Need some advice

[Arnold]

This is my male Apistogramma Panduro, I've noticed he's been hiding alot recently and he's just come out this evening and he looks like this?. His colour has gone, fins clamped and he has white marks on his head. Any ideas?

 

[MacZ]

The picture isn't very good, barely possible to interpret. Could you fill out the disease template and provide better pictures?

Template for disease/parasite/death cases

This template contains the most important questions to be answered when dealing with sick or dead fish to find causes and advise on treatments. Please copy and paste into a new thread and answer the questions as precise as possible. Water parameters should be given in numbers. "Fine" or "good"...

apistogramma.com

Just copy the template into this thread and fill it out as detailed as possible. Without proper anamnesis this is just guesswork.

 

[KenL]

I don’t hold out much hope for that fish.
How old is it?

 

[Arnold]

Which animal is affected? Species, sex, age? (If age unknown: How long have you had the fish?) Apistogramma Panduro Male

What are the symptoms? Any changes in look, behaviour, bearing, buoyancy, fecies? Clamped fins, white markings on face/head, hiding alot

How long has the problem been going on? (Timeline?) A week

What's the full stocking list?
Just a pair of Panduro in this tank. It's a 200ltr split into 3

Any changes in the behaviour of the other fish? No the female seems fine

What size is the tank? (Preferrably dimensions, not volume!)4ftx1ftx2ft

How long is the tank running?2 years or more

Have there been any changes in the past 2 months? New animals, plants, decoration? New plants and new heaters

What food are the fish fed? How much, how often? Monday flakes, Wednesday frozen and Friday pellets

What is the temperature? 25c

What are the water parameters? (Please note all known tank and source water parameters in numbers! Not "good", "optimal" or "perfect"!)
pH: 7.0 - 7.5
GH:
KH:
EC/TDS:
NO3: 5-10ppm
NO2: 0
NH3/4: 0

What test kit did you use? (liquid, strips, store service?) Nt lab liquid test kit

Are you using water conditioners or any other additives? (e.g. dechlorinators, humic/blackwater extracts, fertilizers)
Aquadesign Safe Dechlorinator
Aquadip plant food and co2
Rooibos tea (tannins)

What filter are you using? (Canister, sponge, internal, mattenfilter?)
Sponge filter

What's the maintenance regimen? (Waterchange volume and frequency, thorough cleaning of filters/substrate?)
50% waterchange every 2 weeks

Have there been any chemicals used around the tank? (Cleaning agents, room sprays, wall paint, adhesives...) No

Have there been any pesticides, fungicides or herbicides used around the tank? No

Are there any unknown animals in the tank? No

What has been done already? (Timeline!)
Started treating with Esha2000 last week. Now started using NT labs anti fungal and finrot treatment today
If so, what meds have been used? (Timeline!)

Please provide pictures/videos of the fish AND tank in question

 

[Mike Wise]

Are the white markings pits?

 

[MacZ]

Started treating with Esha2000 last week. Now started using NT labs anti fungal and finrot treatment today

Please stop right there! Neither of these things (I wouldn't call EsHa2000 a medication, but only a desinfectant with dubious ingredients) will do anything good, tje side effects might do more bad than good.

The way only the head is affected points towards Spironicleus (known to anglophones as Hexamita. Please get a medication specifically to treat hole-in-the-head and treat a vording to instructions. Do not get the stuff by EsHa, it is the same as EsHa2000 in different dosage and will not work.

Here you will find a list of Meds, make sure to avoid the mentioned one. I would recommend Sera Flagellol if you can still get it somewhere or the one by Manaus.

List of meds

I've posted it before, but so that it can be found easily, here's a link to an extensive list of meds by manufacturers frim Europe and North America. It's provided and kept up-to-date by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Please note that the list is UK-specific in terms of...

apistogramma.com

And diversify feeding with life foods (no bloodworms!) and less dry foods.

Hole in the head is caused by a combination of an intestinal parasite (Spironucleus/Hexamita) going virulent from stress/age and malnutrition, often reinforcing each other.
Once it gets active you have to treat the parasitosis and build up vitamin and nutrient levels.

And I'll be honest, if the intestines are damaged too much even a successful treatment might come too late.

Edit: If possible post another, better picture of the head of the fish, pleaee. Just to make sure it really is what it seems like.

 

[Arnold]

I don’t hold out much hope for that fish.
How old is it?

Probably under a year old, my male Apistogramma Njessini

Please stop right there! Neither of these things (I wouldn't call EsHa2000 a medication, but only a desinfectant with dubious ingredients) will do anything good, tje side effects might do more bad than good.

The way only the head is affected points towards Spironicleus (known to anglophones as Hexamita. Please get a medication specifically to treat hole-in-the-head and treat a vording to instructions. Do not get the stuff by EsHa, it is the same as EsHa2000 in different dosage and will not work.

Here you will find a list of Meds, make sure to avoid the mentioned one. I would recommend Sera Flagellol if you can still get it somewhere or the one by Manaus.

List of meds

I've posted it before, but so that it can be found easily, here's a link to an extensive list of meds by manufacturers frim Europe and North America. It's provided and kept up-to-date by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Please note that the list is UK-specific in terms of...

apistogramma.com

And diversify feeding with life foods (no bloodworms!) and less dry foods.

Hole in the head is caused by a combination of an intestinal parasite (Spironucleus/Hexamita) going virulent from stress/age and malnutrition, often reinforcing each other.
Once it gets active you have to treat the parasitosis and build up vitamin and nutrient levels.

And I'll be honest, if the intestines are damaged too much even a successful treatment might come too late.

Edit: If possible post another, better picture of the head of the fish, pleaee. Just to make sure it really is what it seems like.

Thankyou so much for you advice

 

[Arnold]

This is the Male Panduro today

 

[KenL]

Is it looking better?

 

[anewbie]

Looks better to me from the first picture i thought it was surely a dead duck.

 

[Arnold]

Is it looking better?

All of the white markings have disappeared, his colours better and fins aren't clamped. And he's also out more

 

[Arnold]

Looks better to me from the first picture i thought it was surely a dead duck.

Yeah I definitely thought I was gonna lose him but he seems to be getting better day by day. Will keep a close eye on him still..