Very Sick Oto

[nadajdui]

Hey everyone. This is confusing me a little. I got these otos from a friend in vancouver. Most are doing quite well.
There is one, however, that is really giving me concern. His whole gill area on the underside is red, like his gills are bleeding. What is this??
Ph:7
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrates:unknown, but not a lot
All 3 have a LOT of algae to eat. None have been interested in any algae wafers or fresh veggies, so I've just been letting them go at the algae.
This oto is acting normal and eating, doesn't seem to be suffering.
I am treating with Maracyn Two because I don't know what else to do. Symtpons started a few days ago.
The tank is 10 gallon, my Quarantine tank.

 

[xJake]

You may have overreacted. Healthy gills are supposed to be a deep red (the color of blood) as they function as the fish's lungs and carry oxygen. If he's acting normal don't treat him. Just observe him over the next week.

 

[nadajdui]

No, I don't think I described it correctly. I will try and get a picture to show you what I mean. But the underside of his jaw and such is a bloody color of red, but not past his pectoral fins at all. I know what healthy gills look like, and the redness is in the gills, but also around it. It is definitely not normal.

 

[BBrain]

If I remember correctly, when I saw your fish, the redness extends rearward, well past the gills, onto the abdomen.

Yes, the gill area should be red, but the gills are forward of the front of the pectoral fins. On your fish, I believe the reddness extends rearward well into the pectoral fin area, which is the abdomen.

An Otocinclus' abdomen is normally white, perhaps with a very slight yellowish or greenish tinge to match the rest of the body. A red abdomen indicates internal inflamation, as from a bacterial infection.

Here's a photo of a healthy Otocinclus; the red areas are the gills showing through the thin skin of the gill covers. You can see that the gills are forward of the pectoral fins:

 

[sully]

try googling enteric redmouth. sounds like a bacterial infection to me. i have kept otos for many years, what you describe does not sound right. i have to admit, none of my otos have the redness displayed in the photo.

You might think of adding maracyn II to the treatment if the maracyn does not clear it up.

 

[nadajdui]

"If I remember correctly, when I saw your fish, the redness extends rearward, well past the gills, onto the abdomen.

Yes, the gill area should be red, but the gills are forward of the front of the pectoral fins. On your fish, I believe the reddness extends rearward well into the pectoral fin area, which is the abdomen."

It was like that, but now it looks like it has receeded. Either that or it has gone so red that I didn't notice that it still goes into the abdomen. It clearly looks like blood now, and I suspect septecimia, or something along those lines.

 

[BBrain]

Hmm, that's very strange. Maybe whatever it was has cleared up on its own. Perhaps stop the antibiotic now, to preserve your nitrifying bacteria, and just watch the fish over the next few days.

To repeat, that photo of mine shows a healthy Oto. That redness is normal. Healthy gills are red. Otos have very thin and transparent skin under their gills, so the reddness of the gills shows through.

(Sully, if you re-read the original post, you'll see she's already using Maracyn Two.)

 

[nadajdui]

I'm really tired today, so I could be losing my mind. Haha.
But it sure doesn't look very good to me. The only thing that is giving me any hope is the fact that the fish is still eating and zipping around the tank like the other ones.

 

[BBrain]

Then I prescribe...... sleep!
Things might look just fine in the morning!

 

[nadajdui]

Mmm, sleep is a good idea. Good prescription, I will take some of that right away. Thanks.

 

[nadajdui]

Well, the oto is still kicking and acting normal still. He looks a little bit better. I will keep goi8ng with the Maracyn two.

 

[nadajdui]

Here's a pic I managed to get before he zipped off. Now I can show you what I mean.
He still looks really bad.

 

[WILDER]

I would look into gill flukes is the fish flicking and also laboured breathing.

Look under gill flukes.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[nadajdui]

No, he's not flicking at all, or breathing fast at all. He's just acting normal, like the other one. Eating well, breathing well. I don't know what else to do other than continue treatment of Maracyn Two and just hope that it clears up.

 

[WILDER]

Ok carry on with the bacterial med, if no improvement get back to the board, good luck.
But the gills should not look like they are bleeding if they were never like that before.

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdgilld.htm