haven't fed him since I've noticed this. I''m starting to get worried about putting my hand in the tank without gloves, this stuff is pretty nasty. If anybody has any advice it would be greatly appreciated. P.s. I've got a TSN and a common pleco in with him and they are fine, I want to remove them but don't have the room.

 

[Camphilophus]

the dead skin part is now peeling away and all you see is blood red flesh. It does not look infected though.

 

[tropheus]

that looks remarkably like eus (Epizootic Ulcer- ative Syndrome) unfortunatly if it is there is no hope for the fish as it results in 100% mortality , i would get that lima into a hospital tank just incase as it is highly infectious , useally theese catfish are not the primary carriers though ,so what other fish are in with him?

do you have any of the primary carriers in with him ? of course if you havnt had him that long he could of contracted it in his last tank

primary carriers :

Atlantic menhaden* (Brevoortia tyrannus)
ayu* (Plecoglossus altivelis)
bagrid catfishes* (Bagridae)
barramundi* (Lates calcarifer)
carp* (Cyprinus carpio)
cichlids* (Cichlidae)
climbing perch* (Anabas testudineus)
cyprinids* (Cyprinidae)
eel* (Anguilla australis)
flathead gobie* (Glassogobius giurus)
giant glassfish* (Parambassis gulliveri)
giant gudgeon* (Oxyeleotris sp)
grey mullet* (Mugil cephalus)
mrigal* (Cirrhinus mrigala)
mullets* (Mugilidae)
pool barb* (Puntius sophore)
rhinofishes* (Labeo spp)
rockcod* (Epinephelus tauvina)
silver perch* (Bidyanus bidyanus)
silver trevally* (Psuedocaranx dentex)
gourami* (Trichogaster pectoralis)
snakehead* (Channa)
torpedo-shaped catfishes* (Clarius spp)
triangular shield catfish* (Arius leptaspis)
tropical two-winged flying fish* (Exocoetus volitans)
wels catfish (sheatfish)* (Silurus glanis)
whiting* (Sillago ciliata)
yellowfin bream* (Acanthopagrus australis)
archer fish (Toxotes chartareus)
blackfish (Platycephalus fuscus)
Froggatt's catfish (Cinetodes froggatti)
nurseryfish (Kurtus gulliveri)
scat (Scatophagus argus)

 

[Camphilophus]

nothing in there accept for a common pleco and a tiger shovelnose. I've had him about a month and I'm assuming the problem is dirty water and way too small of a tank from the previous owner. Hes about 15" in a 130gallon that I only keep 50% full. I've been doing 50% waterchanges on it every other day since I've had it so I have no idea what could have caused this. The skin looks like a peeling scab right now and it looks like most of it will be pulled off of him by the time I wake up tomorrow. The only abnormal thing about him is that he is breathing heavily and will not eat, other than that hes moving around fine. He sits about 8" away and faces a really strong powerhead which is helping him peel it off.

 

[Bluecatmatt32]

mine had that too it just kept on spreading until it went away in about 2 weeks

 

[Camphilophus]

mine had that too it just kept on spreading until it went away in about 2 weeks

Mine went away too. I think it was just something that came with the fish when I bought the tank. That's the kind of stuff that happens when people don't do water changes for over 6 months.