crazy injury - need help!!

[VivaLaVics]

My fishey was beat up again and I put him in a hospital, and I didnt get on AC because it was routine. Obviously an aggression injury blah blah, not very bad- clean water, 50% changes all the good stuff... he was looking better, his wound never turned red. It was healing and all was fine, as usual. Well- last night I noticed some white bumps. It was late so I filed it away to look at today, as I am off work. I did a waterchange, as usual and took a closer look.............

He has red scaring ALL down his top fin and red dots and scrapes and irritation scattered over both sides of his body. These are not the original wounds or injuries. The original wound was at the base of his body near his tail as if he had been spinning around with another male and was nipped... as cichlids do...

So this is NEW and I dont know what they heck happened. I've done everything right- like I always do and this time he's just in REALLY poor freaking shape. The only change is that I am using a sponge filter rather than an HOB like I normally do on my hospitals... HELP!

Anyone with ideas? THere was a rock in the tank for him to feel secure behind etc, but I took it out thinking that may have done it- but this is severe. He has stopped eating and I just dont want to lose "Big Yellow"

Here is a pic of his left side. He wont turn around for a pic of the right and I dont want to stress him by making him.

 

[VivaLaVics]

He looks awful...

I am having serious issue with my tanks... ugh! I have a beat up victorian that I want to put in a hospital (from another tank than where this guy is) but this guy has my only hospital and I thought a couple days ago that he was getting better and I could put the other guy in... I guess the fishes are just getting really aggressive... I dont know why. ARG!

 

[VivaLaVics]

GUH! Fishy problems! Why cant things just be OK?

He's at the surface GASPING for air... then I realized... I DONT HAVE AN AIR STRIP IN THERE! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! IDIOT!!!! Could this be the cause? Adding one now!

 

[mel_20_20]

Hi Viva, I'm not an expert at all, but it does look like he's being beaten up. I would definitely keep him in the hospital and do big water changes every day. I know that Danomind, with the shark, had remarkable success doing that with his shark whose injuries were much more dramatic and serious.

I don't know how to advise on the agression issues in your tank. One of the rift valley experts, like Pittbull, or Vader, or one of the others, will probably be online before long and can help with that.

I think your Biig Yellow does have significant injuries, but he should be able to heal up with your good care and away from the aggressors.

I think he might need a nice piece of limestone rock in there to hide behind and help with ph, kh, ang gh, since he's a rift lake guy. Do you have any of that that you could put in there with him?

 

[mel_20_20]

Do you think the ph/TDS/Gh/KH issue is a problem. I mean, if he's in a hospital tank you set up with dechlorinated tap water, how different is that water from the tank he has been in in regards to KH/GH and TDS?

I know most African rift lake setups are high ph, very hard water, is that what conditions were like in his main tank?

 

[VivaLaVics]

I have my cichlids accustomed to a lower PH. Around 7.4, rather than the 8+ that they need, just for these causes. I used a sponge filter this time around and didnt think of setting up air for him as I set up an aerator for the sponge filter... so he's been in there for 5 days without air... I think that may of stressed him and made him more suseptible... I am really puzzled here as that is the only difference... but air could be a big role...

He's hasnt left the bubble stone I put in there since I put it in a few minutes ago- so I think he is really oxegyn deprived... I'm a terrible mom! I had a guppy die this morning, a Vic was beat up a few days ago and this guy was beat up and put in a hospital only to get worse... UGH! I hate bad fish weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VivaLaVics]

Mel- one more note... he did have aggression injuries that were healing and are no longer noticable. I decided 2 days ago that he would need until the weekend to fully recover and be placed back in his original tank.

These are new and not even located where his original injury was... THAT is why I feel like I did this to him and why I am so puzzled!!! He got WORSE in my hospital tank.

As always, I love having your support!!!

 

[VivaLaVics]

Sorry- Another reply by myself lol.

After a closer look I think it may be a fungus, and there are red streaks. So I have and will treat for the next 5 days with a combo of Maracyn and Maracyn Two.

 

[leeser28]

I just read this, but right off the bat I was thinking that he's ended up with a bacterial infection possibly aggrevated by scratching himself on the rock try to get it off. I think using the maracyns is a good idea -- and of course clean water, etc., etc. all that stuff you already know I hope he gets batter soon.

 

[mel_20_20]

Viv, I worry that Lisa, AKA Leeser28, may be right about bacterial infection. Especially since you see a red streak. That doesn't sound like fungus.

My brochis, that I just finished treating, had red splotches under the skin and a red streak extending from one of the blotches. I've had a guppy with bacterial infection, about a year ago, that looked like that also that succumbed to the infection.

I treated my brochis with Macaryn and Macaryn II and big water changes (80-90%) every 24 hours for 5 days, and I think at that time the infection was fully under control, but I continued for 3 more days after that for a total of 8 days of anitibiotic treatment.

I can't say enough about how bad my fish looked. Fire engine red splotches and that ominous red streak.

If his wounds did appear to be getting better and now these other signs and symptoms have appeared, I believe he would need broad spectrum antibiotic treatment and those two meds do that.

You may be right that the lack of O2 has contributed to this, but please don't beat yourself up over that. You're doing everything you can to help your big little guy.

A more experienced AC member may come along with a better Rx for antibiotic treatment, but those two are readily available and easy to use. I think jumping on it very quick and starting meds right away is very advisable, based on my recent bout with a serious bacterial infection. Septicemia is a possibility if it is an infection and there is a delay in treatment.