Sick Congo Tetra - diagnosis and treatments?

Tetras, Hatchetfish, Pencilfish, Other Characin Fish (Silver Dollar, Headstander, Leporinus)
Si4geckos
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One of my Congos has recently got flakey skin is the best way I can describe it. Not cotton wool like or raised scales, just a load of white flakey bits. Any thoughts on what it is or what meds to order? Might general cure him tomorrow unless I get a better suggestion. He seems to be breathing a bit faster than the others, but still buoyant and swimming about. Not quite as aggressive as the others at feeding time.


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black ghost
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Is it coming out from between the scales or is it growing in the scales? If it’s coming out from inside it’s systemic and probably fungal. If it’s on the scales it could be protozoan. It looks like the description of Epistylis. I would treat with Protozin. I’m not familiar with general cure.
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plankton
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Sounds like the way forward as @black ghost suggests.
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F3l1ss
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Poor thing, looks like it's missing the top bit of its mouth too? Hope you can treat it in time!
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Si4geckos
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Been doing more research and Salt baths and bacterial treatments are recommended. He's had a salt bath yesterday and today and in a hospital tank with general cure before I try the whitespot type stuff. He's still in the game, but it's like the disease is starting to eat away at between his scales. Thankfully nobody else in the tank is showing any signs. Another 2 days of salty baths and general cure, then it's onto the next med. From what I read he needs antibiotics really, but the shipping from America is about a month and I can't see him lasting that long if he doesn't get them sooner.
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mantis
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Si4geckos wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 22:13 pm Been doing more research and Salt baths and bacterial treatments are recommended. He's had a salt bath yesterday and today and in a hospital tank with general cure before I try the whitespot type stuff. He's still in the game, but it's like the disease is starting to eat away at between his scales. Thankfully nobody else in the tank is showing any signs. Another 2 days of salty baths and general cure, then it's onto the next med. From what I read he needs antibiotics really, but the shipping from America is about a month and I can't see him lasting that long if he doesn't get them sooner.
Really hoping for a positive outcome here, he's a lovely fish. Hopefully the treatment works out and he's back in the tank in no time :)
Si4geckos
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mantis wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 22:56 pm
Si4geckos wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 22:13 pm Been doing more research and Salt baths and bacterial treatments are recommended. He's had a salt bath yesterday and today and in a hospital tank with general cure before I try the whitespot type stuff. He's still in the game, but it's like the disease is starting to eat away at between his scales. Thankfully nobody else in the tank is showing any signs. Another 2 days of salty baths and general cure, then it's onto the next med. From what I read he needs antibiotics really, but the shipping from America is about a month and I can't see him lasting that long if he doesn't get them sooner.
Really hoping for a positive outcome here, he's a lovely fish. Hopefully the treatment works out and he's back in the tank in no time :)
Appreciate that. I feel like I got them too big. I bought them last year because they were huge, but maybe they're coming to the end of their life span. Started off with 12 and already down to 9. They seem to go downhill fast, but it is the biggest ones that have been affected. I saw some on Instagram that someone described as years old and full grown, but they looked much smaller and less stocky than mine. Feel like I should've got juveniles. Fingers crossed this one pulls through.
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plankton
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Always a problem with older fish Si.
You never know how they've been looked after previously (diet, tank size, water quality, etc.).
I hope it pulls through.
Salt baths are often surprisingly effective for all sorts of pathogens, but not just adding salt to the tank.
Si4geckos
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His skin started looking a little better, but there were a couple of large red areas that looked very sore and sadly he gave up today. At least I had a go at saving him.
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lunar jetman
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Si4geckos wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 16:49 pm His skin started looking a little better, but there were a couple of large red areas that looked very sore and sadly he gave up today. At least I had a go at saving him.
Sorry to hear that, At least you did what you could.
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