Injured SAE?

[smathews]

I’ve had this algae eater for about 5 years now and have recently noticed a seemingly rough/irritated patch right below the end of his dorsal fin. He’s been in this same tank since I got him, with the same hardscape, growing from about an inch to ~6. He’s eating well although he barely touches algae at this point. His breathing appears to be normal and his eyes are clear but this rough patch hasn’t gone away for a good month or so now. Water parameters have been stable, 0s in ammonia and nitrite and about 15 for nitrate. I’m hoping he’s ok but I figured I would post this here to see if anyone has any ideas. His only tank mates are Malaysian trumpet snails and plants.

 

[fishorama]

I don't know what could be wrong with your SAE, it doesn't look bad. But my 1st line of defense is water changes, as often & a large as you reasonably can. It's good it's eating; healthy SAE always love food IME! As they grow, they tend to vastly prefer fish foods over algae. Do you have rough decor it might rub against? Other SAE it might fight with?

 

[smathews]

It’s possible that it could’ve happened on the rocks, although they’re relatively smooth. He’s been in that tank with the same rock set up for 5 years now so I wouldn’t think this problem would suddenly appear now. He’s the only fish in the tank at the moment.

 

[fishorama]

What size is his tank? A 5-6 inch SAE needs a 4ft tank IME. They're torpedo shaped for some speed swimming. He may be lonely, they tend to be schoolers/shoalers. They can be ok (-ish) alone but they do like friends.

What are your future plans for the tank?

 

[smathews]

The tank is small, just over 3 feet. It’s currently in a pretty dormant period since I attend college 8 months out of the year and it stays here. The one fish keeps my parents’ upkeep minimal so there aren’t any plans to add anymore fish. I have considered more SAEs but I figured the tank would be too small and there could be trouble in finding others of his size.

 

[Boundava]

SAE's are very social. Since s/he is by her/himself I would consider rehoming or adding a couple (3-4ish) more. Since there are no other fish in the tank, the additions can grow to your adult's size relatively quickly with regular feedings.

 

[smathews]

My friend has a 225 gallon with a few SAEs so I believe he’s going to take him after I rehab him. I’ve removed anything that he can scratch himself on and have been doing water changes to keep the water clean. I don’t see any sign of infection and his eating has been normal. Clear eyes normal, normal breathing so I’m sure he can bounce back. I’m going to transition this tank into plants and shrimp, maybe rasboras. Thank you for the help.

 

[Boundava]

That sounds great s/he will love the bigger tank and roomies. Good luck to both of you.

 

[fishorama]

Rehoming to a larger tank with friends sounds great, a good decision.

Shrimp are low maintenance & interesting IME. They might also be easier for your parents. Talk to them about what level of care they'd like, did they like having the SAE? Shrimp need less food less often, that might be nice for them. But maybe they liked to watch fish swimming around & fed (almost) daily? How many more years of uni do you have? Are you close enough to deal with water changes & filter maintenance, say, monthly? The tank seems like it's almost more theirs than yours right now...