Mark on Platy

[Jon_D]

I noticed this whitish mark on the side of the Play's face. Its not a spot, and it doesn't seem to bother the fish as she eats and swims well.
Any ideas?
There was a male Swordfish which mated with her some time ago, and she is the mum of the two babies which survived, but he is now deceased.

[Martinspuddle]

Only one side @Jon_D?

[Jon_D]

Yes, only one side.

[Martinspuddle]

Could be a bruise. I use to find coloured livebearers seem to suffer from this from time to time.

Just keep an eye on it, plus a dose of Melafix would do any harm.

[Jon_D]

As @Martinspuddle suggest I dosed the CT with Melafix ; that was 10 days ago. Sadly the fish seems worse, and the mark seem larger (see potos) and I feel that the mark on the side of its face is also damage to its gills. It now continually swims with its mouth on the surface of the water. I wonder if I should euthenise it with Clove Oil to prevent any suffering, or leave it and hope it improves. Advice will be most welcome.

Micro Bubbles in the water are from oxygenating filter: photo can be enlarged.

[plankton]

It could be columnaris, but it doesn't look quite right for that as it's only one side.
Having looked at it again, it looks more like an ulcer of some kind, rather like a burn.

[Martinspuddle]

Sorry @Jon_D ...the joys of work.

Seeing it now I agree with @plankton and think also it could well be an ulcer.

While the Melafix would helped to a degree, this needs something a little more radical and quite possibly you may still lose this fish.

An aquarium salt bath would be my next course of action, use aquarium salt not table salt and being a livebearer this fish should withstand the salt.

A ¼ tablespoon aquarium salt to 5 litres of water.

[Jon_D]

Sadly I had to put the little fish out of it obvious pain. It was lying on its side bottom of the CT, gasping. It only took a few seconds with the Clove Oil to euthenise it. If you look carefully at the expanded photo it can be seen that whatever the discolouring was, it had spread under the fish's jaws and its left gills, hence its gasping for oxygen. A very close examination seemed to show that this was a huge blister of sorts. There was no open wound. I wonder if the fish had received this by brushing against the heater when it had been chased by the male. A consolation is that I have at least two of its babies swimming in the CT.

[Martinspuddle]

Sorry to hear that @Jon_D.

If your concerned about the heater many stores online still sell heater thermostat guards.

[Gingerlove05]

Sorry for your loss Jon