Excessive slime coat?

[Lakea]

I shall answer the Inevitable question first: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 Nitrate 10, and I have been doing plenty of water changes because there is nothing wrong with the fish's pooper.

I hope I can explain this good, I've tried taking pics, but you can't tell from the pics. My bn looks like he has a whitish covering over his body, I have never experienced it personally, but is this excessive slime coat? He has no other physical symptoms though.

I know it can be caused by many things, so far I have not been able to link it to anything. When my clown died he had a sunken belly (my BN does not), if he was sick or had some parasite it could have infected the BN. I just want to catch it early if there is any problem.

I have a quarantine tank I could stick him in there and treat with melafix, or I could just leave him and watch for any other signs of illness. That is really all I can think to do.

Any thoughts are suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[Lakea]

Don't know if this has any affect, but I do use Start Right with Allantonin that's supposed to "stimulate" fish slime coat production. Could using too much cause this?

[Lotus]

It sounds more like some kind of infection if his skin is whitish. I think Melafix would be a good start.

[Lakea]

Well it's only the third day of treatment. There hasn't been any changes. But the little guy decided to take refuge under the heater and refused to move, so now he's got a small burn on him and I had to unplug the heater.

[Lotus]

If you don't see any improvement in the next few days, it's probably a good idea to switch to an antibiotic.

[Lakea]

This afternoon there did not appear to be any change, but when I looked at him just before lights out that whiteness seemed to be gone and his color has gotten darker, more like when I first brought him home (that may be just because the whiteness is gone)

I do need to do a water change on his quarantine tank tomorrow, that shouldn't mess up his meds should it? I plan to continue dosing as normal 1 tsp for 10g.

[Lotus]

It's fine to do a water change when you're dosing Melafix.

[Lakea]

Well I had finished the melafix treatment, his slime coat is back to normal and he has been eating up a storm, very active. But there are two new symptom, he seems to be 'twitching' and I'm not sure as I never seen a fish with clamped fins but I think his fins are clamped. His tank parems are great.

So piecing it all together it sounds like he might have some external parasite. I did noticed at the very tips of his pectoral fins there is a white bump, don't know if that is normal as he is the first BN I have ever had. I figured since I have been treating him with melafix it probably help protect him from getting parasites on his body. I don't want to just start dumping meds into his tank, so I'd really like some extra opinons.

I do have some rid ich that came with my 75g, its supposed to work on some types of external parasites. I have never used the stuff so I don't really know how well it works and what not. I could alway go get some coppersafe, but again I want some opinions before treating him for anything else.

[Lakea]

Okay I attributed the 'twitching' to this little irratation:



It is actually just on the left fin, not both as I mentioned above, and I think it is just a injury. So not treating for parasites. I am moving him back into his 55g and I will monitor the wound and see how it heals before I do any further medicating.

[Lotus]

That doesn't really look like a parasite, from what I can see.

It's possible the Melafix was irritating him a little, causing the twitching, but it could be other things, too.

Definitely monitor him.