Red Lesion On Siamese Algae Eater - Help Please

[Xen]

Hello all,

I have a bit of an emergency:

Tank size: ~60L
pH: 7
ammonia: 0
nitrite:0
nitrate:0
tank temp: 26- 28C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
Siamese Algae Eater (~4" long, 1 year) has suddenly developed a red, angry looking lesion on the top of it's head - poor quality pics are attached - I couldnt get him to stay still for long enough - His behaviour is normal, swimming around and playing with the yoyo loach, although he seems a little more subdued today.

There appears to be a red gash in the head, with a little white material in the centre of the cut, and then just behind is a swelling, like a spot, capped with a little white film. It looks like raw skin on a human. I have no idea what this is, and was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what it could be.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 1/4 TO 1/3 Fortnightly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Some Myxazin, Nutrafin cycle

Tank inhabitants: Breeing platys x7 inc fry, neons x7, dwarf gourami x2, Siamese algae eater x1, kuhli loach x2, albino cory x1, yoyo loach x1, zebra loach x1, pleco x1, upside down catfish x1, crystal shrimp x2, amano shrimp x4,

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none

Exposure to chemicals: none

Digital photo (include if possible):

I'd guessed bacterial, and have dosed the tank with a small amount of Myxazin (1ml for a 60L tank).

 

[glolite]

Hi
Haven't been on this site for while so I've only just read your post, sorry you've had to wait so long for a reply.

Firstly, you are seriously overstocked for the tank size. 60l is around 13 gallons and for a community tank like yours the guidelines are 1 inch of fish (measured without tail) per gallon of water. This guideline is for the eventual adult fish size.

You didn't say what tipe of pleco you have, whether it is a dwarf variety but if not a regular plec can grow to well over a foot long so would be unsuitable for a 60l tank.

Over stocked = overstressed which leads to increased disease in fish.

Are your test kits old because I can't believe that your nitrAtes are 0 and nitrAte testing kits have a short shelf life.

Your chinese algae eater will grow too big as well, sorry for being so negative but you need to either upgrade to at least 45 gallons or take some fish back to your LFS.

The photo you have taken suggests either an injury from another fish, again probably due to overstocking or possibly a bacterial infection. I would continue with the meds you are trying to see if they help and check your testing kits are within 3 months old for nitrAte and 6 months for ammonia and nitrIte. Hope this helps.

 

[Xen]

Hi Glolite,

Thanks for the feedback!

Since I have posted, I dosed myxazin and nutrafin cycle, and over the weekend the cut has healed up and is now only a little white mark on his head - I think he may have got stuck in something - he's quite inquisitive.

There have never been any other incidents with the fish, which is why I panicked a little when I saw the mark on his head!

For Stocking - the platy's have been breeding more successfully that I had anticipated, but I have removed a chunk of the material that the fry were hiding in, and there shouldnt be too many more young ones.

The Pleco is a dwarf, and currently 2.5" long, and has not grown at all in the past 6months. I acknowledge that there may be too many inches in there, I'd thought as they were quite small (neons) that they would average out with the larger fish - when stocking the tank I had gone with surface area (360sqin) for around 30" of fish, and seeing as it was well planted and aerated, I thought the tank could handle it.

I have an in-tank ammonia gauge that changes colour with ammonia and has registered zero for the past 5months, since I put it in, taking a water sample to my lfs they told me the water was perfect, although this was a quick in house test.

I will be heading to my lfs soon and updating my testing kits - I had no idea they had such a short shelf life!

Thanks again,

Xen

 

[glolite]

Hi Xen

Glad to hear that your chinese algae eater is getting better. Another way around overstocking could be an additional filter although it sounds as though your aquarium has quite a large surface area. The plants will help with nitrate levels also, as you say.

I currently have 2 aquariums with babies from breeding sajica cichlids too successfully so understand houw quickly the fishy friends can multiply. Didn't really want 50 + but there you go!!! My LFS doesn't take unwanted fish anymore and I haven't got the heart to cull, so just carry on maintaining two extrea tanks. Hey ho.

Good luck with your hobby.