Calling Kate c

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:26:24 GMT

Hi Kate, I will e mail you.

Re: Calling Kate c

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:35:19 GMT

Hello again

Sorry don't get much chance to come on here at the mo! You can always get me on email kateclaxton@googlemail.com Long term, I think that rehoming him is probably the best solution because a 60litre tank is going to be too small for him. Keeping potentially large fish in smaller tanks stunt fishes' growth - the biggest myth in fishkeeping being that 'fish only grow to the size of the tank'. However, if he's unwell, it's unlikely anywhere will take him at the mo because of risk to other stock (unless they have a hospital/isolation tank available). What were your water parameters from the tests? How often do you do water changes?

Looking at the pic, he's def a S. eupterus but it's hard to see the patches (nice try tho!). The problem with the Featherfin catfish is that its often misidentified and sold by fish shops as as S. nigriventris, the Network/Upside-down Catfish, which only grows to about 10cm...fell for that one myself very early on in the hobby! Would suspect it's a bacterial/fungal infection secondary to water chemistry issues. You need to get some water test results asap - if you don't have a test kit, take a sample of the tank water to a reputable local fish store (LFS) and they will test it for you. Clarity isn't really a good indicator of water quality - to quote my LFS, vodka is clear but fish can't live in it! My community setup has bogwood in it which leeches tannins into the water making it look brown-tinged but that's perfectly normal (and in fact desirable/beneficial for many soft water Amazonian biotopes!).

Re the feeding issue - always 'underfeed' fish - they are natural scavengers and in the wild will be continually looking for food. Once a day or every other day is sufficient - mine get fed every other day.

Of the links Carolyn1 has put above, Age of Aquariums, aka Aquahobby, is a great site - the community on there is really supportive. I'm an Advisor on there under the name Mogwai, again, don't check in as much as I used to, but it's a fab site. There's people on there with decades of experience and it's well worth having a look (and admiring some of my lovely photos in the Gallery, hehe) xxx

Re: Calling Kate c

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:00:42 GMT

Amazing Reef Tank

Amazing Aquarium Design Company (Gallerys top right)

Zeroedge Aquariums (video click right side)

Age of Aquariums

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:19:27 GMT

Hi Kate,

I have decided to re home Colin, after reading your post regarding tank size, it got me worried and even though he is not fully grown yet, I dont think I have room for a tank the size he needs. I thought of contacting the sealife centre as they took some pirrahna(sp?) from a friend of mine a few years back.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:42:42 GMT

Oh an these are the goldfish in the other tank..

Their water always seems so crystal clear compared to the tropical tank, they have an undergravel filter.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:37:58 GMT

Hi Kate,

I have done my best wit the pics of Colin(catfish) and I have also taken pics of the rest of the fish in the tank with him, there are 6 more fish in there.It is a 60 litre tank, and he is about 5-6 inches long... now judging by what you have said above, I am reckoning this tank is too small for him??

The picture I managed to get of him, you can see the marks on him though not clear.. the smaller of the 2 spots is white skin basiaclly, while the larger looks like a scab

I cleaned the tank 3 days ago which was my daughters job before she left for the RAf, so now it is my responsibility. I will get a kit and check what I need to as well.

I washed the filters in the tank water that I removed, I put in the recommended amount of all the chemicals that are up there...stress zyme, de chlorinating chemicals etc,

I have overfed the last couple of days though, as I have noticed abuild up on the floor of the tank that has not been eaten, I am always worried that the catfish does not get his share, as the little ones are right in there when I put his pellets in... they eat that and their own flakes.

Re: Calling Kate c

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:57:10 GMT

Sorry not been on for a while! Yes sounds like you have a fungal/bacterial infection on his fin, these sorts of things are often secondary to poor water quality so first thing I would do is to check your water parameters - get yourself a kit which tests ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and pH.

If you can try and get a pic of the problem, it would be easier to see eaxactly what's going on there but I appreciate synos are hard to get piccies of - I have a Synodontis flavitaeniatus which I hardly ever see, let alone get chance to photograph! Cat Woman is quite right about pet shop remedies and scaleless fish - you can use most remedies at half dose, but it's better to check water quality first before you put anything additional into the water. The majority of fish-illnesses are related to problems such as overpopulation, overfeeding, high nitrAte levels, insufficient water changes or a combination of the above! Synodontis eupterus, which you have posted the piccy of, are quite large synos - about 10in as adults, I had one at 12in which I had to rehome from a 440litre tank, so are quite prone to bacterial infections if crowded and immunosuppressed. What size tank is he in? What sort of fishies does he live with?

Re: Calling Kate c

Cat Woman — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:28:06 GMT

Just be a bit careful using some of the "remedies" from petshops. Alot of them are not intended for use in scaleless fish - which catfish are considered to be.

Re: Calling Kate c

bongo — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:33 GMT

its a bacterial infection, not sure if it sets in if the fish have a small injury or are feeling stressed. I cant think of any changes that occured in my tank before mine got it and only one got it at a time (i've had it happen to two fish on two seperate occaisions). think its just one of those things but I wouldn't worry too much because its easy enough to treat and the fish now seem fine.

If you do go for that stuff just be aware that it has lots of precautions on the bottle and is irritant. It also stains clothes/ carpets if you spill it!!

hope you get on ok.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:41:09 GMT

Hi Bongo, do you know what causes it?

Re: Calling Kate c

bongo — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:40:18 GMT

my tropical fish occaisionally get this and I treat them for ulcers using a product called Myxazin, seems to work. Its a five day treatment that you just measure out and put in the water, doesnt affect the other fish.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:35:29 GMT

I have managed to have a look at it, and it looks like a scab of sorts.At first I thought it was a flake of fish food, but one of the scabs has come off, leving white skin underneath, while the other scab is still on...I am thinking he has injured himself somehow..I have had a look at some fish sites and I can see anything that resembles it.

All the other fish are fine too,so I am just going to see if it improves over the next couple of days then take it from there.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:14:24 GMT

Thanks.

Re: Calling Kate c

Cat Woman — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:11:04 GMT

Could be fungal growths or damage to the fin. Hopefully you will get a better look tomorrow. Good luck!

Re: Calling Kate c

Vicky RVN — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:06:33 GMT

Hmmm i don't know then!

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:05:49 GMT

[quote user="Cat Woman"]

Try using a small torch with the lights off to get a better look, that what I do with my catfish & it seems to worry them less than full light.

[/quote]

I will try that tomorrow if he does not come out during the day with the tank lights off, the thing is when he is out he is round that tank like nobodys business, so he does not stay still long enough to get a look with a torch, so I am hoping I will see it better with natural light.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:03:47 GMT

Hi vicky, dont think it is that, as I have not put any new fish in the tank, plus these spots are bigger than white spot.

Re: Calling Kate c

Vicky RVN — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:01:19 GMT

If they are small white dots it could be white spot, which you can get a treatment for. It will spread to other fish and over the rest of the catfish.

Re: Calling Kate c

Cat Woman — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:56:20 GMT

Try using a small torch with the lights off to get a better look, that what I do with my catfish & it seems to worry them less than full light.

Re: Calling Kate c

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:55:59 GMT

I have just googled a picture of the type he is