FW Ang Dis F 9

FAQs on Freshwater Angelfish Disease/Health 9

FAQs on Angelfish Disease: Angelfish Disease 1, Freshwater Angel Disease 2, FW Angel Disease 3, FW Angel Health 4, FW Angel Health 5, FW Angel Health 6, FW Angel Health 7, FW Angel Health 8, FW Angel Health 9, FW Angel Health 10, FW Angel Health 11, FW Angel Health 12,

FAQs on Angelfish Disease by Category: Diagnosis, Environmental, Nutritional (e.g. HLLE), Social, Infectious (Virus, Bacterial, Fungal), Parasitic (Ich, Velvet...), Genetic, Treatments,

Chatting re FW Angel injury; using WWM 9/7/15
Hi I have emailed you guys before about my fish dying randomly in my tanks and we haven't had anymore deaths!
<Ah good>
But my favourite angelfish decided to venture into the unknown today where my Pleco likes to be and he got himself stuck in a hole of the log decoration I have in my tank.
<Unusual>
He was swimming upwards and if my dad didn't notice I think he would have died pretty soon after. He was wedged in so tightly my dad had to push him out and we took the long out of my tank. He is now swimming on his side and keeps floating to the top of the tank. He has a wound on his belly and I am emailing to see if there is anything at all I can do for him.
<Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWAngDisDiagF.htm
and the linked files above>
I get so attached to some of my fish but me and this fish, Gabriel, have such a strong bond. He always swims as close as he can to me when I walk by the tank and he will even go up to the glass if im there and I kiss the glass where he is or whenever I am cleaning the water he wont leave my arm alone and always swims so he is touching me. I love this fish so much and I want to do whatever I can in order to save him. Im crying just writing this and I have no idea what I should do for him.
<Likely the Pleco caused the injury here... Learn to/use WWM before writing us. We're not a chat service. Bob Fenner>

Angelfish fins are ragged 6/10/15
Hello, I have a 10 gallon tank, with 2 Angels, 2 Pink Kissing Gouramis, and 1 Plecostomus.
<This aquarium is literally ten times too small. Pair of Angels? Twenty gallons, alongside various little fish (Corydoras for example). Kissing Gouramis, which get to about 8 inches/20 cm as adults, they're more suited to tanks upwards of 55 gallons, plus difficult to feed as well, so not for beginners. Plecostomus? Massive fish. 18 inches/45 cm within 2-3 years, and easily 8 inches/20 cm in the first year. Minimum tank size 55 gallons, and that's only if you generously filter the water unless you enjoy seeing bucket loads of faeces floating around. Realistically, 75 gallons upwards. Mix them all together, and we're talking about a jumbo fish community, 100 gallons upwards.>
The tank has been set up for about 2 months. I have a water heater (water stays around 80F), and a Whisper Filter, which I change filters 1X/month.
<"Change" or clean the filter? You shouldn't change biological media once the tank is set up. Rinse in a bucket of aquarium water, then return to the filter. The only filter media that need replacing monthly are carbon and zeolite (often this latter is sold as "ammonia remover") neither of which you need. Biological media is all you need for plain vanilla freshwater community tanks.>
I have added the recommended amt. of AquaSafe when setting tank up and also add during water changes which I have done 1X/week.
<Good.>
The Angels, "Ghost" [a black&silver striped Angelfish] & "Shadow"[a all dark black Angelfish] have been in the tank since I set it up (2months).
<Nice looking fish.>
Ghost has grown at a faster rate than Shadow. I assumed this meant one was the dominant one.
<Almost certainly correct. Angels are sociable when young, but become territorial as they mature. Unless you have a mated pair -- and no, you can't sex them -- then it's pot luck whether two specimens will coexist. Two females usually will, but two males won't, and the usual story is one bullies the other, and the weak one at the very least becomes stunted from lack of food, but often gets killed. Angels are best kept singly, as mated pairs, or in groups of at least 6 specimens that allows aggression to be diluted.>
The Gouramis I added a month after I set up the tank (1 month ago). The fish seemed to get along fine, the Gouramis chase each other around the tank most of the day
<Again, not social when mature. "Kissing" is actually fighting.>
and the Angelfish have paired up (Ghost always being the dominant one of the two) and follow each other around
<Do observe who follows who. If it's mutual, sometimes Ghost leading, and sometimes Shadow, they may well be a pair. Females grow slightly more slowly than males, and on top of that there is variation in growth rate and adult size, just as with humans. But if one is always in front and the other always following it, the one doing the following may in fact be chasing the one in front, in which case aggression could be occurring. To repeat: Angels are social when young, not as adults, at least not under aquarium conditions.>
while the plecostomus sucks no pun intended, until lately, Ghost is acting more "macho" or aggressive or territorial (not sure which one) towards all the fish but the plecostomus, (I assume because he/she stays out of his/her way) but especially most towards the smaller Angel (Shadow).
<See above.>
Ghost seems to bully Shadow especially around feeding time [trying] to make sure Shadow doesn't get any food (possibly the reason one is bigger than the other?) A week ago I noticed Shadow (the black Angel) had what looks like nips on his fins. Today he(she)? has even more ragged fins. I'm concerned and know this is not right. Please help, I don't want any of my fish to suffer! R.S.V.P. A.S.A.P! Thanks for any suggestions/info.
-Holly & Ivey
<Raggedy fins are a sign of fighting. Next stage will be Finrot and/or Fungus. Move one of them to another aquarium -- not a breeding trap! -- and provided the raggedy one isn't infected already, it'll get better. This tank is too small anyway, so retire the 10 gallon to hospital and breeding tank purposes, and go invest in something MUCH bigger. Alternatively, return some fish, and keep a single Angel in something sensible, 20 gallons for example. Thanks for sending in a nice and simple question! Not often things are cut and dried, but the problems are obvious here, so solving them will be straightforward. Cheers, Neale.>

Help with Angelfish issue? /RMF 4/18/15
Good Afternoon, Been trying to figure out what is happening with my FW angelfish.. I bought 10 or so Blue gene fish back in July of 2014.. At about 1 a month they have become sick and died.. Many with weird sores at the base of the dorsal fin and others with them through out their bodies..
Some have just gotten bloating and died. I have treated with general cure, Prazi, metro, metro flake for possible hex. I have 1 of those fish left and a few of my other angels in there are acting weird now, staying in the corner breathing heavy.. The Tetras, Corys, Bristlenoses are fine.
Thanks
Jonathan
<Mmm; will send this on to Neale for his independent response; but want to ask for myself: Have you contacted the vendor re these losses? What re the system, water quality tests? Bob Fenner>
Re: Help with Angelfish issue? 4/18/15
I have talked to the vendor. They had me try the metro but that was about it. Its a heavily planted 55 gallon. The parameters are good.. 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 5 Nitrate.. Wc 40-50% at least once a week.
<All good>
I attached a few pictures
Thanks
<Mmm; the marks, apparent bloating, eyes bulging in some specimens... Do you save up the new water... Am wondering if emphysematosis (the "bends") might be at play here. BobF>
Jonathan

Help with Angelfish issue? /Neale's go 4/18/15
Good Afternoon, Been trying to figure out what is happening with my FW angelfish.. I bought 10 or so Blue gene fish back in July of 2014.. At about 1 a month they have become sick and died.. Many with weird sores at the base of the dorsal fin and others with them through out their bodies..
Some have just gotten bloating and died. I have treated with general cure, Prazi, metro, metro flake for possible hex. I have 1 of those fish left and a few of my other angels in there are acting weird now, staying in the corner breathing heavy.. The Tetras, Corys, Bristlenoses are fine.
Thanks
Jonathan
<Jonathan, while I'd like to help, there's nothing here that's of use to me. How big's the tank? What are the water chemistry parameters? What's the water quality in terms of nitrite or ammonia? How frequently do you do
water changes? Basically, I need some info here (and I don't mean words like "fine" to describe water quality). Assuming you got a bunch of sibling fish from one breeder, there's a good chance they're inbred already, lowering their robustness (something we see in virtually all these "fad" Angelfish varieties such as Koi Angels) but in itself this doesn't mean they're doomed to die. So something is definitely wrong with your system that triggered what would appear to be a bacterial infection, perhaps Mycobacteria. It's time to be objective, and review your set-up. Ten inbred young Angels would need careful nurturing, probably in a clean hospital tank until they were at least half adult size. Zero ammonia, zero
nitrite, and nitrate below 20 mg/l. Beyond that, a lot depends upon all the usual factors required when caring for Angels, but more so, since these fish aren't as robust as, say, old school Silver Angels. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Help with Angelfish issue?
I have talked to the vendor. They had me try the metro but that was about it. Its a heavily planted 55 gallon. The parameters are good.. 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 5 Nitrate.. Wc 40-50% at least once a week. I attached a few pictures
Thanks
Jonathan
<Water quality sounds okay. But how different was your water chemistry to that of the breeders? Your heavily planted tank... does it use CO2? Not always a good combo with delicate fish because of the risk of less than stable oxygenation and pH levels... would settle in new livestock of this type, delicacy in their own, clean aquarium until at least half size so
you're sure they've put on weight and acquired some degree of health.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Help with Angelfish issue? 4/18/15
her water is 7.8 and rock hard Im told.
Mine is water is 6.8 and 1 degree total hardness
<Well, how did you acclimate your new livestock to the change in pH and, just as importantly, hardness? While I doubt this was the reason for their death, it's possible it exacerbated any underlying problems.>
no C02
<Fair enough. Well, my money would be on some sort of environmental stress alongside a microbial (perhaps Mycobacteria) infection. Next time, don't expose the fish to sudden/dramatic changes in pH and hardness; do quarantine sensitive livestock for 6 weeks, minimum, and in the case of young Angels, the longer the better. Angels ship poorly at the "coin size" or smaller stages, but become a lot more rugged above 3 inches/8 cm.>
Thanks
Jonathan
<Welcome. Neale.>
Re: Help with Angelfish issue? 4/18/15
Thank you for the help
I just drip acclimated.
Any suggestions to help the fish that are left? Thanks
Jonathan
<So far the remaining fish go, since you've made the change in terms of water chemistry, there's no point trying to undo that. So instead focus on optimising water quality, and if possible, and it wouldn't stress them too much, perhaps move them to a quarantine tank you can keep spotlessly clean.
I'd be thinking something around 20 gallons, minimal (easy clean!) decor, no substrate, limited/no lighting, some floating Indian Fern if you do have lighting (Angels love this stuff, and it sucks up nitrate!), same water chemistry as main tank, and equipped with mature air-powered sponge filter.
No Angel likes fighting against a water current, and youngsters can be exhausted by it. So air-power is always the best choice where practical. In short, keep the remaining youngsters somewhere clean, shady, and with a gentle current. Offer them numerous small meals (4-6 meals is the ideal for Angels below, say, an inch in length, and even under two inches, I'd be offering 3-4 small meals rather than just one big dinner). If you leave them in the main tank, check they're getting enough to eat, not struggling against the water current, have plenty of shade and shelter, and aren't being harassed by tetras, danios and other hyperactive species. Cheers, Neale.>

Care of blinded angelfish 1/13/15
Hello! I am hoping you can offer some advice or suggestions. My query is rather unique. I have an angelfish whose eyes were pecked out by her mate once they began spawning. I would guesstimate that I have had both for around a year and a half. Although he would aggravate her around the time it was to spawn the violent attack happened out of the blue. They resided in a 40 gallon high tank with some smaller tetras and Corys.
<Ahh; an example of why angels, like discus, should be raised in small groups... like six individuals; to diffuse such aggression>
The tank is not over-crowded, but because the angelfish were still growing the tank probably shouldn’t be added to. The tank itself has been established for over two years.

I came home one evening and saw the female angelfish was hiding. Closer inspection showed that both of her eyes had been pecked out! I immediately put up a divider to keep him away and began to seed a separate tank for her. While still in the large tank, but protected somewhat (the male was very aggressive in breaking through the divider to get to her), the female began to rely on me to hand feed her every night. I couldn’t think of any other way since she could not see to eat and she would have starved. Eventually I was able to move her to her own tank. It is a 10 gallon, which I know is way too small for an angel, but in considering her disability she was able to figure out the dimensions and swim freely. The tank is very basic and only has substrate, a small plastic plant, and one Bloodfin tetra, all of which I used to help seed from the large tank. My little angelfish adapted exceptionally well in her new surroundings, finally relaxed, and for many months we met every night for her feedings and I began to refer to her as my “roommate” (her tank is in my room). As soon as she heard me open the lid she would swim to the top, mouth open, and I would use tweezers to feed her. Because she is so messy (understandably so) we lose a significant portion of flake
<I'd use a good pelleted form: Hikari, Spectrum... more discrete, nutritious>
to the bottom. I have had to be diligent in vacuuming the gravel and water changes (at least weekly if not more) because of excess food and my concern for infection. Although I am aware they prefer schools, I have opted to keep the Bloodfin in with her since it does help with some of the missed flakes of food and they seem to be okay together.
<Some tropical snails would help>
My plan was to eventually put him back into the big tank and replace him with a few Corys as a cleaning crew. I have to admit that sometimes after a long, tiring day suddenly remembering at the last minute that I had to once again take the time to hand feed this little girl occasionally got old. Yet once I opened her lid it literally appeared as if she was excited for her dinner and I had to appreciate the trust level she gave me. She eventually allowed me to use my hand to maneuver her toward my other hand from which I fed. She fattened up, grew, and flourished for months. Pretty cool.
Recently though, one of her eyes became hugely engorged and she slowly lost interest in food. I tried different flakes, bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc. The Bloodfin was fine so I was convinced it wasn’t parasitic, so I figured it was likely an infection and opted to treat her according to the directions with tetracycline. Her eye has improved tremendously and there is no longer any swelling. The problem is that she is still dying and continues to lie on the bottom of the tank. My theory is that her eye was equally swollen on the inside affecting her ability to eat. Even when she still showed a little interest it appeared that the she could not swallow food once it was in her mouth and spit it back out. Even now during treatment when I open the lid she often swims to the top as if she’s hungry but does not have the strength to feed (my opinion) and immediately settles on the bottom. I believe she is dying now not because of her eye, but rather because of starvation. If she could see it might be a little different. I thought if I could in some way get even a minute amount of nutrition into her she might then have the strength to feed normally (our normal) just enough to get stronger – if in fact this is the case. I came up with the idea of putting some of her tank water into a clear container and adding a very large portion of flake and stirring until it breaks down. I then carefully scope her into the container and allow her a few minutes in there. My theory is that in her breathing or gulping she might ingest just enough fortified water to give her a little strength. Haven’t had much change, but she is no worse then she was a week ago either. This method is also a huge waste of flake. I don’t keep the flake/water slurry around because any longer and there might be too much of a temp change and I fear the food will make the water rancid. If she’s not ready to give up then I have to hang in there and do what I can. I know that a more reasonable individual might have immediately put her to sleep as soon as she became blind, but I just didn’t have the heart to do it. I figure if she can survive having her eyes pecked out then I’ll do what I can. The male on the other hand will have a long life of celibacy (jerk). Anyway, the blindness complicates things so normal feeding doesn’t work. The Marineland Tropical flakes seem to work best because the sturdier wafer shape structure allows hand feeding with a tweezers. I know it’s not the best diet but this situation is a little unique so the care protocol is too. Prior to her decline she enjoyed occasional bloodworms as well, but I didn’t want to overdo those too much. She wanted nothing to do with any veggies, which actually would have been so much easier to hold on to with tweezers. I haven’t checked perimeters the last few days but they were excellent prior to adding the antibiotics which created some minor changes, which I would imagine is normal.
<Yes>
Water hardness is always a little up as is common in this area. I was always worried about infection because of her eyes so I kept her tank pretty tidy. Any suggestions to get some nutrition into her?
<Gingerly force-feeding small pellets... is about it. Adding supplements to the water won't help, as freshwater fishes don't drink their environment...>
I keep waiting for her to pass but everyday she keeps hanging in there. I won’t give up on her unless she does.
Thank you and warmest regards!
Barbara
<IF you deem this fish's life has been too greatly marginalized, DO read Neale's piece re euthanization: http://wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: Care of blinded angelfish 1/27/15
Hi Bob,
I just wanted to drop a note to thank you for your response. It was much appreciated. Unfortunately my brave, little angelfish gave up the fight last weekend. It is amazing how much a routine is missed once it is gone. I was prepared to make the dreaded clove oil purchase, but she saved me the trip.
I am in the process of re-circulating her 10 gallon,
<Too small a volume for Pterophyllum>
getting rid of the old antibiotics, and building up some beneficial bacteria. I found a breeder not too long ago who raises non-GMO German Blue Rams.
<Good>
I have had some previous luck in having them pair up and even spawn, but in a community tank the Corys took care of that clutch of eggs. With the well water Rams are simply a losing battle. I am going to take a different route and quit fighting with it and just go to RO water for the ram tank and see how that goes.
<Do add some mineral back; i.e. don't use just straight RO>
Drift wood softened the water before, yet the ph remained high (don't quite understand the chemistry behind that). I know they like high temps and soft water so having a tank exclusive for them might offer more results. Beautiful creatures.
On another note...I have a small school of 4 panda Corys in my community tank. To my surprise the other day I noticed some movement and found two baby pandas! I think I was more consumed with my angelfish's needs that i didn't give the other tank the attention I normally do. Talk about dumb luck - Couldn't have made that happen if I tried! lol. It was a nice surprise after losing my little friend.
Thank you again for your response!
Regards,
Barbara Ofzky
<Thank you for your upbeat sharing! Bob Fenner>

Angelfish problems 1/10/15
Hi guys, hope this email reaches you!
<Yes indeed.>
So I've been having angel fish problems for over the last 6-7 months say, and the condition is stable, but I just wanna know what's going on with my little fella!
<Surely.>
First things first, I'm from the UK, been keeping fish for around 5-6 years but never really got into the scientific side of things.
<Half the fun!>
Never had water problems and I'm good with my changes. I'm at university at the moment so doing water changes only once a month (70% at a time), this is all I can do as I'm only back home once a month, and parents haven't a clue! I knew this would be a problem so I ripped out my internal filtration and external 1400 litres per hour beasts in, so filtration wise - were all good! Ohh, tanks a 4 ft 150 litre by the way!
<A decent size.>
So ages back, my 4 Angels were always fighting, pairing off or whatever I don't know but I was getting worried, it was always one fish that was being picked on.
<Indeed. In tanks this size I would keep EITHER a singleton OR a mated pair (tricky, but sometimes sold, or you can extract from a group of six juveniles you raise). Your tank is plenty big enough for 6 juveniles, but as time passes it should become clear that two (hopefully a pair) rule the roost. Remove the surplus. Angels are ever-popular, so rehoming, even selling, subadult Angels is not a problem.>
I added more bog wood and plants in the tank to add more hiding spaces but this didn't really work. The fish became ill, really ill and developed these Black dots/worm things on him. (Some were dots (holes) others were like a black wormy thing). Anyway, I came home from work and he was floating at the top of the tank and I thought he was dead, I took him out immediately and put him in a 26 degrees centigrade quarantine tank (the big tanks running at around 23/4 degrees).
<A bit cool for Angels; they're hothouse flowers -- 25 C is okay, but 26-28 C optimal.>
In the quarantine tank I put in some internal bacterial medicine, cus all I had read up on stated that this type of medicine should work, so he was on this and I was doing water changes and he was stable, not better or worse just stable. I did some more reading and I came across Epsom salts, so I went a gave him some salt baths for 5 minutes at a time, and this was no
harm to him, he wasn't flipping out or anything. And after about a week or two on the medication and the salt baths he got better, started eating again and being responsive, but he still had a black mark over his left eye and it was almost merging into his eye, anyway, he was cool, eating and stuff but his eye was turning black and he had like a film over it, it looked painful, but he was showing no signs, however his swimming got bad.
He was swimming all over the place, on his back, upside down, round in circles... And I have no idea why?!
<Likely physical damage to the eye, perhaps blindness (Angels often bite the eyes from other Angels), and when they lose an eye, their swimming goes haywire until they get used to being one-sided.>
More weeks passed and I was doing weekly changes to his water and brought off medication and still eating all good and the water was good, and his eye got that bad that it sort of ate away at it's self. It hasn't dropped out so to speak but it's just an inward dome and white. And his swimming still hasn't improved. These black things have gone but his swimming is that bad that I could not put him back in the community tank cus he will be picked on cus he can't swim properly, he just does his own thing and floats all over the place, but as soon as foods involved he can make himself nice and erect, and swim just like any other normal fish would do.
<See above.>
Now I do not think my fish is in harm, his fins aren't rotting and he has a healthy breathing pattern, both of his 'feelers' are going off to the same side under his body, imagine this is how they should be:
/-\
Instead there like this:
-\\
<Physical damage, I fear.>
Now should I correct that so it goes their her way? Could this be affecting his balance hence why he's swimming funny? Or is he floating because he can't see and to him it's normal?
He's had a pretty tough life being bullied and that, and it's not his fault, so for as long as he's in my care I want to make him as comfortable as possible! Only problem is being at university stops me from doing super regular changes. what advice can you give to give this fish the happy life he deserves??
Thank you for reading and your time,
Dan
<Fundamentally adult Angels can only be kept (reliably) as singletons, mated pairs, or groups of 6 or more specimens. Your one-eyed Angel should eventually settle down, and could make a fine addition to a community tank where he'll be kept with smaller fish. As top-dog, he'll be happy. The other Angels can be rearranged or rehomed as indicated above: singly, pairs, or groups of 6+ specimens. Cheers, Neale.>

Angelfish deaths 10/29/14
Hello:
<Judy,>
I have a 75 gallon tank that had six rainbow fish. One male Boesemanni rainbow with a female, three turquoise rainbows and one plain Australian rainbow.
<Indeed. I believe we've discussed this tank before.>
The female Boesemanni died of what looked like fungus a few weeks ago, the rest are doing great.
<Good. Generally a reliable species in moderately hard water.>
We went away for 10 days and the pet sitter fed the fish four times in that time period, no overfeeding.
<Still, I'd not feed the fish at all for such a short period of time. No real need. Healthy, well-fed adult fish can go weeks without food. In a planted tank even nominally predatory Angels will nibble at algae and soft
plant leaves if they're sufficiently hungry, which is probably good for them!>
I had a large black angel who I noticed was starting to show signs of cotton like fungus on the day we left. He/ She died a few days later, along with a much smaller angel who was dead when we got home. The last angel in the tank was moving slow when we got back and just died this evening without showing any other symptoms. It seems that when the large black angel went the others followed. Before we left all the fish were zipping around and doing fine. I think maybe the angels all died of the same thing without showing the cotton stuff on them.
<Was it on the fins or mouth? Classic aquarium fish fungus may appear anywhere but usually starts on fins because it sets in after physical damage. It's just possible the Angels are being harassed someway by the
Rainbows, whether deliberately or merely spooked by them as they dart about. Farmed Angels are normally pretty phlegmatic, but if the aquarium is very open or very bright, they may become more nervous than usual. Then there's Columnaris, so called "Mouth Fungus" despite being a bacterial infection. It doesn't exactly look like the classic fluffy white threads of fish fungus. It's more often greyish slime or growths, sort of halfway
between fungus and Finrot. It is treated with antibacterial medications.
Although it can be treated successfully, it's notoriously persistent, especially in bad cases. Luckily, it's pretty rare.>
Or maybe the rainbows harassed the smaller angel when the big guy died, I don't know. I always like to know what causes deaths in the tank, but I guess sometimes you can't
<Quite so. Where there's no obvious explanation, my advice would be sit back and do nothing (apart from, of course, keep an eye on water quality and chemistry). If the Rainbowfish are otherwise fine and happy, leave the tank for a few weeks to see if anything else happens. You might decide to avoid Angels, or avoid Angels from that particular retailer, or go looking for locally bred ones. The Angel/Rainbow combination is quite widely done, and usually works, so you may have been unlucky. On the other hand, you might choose to try something else, such as Blue Acara or Lace Gouramis, as your midwater specimen fish. Indeed, even some of the peaceful Central American cichlids are an option, Rainbow Cichlids being one combo I've seen, and if you have space and a sandy substrate, even Firemouths could work!>
Judy
<Cheers, Neale>
Re: Angelfish deaths 10/30/14
The fungus was all over the body in both cases. Should I treat the whole tank for fungus? No one else seems to have symptoms
<Methylene Blue is tolerated well by fishes, so I'd be tempted to use this for the whole tank if you suspect a fungal infection (as opposed to Columnaris or Finrot). But you might opt to go for something like KanaPlex
that treats a wider range of potential pathogens, if aren't 100% sure it's fungus you're dealing with. Cheers, Neale.>

Freshwater Angelfish Questions 10/22/14
Hello,
<Hello,>
I am writing on behalf of a customer who is having issues keeping Angelfish. It begins with Popeye in both eyes, and then the Angel's stomachs begin to swell up. There is no notable pineconing of the scales, and the fish continue to eat. The swelling is even on either side. The customer is concerned that issues have stemmed from possibly overfeeding dry AquaDine formula, or that there is something occurring in the tank.
<Possibly, but doesn't sound very likely. A modern dried flake food should make a perfectly suitable staple diet for common community fish such as Angels.>
The tank is a 90 Gallon that's been established for a little over 2 years.
Temperature is 80 (he read that's what Angels like).
<Indeed, though warm water needs improved circulation to keep oxygen levels up. The warmer the water, the lower the stocking density.>
Current inhabitants include 5 Black Neon Tetras and 3 White Skirt Tetras.
Water changes are performed monthly in the amount of 25-30%. Today's water test results:
Nitrate = 20
Nitrite = 0
Total Hardness - 150
Chlorine = 0
Alkalinity = 180
pH Freshwater = 7.8
Ammonia = 0
<Okay, but the water is a bit on the hard side.>
He added 6 juvenile Angels in May, 2013. The first Angel died on its own in early May. It had PopEye and a swollen belly. Another Angel died on its own shortly after the first. Over the course of a year, the remaining 4 Angels died.

After those died, he added an adult female who lived with an adult male in a 72 Gallon display tank. They were in that tank for over 3 years and had no issues during that time. The male died of undetermined causes, and eventually we decided to sell the female. She died within two days of being added to the customer's tank. Per policy on refunds, I tested his water. I don't have the exact parameters, but according to our customer notes, it was good enough for us to warrant a replacement of the fish (Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate less than 40, pH varies per fish).
<All sounds fine.>
He medicated the tank from 10/1 thru 10/9 with Melafix
<Useless; do point him in the direction of worthwhile medications such as the antibiotics.>
& did a 33% water change on the 10th. He's also added a light dose of Aquarium Salt.
<Does little or even makes things worse. Do remind him salt is a medication for very specific situations where freshwater fish are being kept. It is not a cure-all.>
None of the remaining 8 fish ( 3 Tetra Skirt Long Fin & 5 Black Neon Tetra ) are eating much if anything. The Black Neon used swim all over & pretty energetic but now they are hanging near the top.
<Environment is the obvious thing to review where a bunch of fish are getting sick for no obvious reasons. Do a substantial water change, clean the filter to ensure a good throughput of water, check stocking, maybe
lower the waterline to improve "splashing" which mixes oxygen and water better. If it were me, I'd strip the tank down and give it a good clean. Keep the filter running while doing so, but change as much water as
practical. Re-acclimate the fish as if you'd just bought them, using the drip method or similar, across 30-60 min.s. Remove anything old and decaying (e.g., bogwood) and especially clean the gravel (deep gravel beds can hide all kinds of problems if there aren't burrowing snails and/or vigorous plants to oxygenate the gravel). If problems persist, even with a deep clean, or such seems unwarranted, then some sort of biological problem might be suspected. Velvet often affects the gills first, causing respiratory distress, hence "gasping" behaviour, even where the telltale golden/white dusting isn't visible. Many good medications exist.>
Any ideas?
<See above. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Angelfish and other assorted deaths. 10/12/14
No need any more, they're dead.
No other fish seem to be sick, so now all I can really do is not add any new fish for the next few months.
And I don't even know what the sickness was.
<... did you happen to read on WWM re Pterophyllum diseases?>
Thank you for your help even though it ended badly :(
Re: Angelfish and other assorted deaths. 10/13/15
I have read most of the links at the top of the page of "http://wetwebmedia.com/FWAngParasitDisF.htm"
Inc "FAQs on Angelfish Disease" and "FAQs on Angelfish Disease by Category "Am I reading the wrong links?
<Ah, no; these are them... and naught "jumped out"? Became live to your consciousness? Am thinking now that perhaps this is an example of "Angelfish Plague" of olde (the Dinoflagellate Octomita/Hexamita)... that
years back and in smaller, oscillating cycles kills off masses of Pterophyllum. That I recall though, you hadn't added any new angels... nor mixed in water from a system with them>
Nothing matches the symptoms that mine were having, yes, they match with a lot of not eating / aiming upwards, but there was never fin clamping, or excessive slime coat, or sores or marks or spots, not velvet as there was no "dusting" on any fish.
No worms under the skin, or in the fish itself. Gills looked pale, but not damaged.
<The pale gills... maybe be indicative of a poor water quality issue...>
Water had high nitrates,
<How high? More than 40 ppm? This could definitely impugn their health, hemolyze their RBCs; cause the gills to appear exsanguinated>
which I read on WWM that angels are affected by this, but it managed to kill my old angel which I've had for years in the exact same water conditions.
It was also affecting other species, not specifically angels.
Unfortunately I think what ever it is is still in the tank too, as I had to remove a dead molly earlier this evening, it looked bloated so I gave it a little squeeze in case there were worms / internal parasites or just
blocked up with poo, but it had babies instead.
Got a quote from a local fish dr, as 3 local aquariums have no idea what the issue is, buying my own microscope would be cheaper!
<Ah yes... and there are some real bargains nowayears... I have a conventional light transmission one and a more used QX series... USB hook up, two light sources...>
I'm feeling like you're pointing out something glaringly obvious and I'm missing it, sorry.
<Wish I knew more certainly... was indeed hoping that by your reading you would self-discover the root cause/s here.
Sorry as well. BobF>
Re: Angelfish and other assorted deaths. 10/15/14
Angelfish virus was one of the first 5 things that I thought it might have been, and I was horrified as this would of likely destroyed my tank. But from the little information that I can find on "Angelfish virus" I don't
think that it's a cross species virus?
<Not a virus, but the Protozoan mentioned>
Also lacks the clamped fins, and the often described "Dripping" slime coat.
I've noticed I have a molly that is skinny as a twig, so I'll keep an eye on him, and a juvenile angel behaving in a very shy fashion, hopefully it's not a recurrence.
"and naught "jumped out"? " Nothing that matched my symptoms, trouble breathing and sitting at the top of the water is surprisingly common it would seem, now I'm starting to realise why it's so hard to work out the
issue.
<Not w/o sampling (and often killing specimens) and microscopic examination>
Regarding the nitrates, it's hard to tell, I have an API liquid test kit, in date, which reads blood red, not matching to the chart.
<Too high... see WWM re>
And other test kits which state less than 10ppm, the tank is heavily planted.
<Mixed info. B>

Angelfish sick 9/25/14
I have been searching for answers to my problem nothing is found no matter were I go or look. My angelfish look like they have a cloudy or mold on there skin, not moving that much like the usually do it passes from one angelfish to another after one dies and on some of them they don't have the same appearance's but die? My pH is 7.6 ammonia is 0 nitrates 0 nitrites r 0 and still lost in this whole problem I used amox and a few other things but still no go!
<Do need some information on the environment. While Slime Disease (also known as Costia) is one possibility, irritation that causes mucous production is more likely, particularly if a whole series of fish have died. To recap: Angels need a largish tank (20 gallons for one or a mated pair, 50+ gallons for a group of six) that has been cycled and running awhile (6 weeks, minimum, and ideally a couple months). Water chemistry shouldn't be extreme (farmed Angels are okay between 2-20 degrees dH, pH 6-8) but variation in pH is bad. Likewise water temperature should be stable and preferably a bit warm, 24-28 C/75-82 F. Diet should be varied, no feeder guppies please, but based instead on good quality flake or pellets such as Hikari Cichlid Gold. Angels are delicate when very young; avoid specimens less than 1.5 inches in diameter if at all possible. Some varieties are distinctly sensitive compared to the others, with Koi and all-black Angels being among the more temperamental. By contrast, old fashioned marble and gold Angels seem to be pretty good, as are standard silver Angels. Acclimate all new specimens to your local water chemistry carefully (across an hour or more, e.g., using the drip system).
Cheers, Neale.>

Angelfish with problems 9/22/14
Hello
Bob,
Found your website by accident, LUCKY me. Had been searching for answers with a parasite problem on Angelfish.
<Mmm; please send this and all future petfish corr. to [email protected]>
In February 2014 "Cindy Cotton" asked for your help with her Angelfish parasite problem. I am
glad that she added a photo of the Angelfish. Can you please let me know how this fish fared, did he shed the parasites or did he die.
<Have no idea...>
Since about 4 weeks ago I am battling the same problem with 2 Angels.
Angels have the same white pimple spots in the eye areas coming and going + one Angel also has a 6mm long wormlike extension growth (worm ??) above his mouth.
<Mmm>
Is it a growth or is it a tough to get rid off parasite?
<Can't tell w/o sampling, looking under a microscope>
What should I do next to solve the problem?
<The above...>
I treated with Copper - with Ick meds - with FLUKE meds, to no avail.
<May well not be pathogenic (i.e. caused by an organism); but something amiss with the system, water quality>
Angels are active in a
quarantine tank - are feeding (I feed parasite fight. food) - and act normal.
I would appreciate your help
and thank you in advance.
Sigrid
~ ~ >((((°> ~ ~ ~
<°))))< ~ ~
<Umm; data re water tests, other organisms present... can't tell even if this is marine or freshwater. Bob Fenner>
Angelfish with problems 9/22/14
Dear Mr. Fenner,
Tank is a 55 gallon, freshwater planted community tank set up about 4 years ago.
The only Newbie has been a sealed package of "mini hair grass planted in jell". This is how it is packed from the company selling aquarium plants.
I purchased the pack of hair grass at Pet-land in Vestal, NY.
No new fish - nothing new.

And all of a sudden one of the Angel was in hiding on the bottom in the back of the tank. After a few days I netted him and put him along with his equally size Angel in a quarantine tank.
The growth or worm or whatever it is has not gone away after all the treatments I put the sm. quarantine tank thru.
Don't know what else to try.
<I'd place a cup or so of rinsed (tapwater is fine) GAC (activated carbon) in your filter/flow path. A bag of Chemi-pure would be my choice. BobF>
Sigrid

Angelfish with problems 9/23/14
Dear Mr. Fenner,
Tank is a 55 gallon, freshwater planted community tank set up about 4 years ago.
The only Newbie has been a sealed package of "mini hair grass planted in jell". This is how it is packed from the company selling aquarium plants.
I purchased the pack of hair grass at Pet-land in Vestal, NY.
No new fish - nothing new.
<Okay. Understood>
I see in your pic a mention of using an Algae Tab... what is this chemically? Most are toxic and should be avoided
*ALGAE-tabs, as I call them, are the veggie/algae disks for the bottom feeders - nothing chemical
<Ahh! A food item. Yes; these are fine... was thinking you meant a chemical algicide>
And all of a sudden one of the Angel was in hiding on the bottom in the back of the tank. After a few days I netted him and put him along with his equally size Angel in a quarantine tank.
<Likely this is best; as long as good and stable water quality can be maintained there>
The growth or worm or whatever it is has not gone away after all the treatments I put the sm. quarantine tank thru.
Don't know what else to try.
<Nothing... Again; I suspect this is NOT a pathogen, but some sort of mucus accumulation from "stress"...>
I'd place a cup or so of rinsed (tapwater is fine) GAC (activated carbon) in your filter/flow path. A bag of Chemi-pure would be my choice. BobF
**What is "Chemi-pure" - don't know the product - will check out on the internet - what will it do?
<Remove many types of possible to probable water quality issues. You can simply search on WWM... the tool is on every page... re GAC, the Boyd Enterprises product>
***I wish the Angel would hold still long enough for me to take a photo to show you what I mean by the worm-like extension above his mouth.
<Me too. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Sigrid

Black angelfish not healing 8/23/14
Hello:
The one large black angelfish in our 75 gallon has a white mark around the top of it's mouth. We went away for a week and got a pet sitter for the cat and asked them to feed the fish with instructions on how much to feed.
<Unless you're gone more than a week, don't bother having fish "fed" during vacations. Healthy fish can go a couple weeks, easy, without food. Big fish (like Plecs) even longer.>
When we came back the cat was fine, but the fish tank was REALLY cloudy and dirty. We had to do a 90% water change.

When we came back the black angel had this white marking around the top of the mouth with a bit of red, nothing fungus like. It has been nearly six weeks and there is no change. The fish is eating normally. I realize that black angelfish heal slowly and someone told me that they are so inbred that they partially can't digest food.
<Not true. But it is a fair point to say that some fancy Angelfish are noticeably less robust than the wild-type, and Black Angels have had a bit of a reputation for being more difficult to keep than other varieties.>
Is there anything to be done about this like a temp change or meds or salt?
<Review Columnaris in the first instance; often called Mouth Fungus. It's a bacterial infection, not uncommon in fish but often overlooked by fishkeepers who tend to recognise Finrot and regular Fungus without problems. Can be tricky to treat, though some of that may be because people use an antifungal when they should be using some sort of antibiotic or antibacterial. You might also review viral infections such as Lymphocystis. These are rare, but usually distinctive. Very rarely do they kill the fish, but they can be disfiguring to some degree. However, do also appreciate that some wounds (just as with humans) leave scars, and these may be different colours to the original. So if the wound is clean/covered with
healthy skin, and the fish is in otherwise good health, you may simply have to wait for nature to take its course. As with us, such scars may heal, but it can take months, even years.>
Thank you
Judy
<Most welcome, Neale.>

male black veil angel with exophthalmia 5/24/14
I have a male black angelfish that has been without its mate (accidental entrapment following skirmish with male) for about 1 year. The only other fish in the 30 gallon tank are 2 bushy-nose Ancistrus. The exophthalmia began about 4 days ago in the right eye, and then progressed to the left.
<Mmm>
There are no other obvious symptoms, no lethargy, skin and fins clear, fins not folded, no abdominal swelling, no raised scales. The fish seems to have a normal appetite. The condition has advanced to the point where I fear it will lose vision, or even its eyes. I have tried API fungus cure, melafix and Pimafix,
<These last two are worse than worthless. Placebos that mal-affect nitrification>
and Metronidazole, with no relief to the symptoms.
<Not curable w/ the above>
Can this be due to a brain tumor or brain parasite?
<Possibly>
Is there anything I can try?
<Yes... READ here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwpopeyefaqs.htm>
Might this be a genetically induced condition?
<Yes; possible>
In another tank, I have another pair of black veils, and the male is this on's sibling. I see no problems there, except that they won't breed.
Arnold
<Bob Fenner>

Clip broken ventral fin on angelfish? 4/25/14
Hello,
I have what I think is a simple question. I purchased a 1yr old blue angelfish, p. scalare, and in netting it, I broke one of its ventral fins (feelers), more than half way up, right where it thickens. It is now "waving" at various acute angles, sometimes even completely folded up against itself.. I know broken-off ventrals are generally not a problem, but my question: should I clip off the broken part?

Thanks so much,
Bill M.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re: Clip broken ventral fin on angelfish? 5/22/14
Dear Bob,
<Bill>
Thanks for advising not to clip the broken ventral fin on my angel. It has healed up perfectly, except for a small scar, just as you said.
<Yes>
A pic is attached. It is the left ventral, you can see the scar just where the fin thickens.
Thanks again,
Bill
<Ah, very nice. Thank you for this follow-up. BobF>

Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles 3/29/14
Hi Neale, hope you are well, you have helped me a lot in the past, let me remind you what I have:
53 gallon / 200 liters community tank:
2 Angelfish
2 striped Raphael Catfish
4 Bleeding Hearts
5 Cherry Barbs
I've had them for more two years.
Today my female Angelfish started swimming in circles and kind of upwards too, at times seems she's going to flip back, my male was attacking her today because they has hatched eggs, but she always hide when he tries to poke her, but today it's been different, she doesn't look ok.
<Indeed. If at all possible, isolate the female to another tank. If you can, remove water from the main aquarium and use this in the hospital tank so she doesn't experience any changes in temperature or water chemistry.>
I have to accept that their water change was due about three days ago but I have a baby so my husband does it, and he did until today. :(
<!!!>
How can I help her, she seemed so healthy yesterday!
<A water change can be a good "shot in the dark" and if she perks up, then environment will likely be the issue, so you can then assess and act accordingly. Cichlids are prone to going loopy (disoriented, odd swimming positions) when exposed to things like sudden changes in pH and even temperature, but recover once things in the aquarium improve. They're more sensitive, I think, than most other fish -- perhaps a reflection of their higher intelligence than the average fish. On the other hand, some parasites and pathogens can cause "whirling" symptoms and these may be difficult, even impossible to treat. In any event, isolating the fish and seeing how she looks when she doesn't have other fish harassing her may be the best thing to do. As I say, if there's a stress problem here, isolating and improving the environment should cause her to settle down.>
Thanks a lot,
Lorena.
<Most welcome, Neale.>

Re: Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles 3/29/14
Thanks Neale, newest thing is she's resting in the leaves, I have huge leaves as it is a planted aquarium, so now I see her resting completely upside down, at first I thought she was dead, or dying :-( but I reached her with the net and she started swimming normally, then a few minutes later, the weird pattern again.
<Is she bloated at all? You could try the Epsom salt trick for constipation, in the off chance that's a problem. 1-3 teaspoons per 5 gallons/20 litres will do the trick.>
I can tell Mimo, my male Angelfish, her partner is very upset for all of this.
<I would not anthropomorphise here. "Interest" is not "affection" in the animal world. Personally, I would still isolate her, though of course reintroducing an adult Angel into this aquarium after a week or two would need to be done carefully, perhaps by removing them both, moving a few rocks about, turning out the lights, then putting them in simultaneously, so they both feel like newcomers. At the very least, watch out for aggression if/when she's put back.>
Water is perfectly clean now as always, honestly we've kept great care of them, it was just a couple of days delay, still I added an air pump for extra oxygen, if it indeed was an environment issue, how long till she recovers?
<Normally if it's a brief stress, cichlids recover in a few hours.>
Should I still isolate her? He's not poking her anymore.
<That's a good thing.>
Best,
Lorena.
<Welcome, Neale.>
Re: with picture Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles
Resting in the leaves :(
<Possibly, but fish also get trapped among leaves when they can't control their movement properly, the water current pushing them around until they got lodged into something such as a plant. Not a big fan of mixing Serpae Tetras with Angels; like many other Hyphessobrycon, Serpae Tetras can be aggressive fin-biters. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles 3/29/14
Ok Neale, I will do as you suggest, thinking now it's not only stress as this has been the situation for the last 36 hours now. She's not normal.
<Indeed.>
I noticed a white tiny pimple on her tail, but just one, the male doesn't show any. Is it Ich?
<Could be. Hard to say without seeing it. You may want to use your Whitespot treatment of choice. The old salt/heat method is pretty low risk and can be used alongside Epsom salt and antibiotics without problems.>
Thanks so much.
<Welcome. Neale.>
Re: Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles
If I give her antibiotics and Methylene blue it won't worsen her condition right?
<Likely not, but I'm not a huge fan of randomly medicating animals or people. A vet certainly wouldn't do it, not a doctor. So better to review the situation, look to see if things are improved by isolating the sick fish and providing it with optimal living conditions. Methylene blue is a treatment for -- and pretty much only for -- external fungal infections. If that's not the issue here, don't use it. Likewise antibiotics are used where there's clear sign of a bacterial infection of some sort, whether internal or external. If the abdomen is bloated, or there's sign of sore red areas or dead tissue on the outside of the fish, then antibiotics would be worth using.>
I got an ample spectrum antibiotic called 3 Sulfide, do you agree?
<See above.>
You are the closest I have to a fish vet, thanks so much for your help Neale.
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Re: Neale: urgent help Angelfish swimming circles
Neale, hi,
<Lorena,>
We had a spare tank but it's a 7 liter!
<Not so much a tank as a bucket, methinks.>
I bought it once for a Bleeding Heart, it is very small so I have to get a new one for my Angelfish, can you tell me which is a right size for a hospital tank, for an Angelfish?
<A 10 gallon tank would be minimal but okay for a singleton Angel.>
I read in one of the forums to stop feeding them for 3 days in case it was an over feeding situation. What do you think about that?
<Worthwhile. But if the fish is eating okay, then it probably isn't that sick, and time in isolation would probably help it recover under its own steam.>
Also, if it's a bladder problem, do you think she will survive?
<Swimming problems come from two main sources. The most common is constipation, of which much is written here. Search the site for "floaty, bloaty goldfish". But bacterial infections that cause dropsy are also quite common, and these are sometimes referred to as "swim bladder disease" even though that's not necessarily the part of the body that's infected!>
In any event she hasn't eaten since Friday when all of this started because when I feed them she doesn't eat she swims around but I don't see her eating, this is all so upsetting, not being able to cure her already.
<Indeed.>
I am so sad seeing her most of the time upside down on the leaves :-(
Is she in pain/suffering?
<Possibly, but animals have a certain degree of quiet dignity in such situations humans seem to lack.>
But then when I see her flip over and swim alongside my other Angel perfectly straight for a few seconds, it makes me think she has a chance...

Neale: Angelfish survived, now white fluffy spot 5/5/14
Hi Neale, how are you?
<Little bit of a cold at the moment; you?>
So my white Angelfish survived, it has been 2 months now since she started to swim upside down, she still rests in the leaves but finally is eating again at the surface and not bottom, when she swims around she swims fine but then she'll go back to the leaves.

That and that she won't breed with my male Angelfish are the two things still not ok.
<Indeed.>
But now she is showing a bit of a fluffy spot on her fin below her chest and a tiny white spot on her tail, two different things in appearance, how ca I treat her and can I treat the whole tank so I don't have to remove
her? I don't have an hospital tank,
<Sounds like Fungus; medicate in the tank; Methylene blue should work, is fairly harmless to almost all fish save the obvious exceptions (loaches, stingrays, etc.).>
Thanks,
Lorena.
<Most welcome, Neale.>

Angelfish help 3/24/14
Hello crew!
I have a bit of an issue with an angelfish i purchased two days ago. I purchased him from a local pet store by my house that is pretty trustworthy, and they usually have healthy fish for sale. They had 3 angelfish for sale, and they are each a pretty good size ( I would say the size of your palm.) i put him in my 20 gallon quarantine tank,
<Good move>
with a small filter and bubbler. Here is the problem. He is swimming very lethargic, and i had to turn off the filter because he was constantly getting sucked to close to the intake.
<Yikes! Change the water out here: USE the water in another one of your set up, established tanks to replace it... STAT!>
He never actually did, he was just really tired. He doesn't react to movement, unless he is scared, and he rarely moves around the tank. There are no decorations or caves for him to hide, should i add a flower pot so he isn't in open water?
<If you'd like>
He doesn't even respond to blood worms
<...search WWM re these>
or flaked food, he just sits there. The other angelfish that were in the tank did pick on him a bit, his tail has a small split that isn't infected, and he shows no sign of any physical problems like fungus or anything, he just sits and doesn't eat at all. Is there anything i can do to make him more comfortable?
Thank you,
Tavian
<Change the water NOW and read on WWM re FW Angels. Bob Fenner>

Angelfish gone downhill any ideas? 2/21/14
On Thursday I noticed the angel spending lots of time by the heater not eating and acting listless. he has sense sunk to the bottom of the tank and has heavy breathing and is not moving normally. I did a water change a day after adding Tetracycline. and he seems about the same. He is more bloated and has one slightly cloudy eye. Due to the roads being bad( it snowed a ton last night) I have to wait to go out and get more meds for him. I did turn up the heater and added aquarium salt.
<Alex, the usual advice here is this: Test the water quality (nitrite is a good start) and the water chemistry (pH will do). Compare to what they should be. Do a water change of 25-50%. Check the heater (no need to increase/decrease, just make sure it's where it should be). Don't feed the fish just yet. Wait to see if the fish perks up after the water change; if it does, it's a good clue there's something amiss with the environment. Assess, and act accordingly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Angelfish gone downhill any ideas? 2/21/14
looked up swim bladder issues/ angel distress, I think that's what he has,
<Except that fish that have "swim bladder problems" are almost certainly stressed or sick in some other way, and what you're seeing is a symptom, not a disease ("Swim Bladder Disease" as imagined by many fish keepers basically doesn't exist). So you need to review all possible aspects. When fish get sick, they find it difficult to swim. It's rather like how a high temperature can mean all sorts of things in humans, from the flu to malaria.>
as he still lies on the bottom and struggles to swim properly The L204 has been leaving him alone and the rams are too.. I took out the carbon and plan on getting meds for him once the snowy roads are cleared. tomorrow- any meds I can get for swim bladder trouble.
<A sensible approach would be to treat as per an internal bacterial infection, but if there's some other cause of stress, such as bullying,
obviously that won't help. Do review your aquarium carefully: there's something going on that's made your Angel stressed or sick, and there's no information at all that you've supplied me that would be used to identify the reason(s). Cheers, Neale.>

Angelfish with white spots that don't appear to be Ick 2/6/14
Hello,
<Cindy>
I am having a problem with two of my angelfish in a 100 gal tank that I have. I have a total of six angelfish, only two are experiencing the problem. Originally I thought they were starting to have Ick, but the spots stayed around the eyes only, were only a handful of spots, and which evolved to look more like pimples or white worms working their way out of the fish's heads. I had raised the temp to 84 degrees, but they kept having recurring events. All water parameters are fine, all other fish are unaffected.
Tank is two years old and no new introduction of fish or plants in over a year and a half. Could it be hole-in-the-head?
<Doubtful, but may be some sort of external protozoan. I would try a one shot lacing of their foods w/ Metronidazole; and as this may be a Fluke/Trematode, with Praziquantel as well>
It does not look like the pictures of other fish I have seen, no craters on their heads. I am including a picture of one of the angelfish. Mouth is due to this male fighting with a mated pair I have in the tank and is unrelated to the spots issue. I just don't know what to treat them with when I am not sure what they have. I have never had any fish with this type of issue and I have had tanks for sometime. I would appreciate any opinion you have on what you think they have. None of my other fish are coming down with this either.
Thanks,
Cindy Cotton
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re: Angelfish with white spots that don't appear to be Ick 2/6/14
Hello Bob. Thanks for the response. I will get Metronidazole, I have PraziPro and have done one dose of it in the food - I will try that again as well.
<Real good. Please do report back your further observations. BobF>
Cindy Cotton

Re: Angelfish with white spots that don't appear to be Ick 2/7/14
Hello again. One other observation I did forget to mention is that when one of the white pimples/worms (whatever) seems to come out or detach, another one forms in the exact location of the previous one after a day or two.
<Yes; have encountered "this sort of thing before"... Perhaps as we've speculated it is a type of Neuromast Destruction/HLLE... borne of Octomita/Hexamita exposure, some aspect of water quality? See WWM re. B>
Cindy Cotton
Re: Angelfish with white spots that don't appear to be Ick 2/7/14
Thanks again. I will let you know how things turn out.
<Real good. B>

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