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Disease or abrasion

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
Does this look like the beginning of a disease or an abrasion on my crenicichla compressiceps.

I'm not sure if he's breathing heavy or not. I think he is but it could also be me just being a hypochondriac.
 

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gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
The photos are not real clear, but I would guess abrasion or bite marks. Is there any sharp-edge rocks or coral in the tank? Or anybody he fights with?
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46


Came home today and his breathing has definitely sped up. First video was from same day as first post. Second is from today.

Setting up a qt tank now.
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
So just retested the water still 0 across the board for ammonia nitrate and nitrite. The only thing that one can tell is wrong with the water is high pH. (7.6) but it's my understanding that it's better to have a consistent high ph rather than an inconsistent correct ph. I have two pieces of drifywood un the tank to lower ph. He's the only one out of the 3 apistos and bolivian ram and south american bumblebee catfish to be displaying any issues. And he was perfectly fine for two weeks until two or three days ago.

Could it be the ghost shrimp I have put in there with him?
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
Fast breathing is not a good sign. He might have some infection in the gills or internal organs messing up his osmoregulation or oxygen transport ability. Looks like he may be slightly bloated too, unless he's just fat. Keep an eye out for evidence of rapid breathing in the Apistos and Ram. Not knowing the cause, any drug treatment would be a "shot in the dark." I don't think the shrimp caused it (unless he ate too many of them!).
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
Put him in quarantine tank. Should I add salt and raise the temp? I know you said any treatment would be a shot in the dark but is there any blanket ones that would cover more of the likely diseases?

I'm really upset about this. He's my favorite fish. Took me years to find a store that had him.


Fast breathing is not a good sign. He might have some infection in the gills or internal organs messing up his osmoregulation or oxygen transport ability. Looks like he may be slightly bloated too, unless he's just fat. Keep an eye out for evidence of rapid breathing in the Apistos and Ram. Not knowing the cause, any drug treatment would be a "shot in the dark." I don't think the shrimp caused it (unless he ate too many of them!).
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
So sorry. Do you think moving him to the quarantine tank might have stressed and killed him, or was his health already declining fast before the move?
Yes you could have tried heat and salt, and maybe naladixic acid, if you'd had more time to act. Had he been eating normally the past few weeks?
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
He was eating fine the whole time. He started to swim a little weird but nothing crazy. He'd sit on the substrate and breathe really heavy though if he wasn't engaged in eating or defending his territory. And right before I moved him he was getting blown around by the filter when he was swimming.

I did raise the heat but was worried about adding salt because I did that last time a fish got sick (ironically a crenicichla noto) and the salt caused my puffers and Otto to die. I didn't realize how sensitive sa fish were to salt. That had been my go to cure with my Africans but they have a higher salt concentration in nature
 

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