Sick Synodontis?

[CEfire]

Hello,
I really don't know if my big Eupterus might be coming down with something and of course I want to stay ahead of any possible illness. He has been acting normally and feeding normally but he has some whiteness around his gills and now he has a little bit of white below his jaw. He has always had some white in these areas but recently (the past two weeks) it seems more pronounced.

The whiteness is not protruding, it looks more like scratches than growths.

Tank Specs:
75gallon
0 Nitrite, 0 Ammonia, 15-20 Nitrate
Water is very hard and PH is 7.6
Water change 30% once or twice weekly
No new fish in the past four months

If anyone has any other questions or ideas please let me know.

[Caol_ila]

Hi!

Sounds a lot like fighting injuries...what other tankmates are in there?
Ive found Synos my heal very well with large scale water changes...like 2-3x 40% a week

[CEfire]

I guess it could be fighting injuries. All that is in there with him right now is a S. Velifer hybrid, 3 S. Robbianus and six Astatolapia Calliptera(?) cichlids (very small though). THe only thing that makes me think this is not fighting is where these are located under the chin and on the gills which would be difficult to reach. There are no marks on his sides or fins and he is the biggest fish in the tank by about 2 inches (and everyone knows it )

[Osmium]

In the absence of any scarring or obvious injuries immediately prior to this, this may indicate totally natural strengthening of extremeties.

On the other hand: the whiteness may indicate a lack of bloodflow as a result of lack of bloodflow or possible iron deficiency and/or too low a pH/temp, or even lack of vitamin uptake.

Before you 'worry yourself to death', I'm sure that you will probably find that is 'au natrel' and a result of callouses (hardening of the skin) brought about by normal behaviour....!

In my experience (IME), ci****ds normally butt the flanks of food-competetive species, and only then when the former are really hungry and anticipate a meal.

The only way to be reassured is, to try to catch a glimpse of the inner gills of the subject (i.e. head on - reversed ). If the gills are a nice rosy-red colour and close and open easily without any apparent discomfort - then you probably have little to worry about - at the moment!

What is much(?) more important, is any (if any?) recent changes in other forms of behavior.




Nick.

P.S. I ain't no vet - but I've got a 'graveyard' full of my fish that would testify to my early mistakes, many years ago.