what do i need to do for my catfish

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

sdavis76

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 26, 2009
120
0
16
texas
i have a one year old tsn x red tail who has recently the last week gotten very sluggish isnt eating like he normally does and this am i notice he has two ulcerations on his left side . any ideas what this is and how to correct it. nothing has changed in the tank and the other fish are perfectly fine.

_DSC0069.jpg

_DSC0076.jpg
 
aquarium salt and water change twice a week wouldnt hurt to start out. good luck.
 
You have to figure out what the cause may be. If it is a heater burn, that'd be rather trivial to fix. If it is a wound from a tankmate (a bite or a puncture) or an injury from furniture, that got inflamed and it is getting worse, then something could be applied, from simple salt to Pima/Melafix, to an antibiotic like bi-furan or oxytetracycline. If it is a flesh-eating bacteria, I'd try erythromycin or something from the penicillin family.

These may be helpful: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ng-is-wrong-with-my-red-tail!&highlight=staph

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ngus-and-Large-Growing-Wounds&highlight=staph
 
Unfortunately, the OP in the first link (Aw3s0m3) made the pics non-viewable but from what I recall, the wounds on his fish looked similar to yours. If I had to guess (and it is only a guess), it may be as serious as a flesh-eating bacteria. It is not contagious though.
 
Could also be ammonia burns as well. When diagnosing anything like this it is best to give a full list of your current parameters as well as your tank set up, filtration, temp, ect. It will help others help you. :)
 
ok i will test tomorrow and get your guys some numbers. as for now the other catfish has open spots on his mouth and the whiskers off both are broken and messed up

_DSC0077.jpg

_DSC0086.jpg
 
Genuinely don't know: would a fish die from ammonia intoxication well before such ammonia burn marks can appear?

Unless an initial gentle ammonia burn is now complicated by a bacterial infection that set in because of the ammonia-compromised immune system... Those crater-like wounds/erosions are way too big and deep to be just from ammonia, I'd think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom