[mrd188]

Hello,

I am having some issues trying to figure out what my angel fish has. It has not been eating recently, breathing quickly, swims near the top of the tank, has white spots, and small holes around its body. At first I thought it was ick, due to white spots appearing on its body (around a 1 mm). I then noticed that after the white spot disappeared little holes appeared (1-2 mm). I have kept adding the ick medication, but I have also started doing some methyline blue dips (50 ppm for 10 seconds). I inject CO2, dose fetalizers, I have been using excel for the last week and half trying to fight some BBA, I have also have been transition to RO water (7dK, 5 GH)

Water parameters:

pH: 6.8 (CO2 controlled, with a pH meter)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
GH & KH: unkown as I have been transitioning to RO

 

[thedood]

A quick google search turns up hexamita but I am not 100%, sure maybe someone else can tell more. Have you added any new stock?

 

[mrd188]

Not recently.I thought it could be Hexamita (Hole in head disease), but it has white bumps while hexamita would be depressions not bumps (I think) .

 

[thedood]

Poor guy. I am sure someone more knowledgeable than I will come along with some answers.

 

[Omar_Razer]

You might increase the oxygen level with an air pump or something. Might help it breath easily. Hold on till someone comes up with some solution

 

[Nordic]

I would try virtually any of the off the shelf external parasite/fungus meds at this stage rather than wait. They all have a picture of your fish on...

Many of them will be die based so be careful of using them in your tank.
If you want to use methylene, do a bath or with large fish, swab the spots.
I don't like methylene dips. I don't feel it allows enough time for the dye to work through thicker patches of fungus etc.
Simply double the dose on the bottle, and bathe for 30 minutes. If the fish still looks ok at that point, see if it can take 5 extra minutes.

Preferably do the bath in a glass pot floating in your tank, to heat up. Repeat twice daily.

 

[mrd188]

So I decided to go with API General Cure, which should deal with parasites including hole in head, I think I am going to keep using the methylene blue baths. He ate some frozen brine shrimp today, which I guess is good.

 

[Nordic]

Good stuff, yeah, it looks like a nice strong fish still.
They can be quite tough, had one live for years with only one eye after a round of pop eye.

 

[FishinGator]

Look for red blood streaks along the edges of the body where the fins are. I just lost an Angelfish to hemorrhagic septicemia, which first presented with tiny white dots then turned into those holes. Mine got attacked by my banded leporinus, which took some scales off and introduced the illness. I QTed him, treated with several different meds (pima/melafix first, then erythomacin, then even tried tetrocyclene). He eventually died. If you can QT him, add an airstone and salt which will help him breathe easier. Good luck in the recovery!

 

[mrd188]

So he is looking much better, he is swimming around and eating again. He still looks a little bloated so I added some epsom salts. Thanks for the help!!!