Help IDing Sickness/Appropriate Meds

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Dopey

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Dec 5, 2002
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My eel (mentioned in post about "Life Span of Spiny Eel") has just begun showing a definite symptom. A reddened patch of skin has appeared on his side, midway on his body. It was not there yesterday. It is about the size of a nickel, is reddish around the edges, and reddish-whitish in the middle. The scales within the reddish circle appear to be dying, beginning to slough off.

The two meds I have are Pimafix and Melafix. But, I'm not exactly sure which of these to use, since I'm not sure what this guy has. I've never seen anything quite like this. I know it's not ich, or fin rot, or pop eye,

Melafix says to use for "open red sores." Pimafix says to use for "reddening of fins and body."

Any help? This guy is old, and may be on his way out. This may be the fish version of geriatric pneumonia. But if I can nurse him back to health, I'd sure like to.

Thanks. :help:
 
it might be an ulcer caused by bacteria. is the eel behaving strange? if it is an ulcer then the melafix is the way to go.
 
start melafix today and call your fish store tomorrow and ask if you can bring the fish in to have them look at it if you still dont feel comfotable with diagnosing it yourself. melafix wont really hurt the fish even if it doesnt help, and it kinda makes your tank smell like eucalyptus.
 
Well, I don't think I'll bring him in to the LFS. I have yet to meet an employee at any of them that knows near as much as I do. (Not a brag about me..... more of a slam about them.) I may stop in and look through their book shelves, though.

No change 12 hours after first Melafix dosage. He is sort of looped around, as if he's protecting the damaged area from anything touching it. I'll wait until 24 hours, then water change and add salt and re dose with melafix.
 
Dopey said:
. . .
No change 12 hours after first Melafix dosage. He is sort of looped around, as if he's protecting the damaged area from anything touching it. I'll wait until 24 hours, then water change and add salt and re dose with melafix.
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Yes, keep up the water changes, LIGHT salt and the melafix. You can also dose Pima at the same time if you wish. I find they work well together.

Is it possible he burned himself on the heater? My kuhliis have a nasty habit of looping around the heater sometimes.

Roan
 
Probably a stasis ulcer, a.k.a a bedsore.

My 14 inch pleco developed on a few months ago. I dosed him with melafix (don’t forget to remove carbon) and did every other day 50% water changes. It took about three weeks of hair pulling and sleepless nights for him to heal completely. Good luck!
 
Burn is doubtful. It does look like a bedsore.

Dosed with Melafix last night. No visible change so far (not surprising.) But, the bad news is, today two angels are dead. Done, starched, cold, kaput. They are, so to speak, "sleepin' wit da fishes."

They had NO symptoms of anything. Could the Melafix be the culprit?? I find it way coincidental that two angels die within 24 hours of adding Melafix. No other fish show any adverse effects.
 
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