Clown Loach Cysts Or Bite Marks?

[§tudz]

Hi,

I have noticed over the past few weeks, small marks appearing on my Largest clown loach. These looked like just changes in the markins to start with, but today I've notice some are now raised and he is also missing two barbels on one side.

There has been fighting between the two after an ammonia spike (due to a failed filter) killed two of the other clown loaches

Now should I remove him and put him in quarenteen or leave them to settle the difference between themselves?

just a note, its not Ich, Ive seen and treated ich many times.

 

[WILDER]

So the marking are raised what colour is the mark that raised it helps.
When barbels go thin and short it can be gravel to sharpe, not sure about fighting, but it can also mean a bacterial infection.
They need there barbels to find food.
Is the clown looking greyed out.

 

[§tudz]

the fish is fine, acting normal, eating etc.

he isnt mosting barbels do to the sand, it as if teo of them on the left hand side have been bitten off, they are worn down like with becterial infections.
The lumps are the orange of the fish, which lead me to my original assumption.

its been suggested it was fighting with the other CL, and also someone else said possiblily bacterial.

All the other bottom dwellers including pimelodus ornatus are fine and it has LARGE barbels.

 

[WILDER]

Been reading some articles on clown loaches, they do fight but not seriously to kill one another.
Can you load a pic up.
Does it look like a swelling due to fighting.
How many gallons is the tank wondering if that an issue if the tank to small.

[URL="http/www.loaches.com/articles/clown-loac...king-variations"]http/www.loaches.com/articles/clown-loac...king-variations[/URL]

Just looked at your profile and you have a 120 gallon so I doubt it's stress due to a small tank.

 

[§tudz]

ok here are two photos, the marks on this side arent raised, on the other side they are. But this is the side the barbels are missing from.

 

[WILDER]

Is there some white marks on the glass as it look like there on the fish.
Only ever heard of whitepsot with clown never bacerial infections.
Is there some fluffy bits on the fish or is that on the glass.
His colours look good.
I see he has abit of fin missing.
Is he flicking and rubbing against anything.


I agree it dosn't look like whitespot.
Columnaris comes in many diguises.
It can look fluffy, or bleached out.

 

[§tudz]

the white streaks are on the glass aprat from the one in the middle of the middle stripe.
He seems to be producing a slight excess in mucuss.

I havent noticed anything fluffy, but when i go near the tank the other fish get spooked and it spooks him a little so he darts off. but ill try and get a closer look in a min

 

[WILDER]

When a fish is protecting its self it will produce more slime coats usually in bad water quality to parasites.
It dosn't look like war wounds to be,.
I would wait a few more days to see if it clears up on its own.
Watch out for signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[§tudz]

well im about to put it in quarenteen now, so we'll see what happens

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
With him producing more slime coat I would watch out for whitespot, stress can cause whitespot.
http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/foru...hread.php?t=734

 

[§tudz]

well I'll go and see i can get something to treat him tomorrow after work

 

[WILDER]

How the loach doing.

 

[§tudz]

seems happy enough, i added some melafix in a few hours ago. Hopefully it'll be ok now
7 day course of this and we'llo see where we are then

 

[WILDER]

Ok good luck.
I was expecting whitepsot with the fish producing more slime coat.

 

[§tudz]

yeah nothing has chnaged with him at all so I completely stumped tbh