PlanetCatfish.com

Hi all.
I recently had to move my shovelnose into another tank as the two small Crenicichla atabapo pikes all of a sudden starting trying to bite the lima. They had nipped off the ends of his whiskers & tail. I know they should grow back ok, but whats concerning me is the whiskers seem to be slowly wasting away & getting smaller. The damaged ends are missing & they are a whiteish colour, up to around half way down the whiskers. I would say approx 50% of each whisker, is effected. I think its possibly a bacterial infection & was going to treat with Melafix. Any ideas/advice please?

Did you check the water quality of the tank? Barbels usually deteriorate in poor-quality water.

Poor (toxins) or unsuitable (in some other way) water may be the cause. If it is was an inflammation or a fin/barbel rot, you should see at least some pink/red... but even if not, it still can be it.

I'd make sure the water is good all around and if it is, I'd read up on meds against fin/barbel rot.

Melafix may help. It is a very mild natural treatment for minor, superficial wounds. Usually people, who believe in it, pair it with Pimafix. There are experts, e.g., Larry the Apistomaster from Seattle, who firmly claim Melafix/Pimafix don't do anything.

I had actually been treating the tank for a week, with Myxazin, as the pikes had caught some kind of fungus, possibly from moving. The cat seemed unaffected, apart from shedding its mucus after a water change.
As soon as the pikes had recovered, they started attacking & nipping the cat. I actually watched one of them trying to bite the cat's whiskers, totally freaked it out.
I have now moved the lima, but will check water quality, just in case.

Cheers guy's.

I had perhaps a similar problem with some of my cats: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... ilit=+soft

Never got to the bottom of it. Chrysichthys are still with me and their barbels went normal in an outside (but artificial, old concrete) pond in FL, where we had moved to a year ago. I didn't do anything special.

Just an update for anyone interested:
The lima's whiskers are fully grown back now. Never ended up adding any treatments to the tank, just regular 30% weekly water changes.

Many pims loose their whiskers when the water contains too much nitrates - that is, has not been changed enough. Luckily, most often they regrow when the water is good enough.

Thanks for the info anyway Bas, but mine lost it's whiskers because the Crenicichla bit em off.