Could It Be Ammonia Burns?

[alessasavoca]

OK, my boyfriend's dad's fish keep having open sores on their bodies, as if they have scraped themselves on something. However more and more fish keep coming up in these sores, and I have no idea what it is that could be causing it.

I know his regular maintenance on the tank is not that great, i.e heavily stocked (I think over stocked actually) and water changes once a month, if that. Could it be ammonia burn, or is it something else?

Please help me, to help the fishies!

p.s I am not posting this in emergencies as it's not me tank.. and I can't give you guys the details that I would need to get a proper diagnosis...

 

[backtotropical]

If ammonia is the problem, there would be other signs, the fish would tend to hang around the surface apparently gasping for air, and the damage would be particularly noticeable around the gills. Is this happening?

 

[lilfishie]

get a test kit over there, if it is ammonia then up the water changes to every fortnight, that failing every week

 

[-germ-]

What species of fish?

 

[alessasavoca]

ok, now for my best description:

Some fish are hanging about the surface, others aren't, but none of them are particularly active, quite a few are resting on the bottom. There is scale damage on a lot of the fish, and it is red raw. Some have reddish gills and black patches where there shouldn't be... tank is very dirty, last water change was about a month ago (bit over a month), it is a 180 Juwel Vision, with everything standard, and like I say, over stocked tank.

Thanks for your help

 

[backtotropical]

Sound like you might be right. I would agree with lilfishie, get a test kit over there and do some water changes. It might embarrass him into looking after the tank a bit better.

 

[lilfishie]

can you get any pics? what fish and how many of each in the tank? defo needs more fequent water changes

 

[alessasavoca]

What species of fish?

Ooooh you will all cringe, I can't do anymore to convince him to change his stocking but here goes (I REPEAT:NOT MY TANK AND NOTHING TO DO WITH ME)

2 golden gouramis
1 kissing gourami
4 tetras (2 neons, 1 rummynose, one flame)
1 sailfin molly
3 glass catfish
1 red-tailed black shark
1 bala shark
7 platies
1 CAE
1 pleco (think it is a young common)

and until recently : an angelfish, 2 blue gouramis, 1 corydora (all died)

 

[lilfishie]

you really have to talk him into water changeing and sorting that stocking out, poor fish, more than likely is ammonia with a pleco in there too is there no way you can persuade him by helping sort it out or something?

 

[alessasavoca]

I've tried so hard, most I've managed is to stop adding to the tank..... I'm sorry guys I can try and get the other half to talk to him, might be better coming from his son?

 

[lilfishie]

sorry if it sounded like i was putting pressure on you, i had an off time where i didn't water change then with a push and hand from my sister who also keeps fish i am back and more careful about it than ever.

 

[alessasavoca]

when they see my tanks it encourages them to sort out theirs, I will get my other half to talk to him and invite them over to see my tanks again (we do live 150 miles apart) and that will give me an oppurtunity to explain about stocking etc

 

[backtotropical]

If you do manage to get water changes done somehow, do small changes. A tank with little or no maintenance having a large water change performed all of a sudden can be disasterous because of the huge change in the water parameters.

 

[alessasavoca]

yep, don't worry backtotropical, I will get him to do small water changes and a bit of a gravel vac every few days until it's all as it should be.