FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I've had this male Angelfish for about a year now. He hasn't had any problems that I have noticed in the past, but within the past week I have noticed these white spots above and behind his left eye. Can anyone identify this? At first I thought it was Ick, but upon close inspection I don't think it is....it appears that the spots are coming from the inside out. No other fish have these white spots and the infected angel has a good appetite and I haven't noticed anything strange like him scraping against anything in the tank or swimming eradically. He is definately still interested in the female as she is about to lay eggs.

Tank parameters:
42G Planted Hex.
Compressed CO2
HOB Emperor 280
8W UV sterilizer
PH = 6.7
NH3/NH4 = 0
NO2 = 0
KH = 4.5-5
No new live stock additions in the past 3 months.
Other tank inhabitants: 1 Female Angelfish, 9 Neon Tetras, 4 head/taillight tetras, 2 SAE, 2 CAE, 1 rubber lip pleco, 12-15 japonica shrimp.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Attached Image:

I'm wondering if maybe your fish hit something in the tank at some point and has cysts as a result, but posting your tank parameters would help (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, Ph, Temp) Any new fish added lately ?

Angels like to defend their territory and are also quite scrappy when mating. Mine hit objects in the tank several times while chasing each other, and getting wounded in the process. (I would cringe when I saw it, then use Melafix to treat the wounds until healed) If yours is still eating hungrily and showing no weird behavior I'd think it be that but would still test parameters to be on the safe side and keep a close eye on things watching for any change.

The Amazon Nut...

Thanks for the information...

This pair of Angels that I have although in a "community" tank have been breeding for several months now. And I have definately noticed the aggressive behavior when defending the eggs and fry.

I posted the tank parameters and tank inhabitants in my original post. Just in case they aren't showing up for everyone to see here they are again: + temp this time.

Tank parameters:
42G Planted Hex.
Compressed CO2
HOB Emperor 280
8W UV sterilizer
PH = 6.7
NH3/NH4 = 0
NO2 = 0
KH = 4.5-5
Temp. = 80-82F
No new live stock additions in the past 3 months.
Other tank inhabitants: 1 Female Angelfish, 9 Neon Tetras, 4 head/taillight tetras, 2 SAE, 2 CAE, 1 rubber lip pleco, 12-15 japonica shrimp.

The angelfish bumps may be the secondary signs of HITH, Hole-In-The-Head, disease. The following is from "Pandora's Aquarium":

Holes that widen the sensory pores in the heads of large fish (this in itself is more aptly ascribed to HLLE, head and lateral line erosion, which in turn is related to a variety of water quality factors, not necessarily an infectious parasite). May exude pus.

IMO, the white spots appear to be a bacterial infection of the widened sensory pores. Past experience with HITH and HLLE points me toward environmental factors as a cause.

My initial treatment would be a large water change (50%), but that is always my initial treatment. If you test for nitrate (NO3), I think that you will find that you may have a reading above 40 ppm. This is the first environmental factor.

The second environmental factor may be diet. If you feed a single type of food, include a second flake or bit type food. In the case of predatory fish, such as angelfish, give them an occasional treat of live blackworms or frozen blood worms.

The secondary treatment for the bumps, if they are not alleviated by water changes and a reduction in nitrates and if they appear to ooze pus, is a broad spectrum antibiotic such as maracyn, kanacyn or erythromycin. The treatment should occur in a hospital tank as the antibiotic may damage or kill your bio-filter.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

I do a 10 gallon water change once a week. That should be more than 25% of my water volume...plus my tank is what I consider heavily planted. I'll check on getting an NO3 test.

As far as diet I feed 3-4 kinds of food on a regular basis.
A flake food is the staple plus at least every other day I feed with either a bit food or blood worms (frozen) and then every other week I buy live brine shrimp.

I don't have a running hospital tank, but I will setup an extra 10g that I have tonight and move him over. With my heavy plant volume and regular water changes I don't think I have a bad nitrate problem, but then again I don't have a test for it.

Thanks for the information...I'll do another 10 gallon water change tongight as I just did 2 days ago....that should give me over 50% new water in the past 2 days. I'll also purchase one of the broad spectrum antibiotics.

Thanks again..and any other advice would be great!
Dan

I found a NO3 test my LFS. According to this test I believe my NO3 in PPM is about 10...definately less than 20ppm, and I haven't done that 2nd water change yet.

I have the hosp. tank setup and I purchased some tetracyline tabs. to treat with. Since the NO3 wasn't to high I am going to use 50% water from tap and 50% from the aquarium the Angel is coming out of...I figured that would be less stressful on him as far as water parameters go.

Attached Image:

I guess I could paraphrase the following article and look like an expert, but I will be honest and provide a link.

[link=Everything you ever wanted to know about HITH / HLLE...
but were afraid to ask!]http://www.worldcichlids.com/diseases/Adamhith.html[/link]

Well written and informative...



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright