Is this a fungus? Advice needed!

[Adam E]

Hi everyone, little issue with my female A.Cacatuoides.. she has what appears to be a whit mark on her lip and onther on her front left fin. She has been showing some weird signs lately but nothing alarming. She has started spending all her time in the far back corner of my tank. She heavily guards this area from the cherry barbs but isnt worried about the ottos. She still comes out for food and then goes back. She occasionally swims upto my male. Rolls sideways and gives him a flock of her tail then swims back to the corner.

The 1st white mark on her lip I seen before on my male but as hes bigger it was easier to see. On him it looked like a wound from fighting or crashing into a rock whilst chasing something. Time passed it heald. Thinking it may be the same on my female??

The mark on her fin I noticed at the same time I noticed the mark on her lip. The fin looks torn/ripped but it's quite hard to tell as they dont stay still haha. Luckily I've never had to deal with fungus before hence not knowing what it looks like.

I have just finished a treatment of api general cure(250mg metronidazole 75mg praziquantel) so I know it's not a parasite.

Tank parameters
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 10/20
Temp 23.5°

Tank size
80L

Tank mates
1 male cacatuoides
6 cherry barbs and 2 ottos

 

[Adam E]

 

[Adam E]

 

[alto]

Well done on the photos!

When you observe health issues with fish, an excellent first step is daily 50% water changes - even if you can only manage 25% daily, then larger changes on any Days off

(Unfortunately) most fish treatments do not encourage or discuss this practise
(which is standard protocol advised by fish veterinary sites/texts ... eg, when treating with antibiotics, daily water changes of 70-100% are the norm, with daily dosing of the treatment compound (and special attention paid to dissolved oxygen levels - as most treatment compounds sequester oxygen))

In your situation I would remove the female to a separate quarantine/hospital tank (make sure she has suitable caves/hiding spots) and treat with an antibacterial remedy (fish rarely have true “fungal” infections, while various bacterial infections resulting in body/fin/mouth lesions having a “fluffy” appearance are not unusual)
If available, try Sera Bactopur Direkt (the ingredients are pretty decent), if the eSHa 2000 is all that’s available, use this

While eSHa is less forward with ingredient lists these days, they will generally admit that the formulation has not changed significantly

Hello,
Due to a German website, this product contains: (1) 6.3 mg Ethacridine
lactate, (2) 3.2 mg Copper ++, (3) 0.26 mg Methyl orange, (4) 1 mg
Proflavin. This means it is a multifunctiol product. Be careful if you have
certain plants because of (1), (2), or if you have snails, shrimps because
of (2).
Regards
Juergen

Unfortunately when marketing this (or similar products) companies will claim every possible efficacy for each component regardless of the actual active ingredient concentrations meeting active thresholds, or, even if claimed effects are not observed in “bath treatments”

Everyone that bought a fish also purchased
The Manual of Fish Health by Dr. Chris Andrews, Adrian Exell and Dr. Neville Carrington

(much cheaper investment than test kits and most fish remedy’s sold in shops)

Even if you remove the female from the main tank, I would continue with increased water changes over the next couple weeks - when there is an obviously ill fish in a tank, there will be significant “shedding” of various pathogens

 

[Conort2]

If you’ve seen it on the male before it may be from the pair of them lip locking. I’ve seen cichlids do some serious damage to each other’s lips. It does look like mechanical damage rather than fungus. If she’s eating well just keep an eye on her and maybe increase water changes for the time being. Her yellow colouration and the hiding after feeding may indicate she has eggs hidden somewhere.

cheers

Conor

 

[Adam E]

Thanks guys. I am going to move her to a separate tank. I'm just in the last stages of cycling so should be good to go by the weekend! I have had a very good look around the area she covers and I cant see any eggs (that's not to say there isnt any there). She is normally this colour most of the time. Sometimes she goes really bright yellow. My lfs doesn't sell esha products. Only waterlife and api. I do have an antibacterial treatment(api furan-2) which I ordered in from the states to the uk along with the api general cure. Furan-2 will harm my filter bacteria hense why I went for the quarantine tank so my tank wont crash.

I have been doing 25% water changes for the last 3 days. I normally change about 50% every week. I will keep her in the tank for a few more days just to see if any fry appear and also monitor her better as the hospital tank doesn't have a light and is in a dark room to help keep stress to a minimum.

I will update 2moro with any new observations as I no how quickly they can deteriorate... hopefully it is just a battle wound! thanks for all the advice guys. Really appreciate it

 

[alto]

While I agree with Conor’s assessment, I expect fairly quick recovery of mechanical damage to mouth, fins, body
ie, obvious daily improvement
When you see significant and persisting white discolouration (especially if there are “trailing” tissue edges) I vote for intervention
In a healthy, non stressed fish, split or torn fins will heal surprisingly quickly (mouth damage, body lesions are somewhat slower)

 

[Adam E]

Hi guys quick update on the fish. She still seems herself. Not showing any other signs/injuries still hiding in the corner though.. lip looks like its healing but her fin doesn't appear to be any better...

 

[Adam E]