My Catfish Is Sick??? Please Help!!

What is the water volume of the tank?
200L

How long has the tank been running?
About a year

Does it have a filter?
Yes, Fluval 206 external

Does it have a heater?
Yes

What is the water temperature?
24 - 26 c

What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)
1 x African Squeaker Catfish
2 x Black tip sharks
1 x Red tip shark
6 x Convicts
6 x Glass Catfish

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
2 weekly

How much of the water do you change?
25%

What do you use to treat your water?
No chemicals - Natural plus filtration only

Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?
Regularly vacuum substrate

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
Established tank

What do you use to test the water?
Test strips - standard

What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia: Unable to record at present
Nitrite: Unable to record at present
Nitrate: Unable to record at present
pH: Unable to record at present

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
Every second day

How much do you feed your fish?
Enough to consume in 2 mins

What brand of food do you feed your fish?
Flake, catfish pellets, frozen blood worms

Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods?
Frozen


Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
Over a year

How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
24 hours - 10 - 12 hours after introducing new Spider wood decor

In a few words, can you explain the symptoms?
Looks like cuts on side of body, surrounded by white spongy looking substance

Have you started any treatment for the illness?
No - not sure if its cuts from the new wood or illness

Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?
No

How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
No

Explain your emergency situation in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now)

Did a complete tank change - Drained tank, cleaned and boiled all décor, substrate etc. Refilled tank as usual, placed new (first time) spider wood pieces in the tank, new plants along with old ones and used filter without cleaning to restart the bacteria growth etc. Got tank up to temperature, let run for a few hours and placed fish back in. All was well, fish exploring and behaving normally.

The following afternoon I noticed that the catfish had a long straight line down his side, which looked like a cut, he had injured himself before on a plastic log and the scratch looked the same just a lot smaller but didn't have the white area he has now. When looking at him closer I noticed a few similar "injuries/illnesses" on his body. Grabbed him with the net to have a closer look, the affected area didnt feel any different to the rest of his body and while touching the area he didnt react or thrash at all, very calm and peaceful in the net as he usually is. The area didnt look like its a deep cut or anything like that, no blood etc. He isn't acting any differently or like its affecting him, not rubbing it on substrate or anything like that, but the area looks whiter today than it did last night and not sure if its the body healing after he has potentially scratched himself on the new spider wood or if in fact it is some kind of disease. none of the other fish are effected, checked them all and none have an similar markings.

I have attached s of the markings while he was in the net.

Please help!!!

 

That looks like he gashed himself open pretty severely on something and the white stuff looks like he's getting some fungal growth on it. I would get him out of the main tank and into a hospital tank right away. First, to get him away from the other fish who might nibble at his wound and keep it from healing and Second, so that the meds you need or may need don't disrupt your biological cycle.
Then go through your main tank VERY carefully, especially the places he hangs out in and make sure there aren't some hidden sharp edges anywhere. This same thing happened to my old Clown Catfish! He had a favorite hiding place in a pile of rocks. As he grew, he had to squeeze harder and harder to fit in his 'niche'. One day he showed up with a nasty cut along his belly. After digging out all the rocks I found that a tiny sharp edge of some plastic light diffuser I had under the sand to protect the tank bottom from the rocks had become exposed from him wiggling deeper and deeper and probably is what caused the wound. I trimmed and sanded it down with a file and remade his 'cave' and over time he healed fine but had an obvious scar afterward. You're squeekers wound looks quite a bit worse. It looks like it actually extends through the skin, and most of the way through the muscle and I'm not sure it hasn't gone all the way through in some spots.

 

That looks really deep. I hope he’ll be ok. Catfish are my favorite fish usually. Let me know what happens if you get a chance. Btw, what is your catfishes name? Good luck Charl.

 

That looks like he gashed himself open pretty severely on something and the white stuff looks like he's getting some fungal growth on it. I would get him out of the main tank and into a hospital tank right away. First, to get him away from the other fish who might nibble at his wound and keep it from healing and Second, so that the meds you need or may need don't disrupt your biological cycle.
Then go through your main tank VERY carefully, especially the places he hangs out in and make sure there aren't some hidden sharp edges anywhere. This same thing happened to my old Clown Catfish! He had a favorite hiding place in a pile of rocks. As he grew, he had to squeeze harder and harder to fit in his 'niche'. One day he showed up with a nasty cut along his belly. After digging out all the rocks I found that a tiny sharp edge of some plastic light diffuser I had under the sand to protect the tank bottom from the rocks had become exposed from him wiggling deeper and deeper and probably is what caused the wound. I trimmed and sanded it down with a file and remade his 'cave' and over time he healed fine but had an obvious scar afterward. You're squeekers wound looks quite a bit worse. It looks like it actually extends through the skin, and most of the way through the muscle and I'm not sure it hasn't gone all the way through in some spots.

That looks like he gashed himself open pretty severely on something and the white stuff looks like he's getting some fungal growth on it. I would get him out of the main tank and into a hospital tank right away. First, to get him away from the other fish who might nibble at his wound and keep it from healing and Second, so that the meds you need or may need don't disrupt your biological cycle.
Then go through your main tank VERY carefully, especially the places he hangs out in and make sure there aren't some hidden sharp edges anywhere. This same thing happened to my old Clown Catfish! He had a favorite hiding place in a pile of rocks. As he grew, he had to squeeze harder and harder to fit in his 'niche'. One day he showed up with a nasty cut along his belly. After digging out all the rocks I found that a tiny sharp edge of some plastic light diffuser I had under the sand to protect the tank bottom from the rocks had become exposed from him wiggling deeper and deeper and probably is what caused the wound. I trimmed and sanded it down with a file and remade his 'cave' and over time he healed fine but had an obvious scar afterward. You're squeekers wound looks quite a bit worse. It looks like it actually extends through the skin, and most of the way through the muscle and I'm not sure it hasn't gone all the way through in some spots.

HI Momgoose58,

Thank you for your reply.

I was shocked when I saw the extent of the wound, so soon after putting in the spider wood. Checked them over and they are full of sharp edges. He’s a bit clumsy as it is, always trying to fit in gaps he just can’t.

In regards to meds, that a may or may not eee, how will I know if it’s advised to treat with meds or wait for it to heal naturally?

Thanks again, really appreciate your assistance.

 

That looks really deep. I hope he’ll be ok. Catfish are my favorite fish usually. Let me know what happens if you get a chance. Btw, what is your catfishes name? Good luck Charl.

HI Lypress,

Thanks for your message, his name is Doby, my gf named him, knowing her prove ally after the elf in Harry Potter. I think he might be a she, but haven’t figured that out yet.

I’ll definitely post his progress on here and thanks for your concern. I love my little Doby and scared the life outta me when I saw him like that. Send me gf a pic, she’s is a way on holiday, she rang immediately and she was almost in tears, thought Doby died

Luckily he/she is still alive and looks ok just a nasty wound I hope. All b cause I stupidly put the spider wood in there as I thought it would make a nice hideout for the other fish.

 

HI Lypress,

Thanks for your message, his name is Doby, my gf named him, knowing her prove ally after the elf in Harry Potter. I think he might be a she, but haven’t figured that out yet.

I’ll definitely post his progress on here and thanks for your concern. I love my little Doby and scared the life outta me when I saw him like that. Send me gf a pic, she’s is a way on holiday, she rang immediately and she was almost in tears, thought Doby died

Luckily he/she is still alive and looks ok just a nasty wound I hope. All b cause I stupidly put the spider wood in there as I thought it would make a nice hideout for the other fish.

Like I said, I'd get him in a separate tank and watch him closely, keep his water very clean, and treat him with an antifungal to start with if you think that white area looks like a fungal growth. Fish can heal really well if they're kept in very clean water and infection prevented. A little Melafix may help too but I'd just do half dose.

 

I had a cory catfish that had a nice gash on his side from some sharp driftwood. I monitored him and noticed his wound began to get infected with a white fuzzy growth, likely fungal. I treated him with Furan-2 in a quarantine tank and he was good as new in 3 days. I really did not think he would make it. I know medications should not be used lightly, but I just wanted to share my experience with nasty gashes.

 

I had a cory catfish that had a nice gash on his side from some sharp driftwood. I monitored him and noticed his wound began to get infected with a white fuzzy growth, likely fungal. I treated him with Furan-2 in a quarantine tank and he was good as new in 3 days. I really did not think he would make it. I know medications should not be used lightly, but I just wanted to share my experience with nasty gashes.

I tend to agree with this. I would treat him as though that white patch IS an infection and Furan 2 is a good choice to treat that.

 

HI all, I’ve monitored Doby for a few days and the site has t gotten any bigger but hasn’t gotten any smaller either. Think it’s time I intervene more directly.

My spare “hospital” tank is much smaller, hopefully he will be ok in it for two or three days. I can’t find the medicine you mentioned locally, all I could find is a product made by intrapet called “antI parasite plus - slime and velvet. Will this work? The picture on the side of the bottle of what it treats looks very similar in colour to what Doby has.

Should I go ahead with the indicated dose and hope that it does as it’s supposed to???

 

I have never been able to find Furan-2 locally, Amazon could have it to you pretty quickly. I have never used that medication so I cannot speak to its effectiveness, but for a gash I would say it probably won’t do the job. If you can get furan-2 I would highly recommend it.

 

HI all, I’ve monitored Doby for a few days and the site has t gotten any bigger but hasn’t gotten any smaller either. Think it’s time I intervene more directly.

My spare “hospital” tank is much smaller, hopefully he will be ok in it for two or three days. I can’t find the medicine you mentioned locally, all I could find is a product made by intrapet called “antI parasite plus - slime and velvet. Will this work? The picture on the side of the bottle of what it treats looks very similar in colour to what Doby has.

Should I go ahead with the indicated dose and hope that it does as it’s supposed to???

That will have no benefit at all. It is an anti-parasitic. You need a medication that treats infection.
Can you post another closeup picture of your catfish and particularly the white area on him? Does it appear fluffy or fuzzy to you? It's not clear whether you're dealing with a bacterial or fungal issue. I know you can get some antibiotic/ antifungals for fish in the UK but you need to get the right one or you're wasting your money aand not helping the Squeaker.

 

I have never been able to find Furan-2 locally, Amazon could have it to you pretty quickly. I have never used that medication so I cannot speak to its effectiveness, but for a gash I would say it probably won’t do the job. If you can get furan-2 I would highly recommend it.

Wait, Meliodas, did you have a bit of a typo there? You said "for a gash...it probably won't do the job" and you "can't speak to it's effectiveness" but you still "highly recommend it"???

 

Wait, Meliodas, did you have a bit of a typo there? You said "for a gash...it probably won't do the job" and you "can't speak to it's effectiveness" but you still "highly recommend it"???

My apologies for the confusion. I meant to convey that I have never used the medication the OP mentioned, and that it will probably not work. However, I have used Furan-2 for gashes and fungus many times to great success!

 

HI all, just a quick update.

Doby is doing great.

The white fuzzy patch is gone and the mark has all but vanished.

I took the photos to my local pet shop and the guy there explained to me that it looks like a heater burn given how perfectly straight the wound was as opposed to a jagged wound from spider wood. He gave me some antI parasite meds as the wound a a few little red spots developing.

Quarantined him, 5 day course of meds and he is good as knew.

See attached pics

Thank you for all your help!