Help on a niger

[balogh03]

Okay, you have been very great in helping me for what ever question i have and have critisized (along with others) me enough into getting a QT and i havent had anything but success with it. In my QT i recently purchased a small niger trigger Odonus Niger and several other fish. He acts normal and eats well but there are a white patch in between the body and "swimming fins". It is on both sides of him almost like when fish change colors at night time and when stressed out, but it looks like loss of scales or something. The tank is a 45 long and i am doing 5 gallon WC's every third day. If you could tell what to get to help him, or what is wrong with him that would be great. There are also other fish in there that i got at the same time and they are doing great. I even have a copper banded butterfly that i am pushing my luck with because he eats everything (meaty) that i throw in there.

The picture isnt that good because everytime he sees the camera he hides, but i will continue trying to get a better shot.
View attachment 18105

-augustus

 

[ronj]

you have to be sober when you take pics!!!!LOL..J/K i am bad with pics as well!!!

 

[Cwazy Clown]

hahaha you title is pretty funny too...hahahah...sorry waaay to tempted.

 

[balogh03]

you have to be sober when you take pics

Ever time that i go in there he will be swimming aroung like usual...but the camera comes out and i have to take pictures up the PVC that he is hiding in:lol: .

-augustus

 

[Juanfer]

what other fish do you have with him????
is there any chance that other aggressive fish could have done it???

 

[balogh03]

-copperbanded butterfly
-chalk basslet
-purple psuedo
-pixy hawk
-orangeback basslet

 

[shallowreef]

Are the spots identical on each side as if it were possibly born with them?

 

[jsmkmavity]

hard to say with the photo but sometimes they get a white growth when they are not fed enough or improper diet. its more of a bump than a bare spot though.

 

[balogh03]

Are the spots identical on each side as if it were possibly born with them?

They are almost identical, but not exactly. He did have them when i first got him, but it seems to be getting bigger and that is why i am kind fo worried.

 

[shallowreef]

Well it may be nothing but what i would do is remove that fish from all of the other fish in case it is a disease of some sort you will not contaminate the rest of your new fish.

Then i would get in touch with Steve s and ask him what you are dealing with and how to treat it.

 

[shallowreef]

The picture is a little worthless but it does almost seem like it is normal. I'm not really sure? Maybe you got a rare specie of niger?

 

[balogh03]

Well it may be nothing but what i would do is remove that fish from all of the other fish in case it is a disease of some sort you will not contaminate the rest of your new fish.

that is what i was thinking, but the only problem is that it is my only QT. The fish have been in there for a week, so they still have a little bit to go until the main.

 

[shallowreef]

Well you could do a 5 gal bucket or rubbermaid container and an air pump or a powerhead. I knowyou can get rubbermaid containers cheap.I'm talking like $5-7.

 

[steve-s]

They are almost identical, but not exactly. He did have them when i first got him, but it seems to be getting bigger and that is why i am kind fo worried.

Pretty good chance something nipped it or it's knocked/rubbed into something. It would not be identical on each side if a bacterial infection or similar. Watch the Basslets/Bass in particular, they can be rather nasty in cramped spaces. Also pay heed to where the trigger beds down at night. They can often do a fair amount of self inflicted damage.

Increase the water changes to every day for the next week, 10 gal each. If a mild bacterial infection is developing it will abate when the DOC is eliminated. If it doesn't, Maracyn II or the like will get rid of it but lets wait on that for the short term.

that is what i was thinking, but the only problem is that it is my only QT. The fish have been in there for a week, so they still have a little bit to go until the main.

Not in their/your best interest to remove/separate fish if something bad becomes apparent unless it's an aggression/water quality concern. If one has something all potentially have it so administering all at once makes more sense and is much much easier on you.

 

[balogh03]

Update

Thanks steve!

Okay, i did what you said and have kept up the WC's and the trigger seems to be fine now. It must have just been stress. I will keep up the WC's for another week and then into the main he goes!

thanks again
-augustus

 

[steve-s]