Pleco Nose Ailment Diagnosis... Help Needed Please

[paul_p]

Hi All,

Following a post in another forum, someone has suggested I post in here to help with the diagnosis of my Pleco's nose ailment...


I wondered if you could help me with identifying a lump on my Pleco's nose. It doesn't appear to be cotton mouth (treatment for this has been administered)

There's a picture on the 'Member's Aquarium and Fish Pictures' topic forum.

The pleco isn't in bad shape, is eating normally and seems quite happy. He's currently in isolation as I'm worried about it being contagious for my other fish.

To be honest, he's had this since I got him about 3 months or so ago, but thought I'd try to cure it myself but he's still got it. Could I be worrying about nothing? The poor old chap is lonely and I'd like to reacquaint him with his pals.

Thanks in advanced!!

Paul

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

What substrate do you have in the tank.
How often do you preform a gravel vac.
What colour is the lump.
Any redness to the lump.
Does the lump look hard of soft like filled with fluid.
Has the lump just suddenly appeared.

 

[paul_p]

Currently he's in isolation in an 80L tank... but the other is a 240L. Where he is at the moment I'm carrying out 25% weekly change, including complete vac because of his ailment. Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = <20, pH = ~7.5.

It's a whitish, grey soft looking lump, no red, does not appear to be fluid filled.

He's had the lump since I got him, around 3 months back.

he's currently in Gravel (other is sand).

He's isolated without tank mates and has been since I got him. But in the other tank I have

2 Angel
2 Dwarf Gourami
1 ruby shark
1 Clown loach (daft as a brush)
4 Danios
4 Platies

 

[WILDER]

I would try an internal bacteria med.


Clown loaches shouldn't be kept on there own. Should be kept in no less than a group of 3.
They don't like it on there own.

 

[paul_p]

I would try an internal bacteria med.


Clown loaches shouldn't be kept on there own. Should be kept in no less than a group of 3.
They don't like it on there own.

Clowny wasn't alone when he was purchased there were 3, unfortunatley they were all in a bad state of ich and he was the only survivor. I would get him some chums, but after my devistating baptism of fire with my first purchase of clowns I'm reluctant to introduce more... My LFS has plenty of clown but all are extremely nervous where as he's very tame and often takes the algae wafer from your fingers. Once pleco is sorted I may purchase a couple more and isolate them for a while before letting them free in the larger tank.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
Let the board know how he gets on.
Good Luck.