Scales Missing

[mifty12]

HI

I have a golden gourami who has a tendency of bashing my thermomoeter and jumping out of the water. I have just noticed some damage on his back which looks like a few scales are missing. Is this something to worry about or will it sort itself out, my water parameters are good and i do 25% water changes weekly so hopefully won't get an infection. Will he be okay ?


Cheers



Justin.

 

[WILDER]

Missing scales can mean a number of things, has he caught them on something, any signs of flicking and rubbing agains objects, is there any whiteness in between the scales.

Not the writer of this information.



Scale Loss- If your fish are losing scales for no apparent reason (such as breeding) then it is commonly found to be caused from Myxosporidiosis. The only treatment for this is to keep doing water changes and get rid of the parasites. Symptoms: Fish gasping, pale gills.

 

[mifty12]

yeah he has a habit of flicking against the thermometer and the plants and he also jumps out of the water. There doesn't appear to be any whiteness below the scales. it looks slightly paler than the rest of his body.

With regard to your info he has nice dark red gills and he is gasping at the waters surface but no more than usual as he is a labyrinth, but not whilst swimming.

 

[WILDER]

He's got a parasite then do you have a med, does it look like grains of salt, yellow to a gold dusting on him, you can also get flukes red inflamed gills and heavy laboured breathing, any mucas on the gills, also check the body for external parasites like worms beneath the scales.

http/www.fishdoc.co.uk/disease/flukes.htm

http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/sterazin.htm

 

[mifty12]

he's perfectly clear on all those points,he has by the way been doing the flicking thing ever since we got him 4 months ago

 

[WILDER]

If he's flicking and sitting at the top of the tank gasping he has a parasite, what colour is the fish, also trying to leap out of the tank is not a good sign as something is irratating him.

http/www.fishdoc.co.uk/disease/parasites.htm

 

[WILDER]

I think we need to no your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, plus how many litres is the tank, how many fish and which type, as you don't seem to be convinced it's a parasite, we will look at water quality, as the fish is not right.

 

[mifty12]

he's a golden gourami. it just seems strange to me that he has only just 'lost' these scales even tho he has followed the same behaviour since we've had him as a youngster. I just want to be sure that i need to treat him and not just go down the waterchange etc route. i would like to avoid adding meds to the tank if poss.here's a photo(not one of the best) you can see the area i'm talking about on his back

water syats are- ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 40(30 from tap)
ph 7.2

i have a 240 ltr tank, occupants are- 2 golden gourami
3 clown loaches(2" each)
6 diamond tetras
5 black phantom tetras
1 algae eater
1 bristlenose
4 glowlights

 

[WILDER]

Look like he has parasites which have now turned into a bacteria infection as he has pink marks on his body that look like ulcers to me, do they look like sores on the body.

 

[mifty12]

Look like he has parasites which have now turned into a bacteria infection as he has pink marks on his body that look like ulcers to me, do they look like sores on the body.

that photo is deceiving he hasn't got anyof those marks on him, they're from the camera, his body is the same colour all over all bar the paler patches just in front of his fin

 

[WILDER]

http/happycichlids.com/Freshwater_Diseas...ill_flukes.html

http/www.klsnet.com/files/fishchart.htm

 

[black angel]

Youve had him for 4 months and always flicked against the thermometer and jumped since you had him. Do any of the other fish scratch against anything or dart around in the water?
Losing the scales may be due to him scratching or he has a parasite which wilder has suggested.
Try and do more than 25% water changes each week, maybe twice a week for now and see if lowering the nitrates a touch helps. Some fish are more sensitive to nitrates than others.
I want you to go really close in and look at his skin for any minute worms trailing off him. They really are tiny and will be swaying with the water movement. They are usually found on the back and head around the gills of the fish.

 

[WILDER]

You have clown loaches just check them to see they have no grains of salt on them, plus they will need a bigger tank soon.