Healing open wounds

[clm08k]

Hey gang, so my ornate appears to have a scratch on his side. Not sure what it is from. My guess is he got scraped on something. It's been there for 5 days and is a slightly reddish/orange color. The area appears to be slightly swollen. Any suggestions on how to heal it?

As far as his other behavior: he freaks out every time, he eats a piece of tilapia. By that he swims really fast up and down the side of the wall. Could this be a nerve problem or is this normal behavior? He doesn't do that for other foods.Also noticed he and my cichlid have been breathing rather heavily lately. I do 1/3 water changes every week. Put some airstones in the tank, and going to get the water tested today. Hoping that it isn't parasites of some kind. Vitamin deficiency? Any suggestions or feedback as to what this could be from would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[kno4te]

Clean water and salt in the tank will help. It doesn't look too bad. Maybe even separate from the cichlid for a couple of days.

If it's looking worse then get some triple sulfa and move to a qt tank. Don't look too bad in the pics but if worsening then that changes everything.

I think the ornate might be a little u settled due to the cichlid. Sometimes cichlids can be aggressive. Especially when the light a go out. Seems like the ornate is stressed. My guess.

Get the water asap and post the results.

 

[Polyaddict86]

Clean water and salt in the tank will help. It doesn't look too bad. Maybe even separate from the cichlid for a couple of days.

If it's looking worse then get some triple sulfa and move to a qt tank. Don't look too bad in the pics but if worsening then that changes everything.

I think the ornate might be a little u settled due to the cichlid. Sometimes cichlids can be aggressive. Especially when the light a go out. Seems like the ornate is stressed. My guess.

Get the water asap and post the results.

+1 on salt and clean water, looks like it got scratch in to one of the stone decors you have.

 

[clm08k]

water parameters:
pH 7.3 (the tap water here is always high.)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
I don't think they did Nitrate.....

Clean water and salt in the tank will help. It doesn't look too bad. Maybe even separate from the cichlid for a couple of days.

If it's looking worse then get some triple sulfa and move to a qt tank. Don't look too bad in the pics but if worsening then that changes everything.

I think the ornate might be a little u settled due to the cichlid. Sometimes cichlids can be aggressive. Especially when the light a go out. Seems like the ornate is stressed. My guess.

Get the water asap and post the results.

okay. I will do a water change today and dadd aquarium salt. That's good news it doesn't look too bad!

The Ornate is in the tank with a pike cichlid that hides all the time and a convict cichlid. The two cichlilds are not mine. Typically he's fine around the convict. No matter how much I beg and plea, my dad won't get rid of the pike.Even though I take care of the tank, it's his. They won't allow me to get another tank until I get my own place again. Which is fair. That's what happens when you go back to school again and move back home with your parents. hahaha *smallest violin*

Sorry for the rant.

 

[DMD123]

clm08k , convicts can be mean little territorial fish. I had a solo male in his own tank and I decided to raise a bunch of little bristle nosed pleco with him. He did not like that and I kept on finding these dead plecos and noticed the one that could hide from him bore the wounds and tore up fins.

No pleco in your tank? These can be culprits too. Some will suck slime coats off poly's

 

[kno4te]

Get a test kit from ur lfs and check the nitrate levels.

How big is the tank? Can't tell.

 

[Vancouver_98683]

Can't see the photos clearly. If its not an attack from inhabitants. Since, the redness/bump is on bottom portion of the body. It could be parasitic, or simply a scratch from your decor. Likely one of those scenarios. If its looking better the next few days after the water change and salt dosage. Meds not necessary.

If the cichlids are breather harder. I'd suggest adding an airstone/bubbler to increase oxygen permanently. Good luck.

 

[clm08k]

clm08k , convicts can be mean little territorial fish. I had a solo male in his own tank and I decided to raise a bunch of little bristle nosed pleco with him. He did not like that and I kept on finding these dead plecos and noticed the one that could hide from him bore the wounds and tore up fins.

No pleco in your tank? These can be culprits too. Some will suck slime coats off poly's

yeah all my dad's fish are jerks. Typically the convict appears to be okay. He and my ornate sit with each other a lot and "seem" to be buddies. But you are absolutely right, they are mean and territorial. I haven't seen any behavior from this one besides mouthing the ornate on occasion. The convict doesn't let the pike come out.

Thank goodness I don't have a pleco. lol

 

[clm08k]

Get a test kit from ur lfs and check the nitrate levels.

How big is the tank? Can't tell.

standard 55 gallon. have a penguin 350 on it. Keeping the bubble strip airstones on at the present. Am going to upgrade the tank as soon as I can. Right now my ornate is only 5," so I still have some time. The only other fish in there are a convict cichlid 5" and a pike 5."

Can't see the photos clearly. If its not an attack from inhabitants. Since, the redness/bump is on bottom portion of the body. It could be parasitic, or simply a scratch from your decor. Likely one of those scenarios. If its looking better the next few days after the water change and salt dosage. Meds not necessary.

If the cichlids are breather harder. I'd suggest adding an airstone/bubbler to increase oxygen permanently. Good luck.

have had the airstone going for a few days now. Ornate breathing calmly since then. Cichlid still breathing heavily. Will keep you posted about the scratch/hopefully not parasite mystery wound.

 

[clm08k]

Did a deep clean today and I found two areas of that fake driftwood that seemed sharp. I believe that's the culprit. I turned that side over. Still, did a water change, added the salt, and hopefully not too many chemicals. Hoping to get an RODI unit over Christmas.

Anyone have any recommendations for RO-DI units?