Severum with bubbles (??) on head?

[KathiSharpe]

Hello,

I have a 55-gal tank with a large green severum and an albino oscar. Yes, I know, too much fish in too small a tank, but it was one of those situations that we need to deal with for a while.

The fish have been healthy with very regular water changes until recently, when my Dad passed away and I had to be out of town several weeks. I didn't want to have the guy who feeds the cats do anything with them; I figured he would do more harm than good.

I came back (2 weeks ago) to high ammonia levels, nasty looking algae bloom in the water, and unhappy fish (they wasted no time telling me!)

Since then I've stepped up tank maintenance, doing water changes every 2-3 days. Until today it seemed to be helping, tho the water remains cloudy with this grayish-green algae stuff.

This morning the oscar went flippy. I didn't bother testing anything, I just started doing a water change. She's real sensitive to anything spiking too high. As I was cleaning things out, I noticed that there is slime in the tank. Long ropes of what looks like (excuse the expression) slimy snot, floating in the water.

I completed the water change and suctioned/netted all the slime I could get. I added aquarium salt and start-right and a new filter. Now the water looks great, but the oscar is obviously stressed - and the severum has what appears to be bubbles or tiny tiny crystals on his head. Almost like salt crystals, and just about that size, except these look hollow. Whatever they are, they are white and shiny, and are in a patch along the top of his head and toward his top fin.

I've never seen anything quite like it. We had another fish with ich, a long time ago - this looks nothing like it. Ich looks... ichy. This looks like someone wanted fish for dinner and salted him first.

Can anyone help?

 

[KathiSharpe]

Here's a pic of my fish. I went ahead and pulled the carbon and treated with Binox, which is all I have handy here at the house (says it treats fungal and bacterial infections) The particles you see in the water are the binox, because dummy dosed then took the picture instead of the other way 'round.

You have to look closely but you can see the "ridge" of bubbles across the top of his head, back toward his fin. They ARE bubbles because they pop, and re-form.

There is also a spot near his eye (which you can see on the pic; lighter color) that looks - well - fluffy, like mold growing on bread. So I'm guessing this is a fungal infection brought on by poor water quality over time.

If you want a larger pic, go to http://twitpic.com/ah5dd

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

hope he gets better

 

[bromie88]

sorry for your loss... i lost my dad 3 yrs ago (2 weeks before my 18th bday). i know how much it sucks

my fish kept me sane.. well sort of

it looks like you could have the start of a fungal infection like you said... it also sounds like those 'little salt like spots' could be the start of whitespot. whitespot uses the confined spices in aquaria to good use. almost all of the free floating ich larvae will find a host, and them release many more larvae, of which most will find the same fish... it could have a really good hold in your tank.

you can get meds to treat both of these diseases very easily. id read up on them both to figure out the best way to treat them. usually a cure all type med will do, as you know.

also keep up on the WC's (like you have been).

you will also get more help in the FW sections of this site. id post there too...

let us know how you get on

take it easy