Sick Male Nijsseni

[CBon]

Please can someone help me with my poor male nijsseni. He seems very poorly and is hiding all the time. As you can see he has a hole in his dorsal fin and is blotchy. He seems to be gasping for air too, but stays on the bottom at the back in a nook in the wood.

How you doing ? Can you help ? I have a sick apisto... http://www.flickr.com/photos/serengouti/8194711408/http://www.flickr.com/photos/serengouti/8194711408/http://www.flickr.com/photos/serengouti/8194711408/
sickmalenijsseni by Serengouti, on Flickr See the hole in his fin and blotches on his body ? Any ideas ?

 

[gerald]

Sores or holes like that on the body, head, or fins (often where the fin joins the body) may be symptoms of Mycobacterium infection, which is quite common in dwarf cichlids (especially older fish) and is not treatable. It also attacks the kidney, liver and other organs and interferes with the fish's osmoregulation (salt balance) -- thus the rapid breathing. With good water quality and diet, they can sometimes live many months (and even breed) before the Myco infection kills them. But once the rapid breathing starts, the organ damage is severe and they rarely live very long. Make sure you get him away from other fish BEFORE he dies so the others dont eat the dead body. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Hopefully I'm wrong and he'll recover.