Not Sure What To Make Of This Cause.. Opinions Please

[star4]

First thoughts on this chap is heater burn, but the wound is deep and the paler skin on top of the head does run down to the other side of the gill plate indicating bacterial problem (maybe or it could just be his markings) there is no sign of any fungus on or around the wound, it could it have been done on decor possibly?. Its the only mark on the entire fish, it seems unusual a single site of infection of this size, his fins are intact and perfect no sign of fin rot.  I have no idea of the stats of the water he came from.
 

 

 
He is lucky he has not lost his eye, if it was a bite I would have thought his eye would have gone too. If I can get him well he will join my weather loach group. I am wondering what could have caused this.

 

[lrhodes]

Awh poor fella!
I hope you can get him healed up.
As for what caused it, your guess is as good as mine...
Where did he come from? Did they give any clue as to what happened?

 

[star4]

I am a bit ashamed to say I didnt ask. I answered the door...
 
stranger: "can you have this fish?"
me "I do not really have any spare room at the moment I am afraid"
stranger "oh right, I'll flush it down the loo then"
me. "Give it here then" took butter tub and slammed door! I didnt even know what it was till I opened the tub I have no patience with people who threaten to flush fish lol

 

[fluttermoth]

Awww no, star, not another one

That's certainly an unusual looking wound. It definitely looks more like a physical injury than a pathological one to me, but I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like it. The most similar would be heater burn, as you suspect.

Hope it pulls through, bless him (or her!)

 

[lrhodes]

I completely understand the saving fish thing... I'm the worlds worst to have to save every animal! (I currently have a rescue salamander......... long story )
Maybe he will pull through!
Maybe add something for wound healing in with him? To help speed up the process?
I hate seeing hurt animals.

 

[HAMBONE]

I am a bit ashamed to say I didnt ask. I answered the door...
 
stranger: "can you have this fish?"
me "I do not really have any spare room at the moment I am afraid"
stranger "oh right, I'll flush it down the loo then"
me. "Give it here then" took butter tub and slammed door! I didnt even know what it was till I opened the tub

I have no patience with people who threaten to flush fish lol

so over in jolly ole england people juss drop fish off at people's houses??? what a strange land..

but i digress...
i doubt the fish got burned, id be more apt to say it got stuck in something..

 

[fluttermoth]

so over in jolly ole england people juss drop fish off at people's houses??? what a strange land..

LOL!!, it doesn't happen all the time! (Although still far too frequently for my liking

) and only to a few people, like me and star, and my friend 'creature' Kate, because we get a name for being a soft touch 

 And I know for a fact it happens in most other countries as well 

 
 

but i digress...
i doubt the fish got burned, id be more apt to say it got stuck in something..

I did think about that as well, but it looks a bit too deep?

 

[star4]

 

I am a bit ashamed to say I didnt ask. I answered the door...
 
stranger: "can you have this fish?"
me "I do not really have any spare room at the moment I am afraid"
stranger "oh right, I'll flush it down the loo then"
me. "Give it here then" took butter tub and slammed door! I didnt even know what it was till I opened the tub

I have no patience with people who threaten to flush fish lol

so over in jolly ole england people juss drop fish off at people's houses??? what a strange land..

but i digress...
i doubt the fish got burned, id be more apt to say it got stuck in something..
 

 
lol its not an English custom. I am known for taking in unwanted fish.
 
Weirdly enough I have taken my weather loach tank apart today as I spotted one of my girls looking rough around the head, she has scrapes both sides it looks like she was digging around under the rocks and caught herself, but she will heal in the main tank in a couple of days, it is no where as deep as this poor chaps wound. With burns you do sometimes see the edges of the wound all white (cooked ugh) but this wound is clean but awfully deep, but its a strange shape for a bite. I have never seen any ammonia burn in just one place, normally there would be tattered fins too, or full blown fin rot. He has me baffled.
 
I will do daily wc and monitor the progress of healing before I start with any medications, if clean water doesnt work then it might be something more nasty , Need to get him to eat too, he has refused bloodworm so far, but he will need a couple of days to settle.

 

[star4]

He is eating the redness after 3 wc has gone down considerably however the white band around his head has increased, possibly dead skin??? I'll try to get another photograph to compare, but he is so much more lively already. Fingers crossed I can pull him through this.

 

[lrhodes]

Awh. Glad to hear he is acting better and looking some what improved!

 

[star4]

 
This pic is not as good,
 

 
but its definately no where near as raw as Wednesday

 

[lrhodes]

Poor little fella..... it does look a lot less red though!

 

[Stimo]

that's looking better , hope he/she does well

 

[star4]

More new flesh is filling in the hole. I still do not like this white band around his head
 

 

[lrhodes]

Maybe is scaring of some kind? I wouldn't expect it to have the same color as it was originally. And considering how badly off he was when you got him, it might not have been the first major injury he had.... just a theory.
I am glad he is healing up though! Looks much better!
Please name him scarface! Lol.