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Hi all, my featherfin recently developed some sores quite quickly. We had treated the tank for ich awhile back because it seemed like something developing on the tailfin. It looked good after treatment but now it has some pretty ugly sores! This is about a month after treatment. There is 3 angelfish, 1 sailfon pleco and 2 kuhli loaches in a 55g tank. No other fish seems to be affected so I'm just curious what's going on? I have attached pictures to help. Thanks!

Ugh. Those don't look good. They look like necrotic, maybe bacterial, ulcers. They also remind me of hole-in-the-head disease, if it weren't on the head. I'm not saying the disease is related, but maybe consider how HHD is treated - I've read before that HHD is often linked to water quality degradation and I know synos can get it. So maybe they can get something similar on their caudal parts?

Just speculation. I'm not good with diseases.

Good luck,
Eric

I don't know what this is. It could be a list of possible pathogens. It looks deadly serious of the likes of a flesh-eating or skin-rotting pathogen. It doesn't occur for no reason. Unless the pathogen was recently introduced with fish or plants etc., the usual main reason for fish sickness is a weakening of immune system as a result of some stress.

I'd look hard for the source of stress and eliminate it. It all begins with observation of the sick fish, its behavior in the tank, its interactions with tank mates, etc. and with basic water tests - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and its stability, temp, carbonate hardness, general hardness, TDS.

The stress could be caused by an inadequate diet. Less likely but tank mate attacks (if the angels are mating) cause stress, heater burns, the list is long. If you'd like a more or less comprehensive health problem questionnaire I compiled, I can post it here.

One of the golden rules for fish keeping is that if you have an unknown problem and fish aren't happy then do a large water change.

It wouldn't hurt to do a good clean on substrate and filters too.