# Angelfish problem



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

I've had my 4 angels for well over a year now and they have been extremely healthy until recently. Well, 3 are still very healthy, but one is not doing so well. This is my largest silver angel (but even though he's the largest, he's the odd one out. 2 of mine have somewhat paired off and the smallest one is somehow left alone, but the pair are constantly driving the big guy off to one corner of the tank). About a week or so ago, I noticed that he had a couple of small marks on his body. I took this as wounds from the other angels, and decided to keep an eye on him. Since then, he has many more of these marks and also has a hole right through his body (just above the anal fin). the hole is about the size of a pencil lead (very strange!). He eats normally and acts normally (unless he's being bullied). Yesterday, I moved him into my 20 gallon quarantine tank. 

Does anyone know what this is? 
No pics yet, but I'll try to get one if no one has figured it out by then.

Thanks.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

kweenshaker said:


> I've had my 4 angels for well over a year now and they have been extremely healthy until recently. Well, 3 are still very healthy, but one is not doing so well. This is my largest silver angel (but even though he's the largest, he's the odd one out. 2 of mine have somewhat paired off and the smallest one is somehow left alone, but the pair are constantly driving the big guy off to one corner of the tank). About a week or so ago, I noticed that he had a couple of small marks on his body. I took this as wounds from the other angels, and decided to keep an eye on him. Since then, he has many more of these marks and also has a hole right through his body (just above the anal fin). the hole is about the size of a pencil lead (very strange!). He eats normally and acts normally (unless he's being bullied). Yesterday, I moved him into my 20 gallon quarantine tank.
> 
> Does anyone know what this is?
> No pics yet, but I'll try to get one if no one has figured it out by then.
> ...


----------



## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

I've never kept angels so please keep that in mind. Its hard to tell from the pictures but it looks to me like Hole In The Head-Hexametia. (HITH) I believe Big Al's carries a product called Hex Out. I keep a product called Metro Meds on hand which treats HITH. The Fish Sempai keeps it and does ship but I'd try getting my hands on some meds asap.

http://www.goldfishconnection.com/shop/details.php?productId=9&catId=5

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdhith.htm


----------



## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

This could be a tress related problem. If it is HITH the fish will have pits on the head and along the lateral line. 
If the fish is eating and behaving normally, I would just keep an eye on it and not treat for a while.
HITH symptoms are fish are off food, hang out in a corner and stringy white poop hanging from the anus. Holes appear in advanced cases.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Hmm...this is tricky. He doesn't have white poo...but the holes are getting worse  He's starting to hang out in the top corner of the tank a lot now and only comes out to feed. 

If I were to treat him with that metro stuff, a: where do i get it and b: should I treat just him or the whole tank? (The other fish do not seem to have symptome)

Also, does metro affect the biofilter?


----------



## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

You can get Metro (Metronidazole) from your vet or try MOPS.CA. Dan carries it. If the fish is eating you can add it to the food. I mix 1/4 tsp with a little warm water mix it well and soak freeze dried tubifex or bloodworms in it for about 2 hrs. You can do the same with flake food. 
If the fish is not eating treat the whole tank. Raise the temp to 90 and treat at the rate of 400mg of Metro to 10g water. The tank needs four treatments at 8hr intervals with wc between treatments.
Metro does not have any affect on the biofilter.
Sounds a little complicated but it works.
HTH


----------



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

he looks like loaches have been biting him


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Pablo said:


> he looks like loaches have been biting him


that would be a relief if i had any loaches!! hehehe

Update: he's still in my 20 gal quarantine - it's a bare bottom with some wood and a few plants for cover - i increased the temp to about 89*F and have been doing daily water changes. Not sure if he is doing any better, but he is still eating. Thinking of ordering some metro from mops today...but am still unsure about whether or not i should treat my main tank as well. (Like I said before, none of the other fish are showing symptoms,) but is it better safe than sorry? Or would metro cause harm to healthy fish/the biofilter?


----------



## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

If the fish in your main tank are healthy,I would not treat them. Metro will not effect your biofilter but will cause some stress to your fish. Just treat your sick fish.


----------



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Post in the disease and nutrition section @ cichlidforum.com

It may be a systemic bacterial or parasitic infection- however as mentioned only treat the affected fish. I would just treat the angel in quarantine once you knwow hats up with it and then just keep the water really clean in your main tank by doing daily water changes for awhile incase whatever it was is parasitic to depleat its numbers.


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

will do, thanks.

Another thing - are any of these parasites transmittable to humans? I obviously wash my hands after touching the water, etc, but should I take extra caution?


----------



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Pretty much nothing in freshwater that you should worry about.
SW yes, kind of. FW no.


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Ask Pablo about my left thumb...LMAO! The only microorganism that one should worry about is _Mycobacterium sp._. In FW the only issue is fish TB which is extremely rare these days.

Funny though...the dermatologists took biopsies and sent them to the lab and they couldn't figure it out. I did my own biopsy and mDNA search in university and it's a mix of _M.avium_, _M. marinae_ and _M. smegmatis_.

Working in a pet shop at the time, cleaning dirty bird cages, handling live rock as well as my thesis project w/ municipal and industrial effluent, _M.smegmatis_ and different plant sterols that year not much sleep and 3 pots of coffee/day...hooo momma! I'm lucky it was just my thumb...LOL!


----------



## kweenshaker (Mar 11, 2006)

Wow, Wilson! That sounds intense!!


----------



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

wtac said:


> Ask Pablo about my left thumb...LMAO! The only microorganism that one should worry about is _Mycobacterium sp._. In FW the only issue is fish TB which is extremely rare these days.
> 
> Funny though...the dermatologists took biopsies and sent them to the lab and they couldn't figure it out. I did my own biopsy and mDNA search in university and it's a mix of _M.avium_, _M. marinae_ and _M. smegmatis_.
> 
> Working in a pet shop at the time, cleaning dirty bird cages, handling live rock as well as my thesis project w/ municipal and industrial effluent, _M.smegmatis_ and different plant sterols that year not much sleep and 3 pots of coffee/day...hooo momma! I'm lucky it was just my thumb...LOL!


That's why Rayniel always used those elbow length gloves and smeared himself to like ALIEN 3 levels of Nivea when he worked @ menagerie


----------



## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Awwww c'mon aqua gloves are hawt!


----------



## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

Aquagloves 1 haute coutoure 0


----------

