Inflamed gill plate

[slicksta]

Howdy all.........

I noticed on one of my juvies that I have in a 20 gallon with 3 others, that his gill plates seem inflamed. One side is worse than the other and doesn't close all the way. He is using both sides and is breathing fast though not extremely. On the side that looks worse, close to his steering fin(his arm equivalent) it looks like there is a clear to opaque mucous forming. Couldn't find anything in the books I have to help me with diagnosis.......anybody have some insight.......

thanks.....john

[SnowCichlid]

hmmmm.... could possibly be GILL FLUKES ...
signs: accelerated breathing
------->red denning and swelling of gills
------->rubbing gills along subtrae or decors
------->Gill worms are common in discus and angelfish :O
cause: gill flukes.
Treatment: Difficult; use medications prescibed from local LFS and use exact amounts ... with smaller specimens need to be treated you have to have the water with a hardness of at least 15dH

hope this helps some

[lion]

Hi John. If it is gill flukes, read the following thread: http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=6563
Hope this helps. Cheers. Lorret

[black rat]

Sounds like gill flukes :-\

[brewmaster15]

Hi John,

That sounds like flukes or a gill infection caused by bacteria. Are any of the fish in the tank flashing?

If you access to formalin. I would try formalin as it tends to work on both flukes and gill bacterias. You could also try just prazi,flubendazole, or other fluke meds and see if it helps. If it does than you know its not bacterial.

Salt can be added at 1 tablespoon/10 gal, to ease the stress of the fish...At concentrations of 1 tabelspoon/1 gal it may actually cure the ailment if its flukes, and even some bacterias
-al

[slicksta]

Thanks all......

I'm not sure what it was....don't think it was flukes because he was using both gills equally and together. I did add salt and Maracyn 2, what I had on hand, but it was to late. He passed the next day. I may have missed the warning signs in the early stages....I have been working late the past few days and I have not been doing my usual visual inspection as I normally do. This is my first discus loss since I started in September and it sucks to say the least . Sorry to say Brew, it was one of the guys I picked up at your house during N/E.....he was really filling out too. The others in he tank look well....but I will be keeping a close eye......
...just like kids....you can't drop your guard for a second.....

John

[brewmaster15]

:'( oh no!!!!! one of my babies! sorry you lost him John, I will have a hard time breaking it to his siblings.

For it to have killed the fishat the age it was ... my guess is bacterial not flukes. Maracyn 2 can take up to 5 days to work.

Guess you'll have to stop by again when there a fresh batch ( of fish and beer ;) )

take care,
al

[slicksta]

.........Brew, I'll take that as an invite....we have to get the next N/E goin....
I hate loosin' a fish, especially one that was as nice as that little fellow. I actually have him in the freezer....you never know what meds will be out in the future....maybe I can bring him back......
only kidding, It's just so I can give him a decent burial this week-end.
RIP, AJ :'(