Canal Neuromast Syndrome

[BigSkrimp]

Hi all, new to the forum but figured I'd come here first to ask a few questions and probe others possible experiences.

I've recently set up a new 660l display tank with cichlids and barbs, the tank is cycled and the params are excellent, besides gh which is high. I assume this is from the sand I've used, which I believed was inert due to it being quartz based, but perhaps not. All the fish are in great health, besides one, which seemingly acts normal, and is in otherwise good health.

The fish in question is a firemouth, there's two others, one being a female, the afflicted being a male, and the other being a 'yellow firemouth'. The others are in as good condition as I could ever hope for.

Now, before I get into the description. I'm not particularly trying to find a solution as such, I would rather see if anybody has experience with canal Neuromast Syndrome and what the suspected cause was, what the treatment was, and what the outcome was.

The firemouth aforementioned started off with a slight hole in its dorsal fin, I assumed it took a bad nip, but the hole is present weeks later, not growing, and looks healed if you will. When I first noticed this I spotted two or three small white dots, more like lumps when compared to typical ich, running along the base of it's dorsal fin.

The lumps haven't particularly progressed at all, but it seems like the fish now has a small one on its gill and one above its lip. The fish acts normal and feeds normal. 

Currently I'm treating the tank with flubendazole as it's a relatively new tank, and covering all bases incase of parasites. From what I've read, flubendazole may have a fair chance of helping the fish in question.

The crux of it, has anybody else ran into this? It doesn't seem an overly typical or common affliction, as I only found one article referencing it, and the one I did read lists many possible causes such as Hexamita.

Look forward to hearing peoples input. Thanks!

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by BigSkrimp
Clarification

[Colu]

From what I have read the disease is common causes by high bacterial count in the water and poor water quality and poor diet  what type of filter are you using and what are you feeding what exactly are your water parameters

Edited December 11, 2021 by Colu

[BigSkrimp]

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate <40

pH 6.8

Kh 60-70ppm

Gh 8 degrees from tap, closer to 30 in the aquarium. If anything parameter-wise was the cause of it, it'd be this.

I've kept fish for nearly 20 years now, and seen a lot of diseases, fortunately very few in the last decade. This is a new one on me, and it seems like you'll have read the same article as me, it's very loose on its citations of what actually causes the issue. 

The fish get fed hikari cichlid pellets daily, occasionally flake food, but not often, and tropical quartet frozen food every day.

The tank is moderately planted, no ferts used.

Edited December 11, 2021 by BigSkrimp

[Colu]

Your water parameters look fine diet wise firemouth cichlids like a bit of vegetable matter in their diet such as spirulina flakes and spinach I have looked in my disease books and can find very little information on it some say their a link between hole in the head and canal Neuromast syndrome and possible   bacterial I would recommend treating with kanaplex to treat the water column and metroplex in food that will cover  all bases