injured/sick Apisto cacatuoides

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

aturko

Registered Member
Jan 2, 2009
2
0
0
37
I've had these Apistos for about a month now... I have a pair in a 10 gallon aquarium (pH=7.0, no ammonia or nitrite, 77F, 10-20% water change daily). A few days ago I noticed what looks like an injury just behind the left eye of my female... It's been swelling slightly more each day... I've added some salt to the water (5-6 tbsp) and have been treating with the recommended dose of one of those aloe vera water conditioners...

The injury looks like a raw spot of skin that has swollen, and just in front of the swelling (between it and the eye) the skin has sunk in a few mm. Is this an injury, or the sign of something else? Any ideas would be helpful... I've attached a few pics in case they help any diagnosis. Thanks

hurtapistoside.jpg hurtapistofront.jpg
 

laurenrocksth

AC Members
Jun 24, 2008
743
0
16
43
Milford, NH
I am in no way an expert, but it looks like an injury to me. Are there any sharp objects in the tank that she could have rubbed against?

When you say that you're treating with an aloe vera water conditioner, do you mean melafix? If not, that's what I'd use if it doesn't improve.
 

Turbosaurus

AC Members
Dec 26, 2008
705
1
18
Yonkers, NY
Thats hole in the head disease. Good news is - its easy to fix.

Keep your water clean (ie do your weekly water changes) Do not dose with any meds, a little salt will be fine, keep up with water quality checks and changes as needed, and get her eating a nice rich varried diet. High quality flake, blood worms, decapsulated BBS eggs are a favorite of my apistos. If she doesnt want to eat, try hatching BBs- something moving will almost surely get her out of any funk and fresh hatched bbs are extrememly healthy for her. Also, if she doesn't eat= that means more water changes because you'll have to remove any uneaten food. The good news is as long as you do these things chances for improvement are 100%
 

Turbosaurus

AC Members
Dec 26, 2008
705
1
18
Yonkers, NY
oh, and bring up your temps to the 82-84 range. This will increase her metabolism (and appetite)

It sounds like you are taking wonderful care of them. Keep it up and she'll be fine. BTW what's your water like? they like it on the soft acidic side- but you probably knew that. If your waters hard, they will adjust, it may just take her a little time to get comfy in it- which might explain why she has HITH- its usually associated with nutritional deficiencies. she may not have been eatign well while getting used to it. Of couse you could have soft water in which case- who knows.
 

Philosophos

AC Members
Dec 2, 2008
157
0
0
I've got to say something to the contrary here when it comes to HITH. Hexamita is a parasite suspected to cause head and lateral line erosion. It lives in the lower intestine, and will cause symptoms that look like nutrient deficiencies. If this is the case, medication would be the way to go. I'd also say that you've got some nice bacteria/fungus cultures growing in those cysts, since they're swollen up and not pitted. More reason for meds. I'd recommend skiping the antibiotics as most infections in fish are gram-negative, and even a lot of the gram positive ones have built up a major resistance to them. (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=444656&blobtype=pdf if you want info on it)

Also to note, I have never seen a good reason to add aloe vera to anything fish related. It might not hurt, but I've never heard of it helping. Unless some one here cares to post studies otherwise, it's just another unknown variable that can be eliminated.

Raising to 82-84 degrees before you begin treatment is going to send just about any bacteria i've heard of in to prime range for higher reproduction rates. There's no sense in doing it for parasites either that I know of unless you're trying to speed up hatch rates so that you can reduce medication exposure time. The same temperature also might put her into spawning level conditions, especially considering the low nitrates from your water changes. Speaking of which, don't stop those; sounds like you keep the water pretty clean.

If your fish has a dietary defficiency and low appetite, then live food would be a great way to change that. If the appetite is still good, you can go frozen/freeze dried. What are you feeding her?

Right now I'm dosing a gold ram with formalin for pseudomonas spp. The same stuff can help with other seccondary bacterial infections related to the pits caused by the head and lateral line erosion. I'll let you know how it works.
 

aturko

Registered Member
Jan 2, 2009
2
0
0
37
Thanks for the feedback. My first thought was that it was an infected injury, but a second "pimple" like thing is starting to develop a few mm behind the first one. This leads me to believe it might be some sort of cyst or manifestation of a parasite?

I also saw the hole in the head, but I was under the assumption that it was a secondary problem, maybe as a result of the stress she's under?

A little more information: The water has a pH of around 6.8-7.0, with moderate hardness (filtered through peat). I feed the fish frozen bloodworms or daphnia daily. The female is still very active/feeding well/showing breeding colours.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store