Hole In Side of Clown Killifish

[Miranda Marie]

I would really love some help diagnosing a problem with one of my clown killis, please!

I noticed a weird patch on his side earlier this week. It looks almost like someone "took a bite out of him", but there's nothing big enough in the tank to have done so. The tank mates are:

8 neon green rasboras

5 other clown kilifish

A colony of dream blue neocardina shrimp

A single, ancient endler that by all rights should have died of old age with his brethren 8 months ago, but keeps chugging along. The endler is definitely the worst tankmate and chases all the kilifish, probably because he is lonely. But he is so old I really would rather not get another group of endlers for him.

His usual tank details are:

• pH: 6.8-7.0
• Nitrates: 20ppm
• Hardness: Unknown, apparently liquid rock from how high it is LOL
• Nitrite: 0ppm
• Ammonia: 0ppm
• KH/Buffer: 80ppm
• Water Temperature: 73-74
• Size: 20 gallons

His current 5 gallon quarantine tank has all the same perimeters except 5ppm of nitrate instead of 20ppms.

He was really pale when I first noticed, and since being moved to the 5 gallon, his colors have perked up significantly (his black bands looked pale grey, now they are a darker black again).

I am using the ACO recommended med trio along with aquarium salt.

But he still is pretty lethargic, he seems kinda swollen on the side with the hole, and he's only eating a little.

Any ideas what this is?

Picture:

Edited October 7, 2022 by Miranda Marie

[Colu]

It looks like a bacterial infection what I would do a course of maracyn in food and 1 table spoon for 2 gallons of aquarium salt the salt will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Colu

[Miranda Marie]

On 10/7/2022 at 5:18 PM, Colu said:

It looks like a bacterial infection what I would do a course of maracyn in food and 1 table for 2 gallons of aquarium salt the salt will aid Gill function and add essential electrolytes 

Okay, thanks! I've been pre-soaking his food in maracyn since I had heard that helps, but I had no idea there was an actual recipe.

[Colu]

On 10/8/2022 at 12:35 AM, Miranda Marie said:

Okay, thanks! I've been pre-soaking his food in maracyn since I had heard that helps, but I had no idea there was an actual recipe.

If he starts to get worse then I would start to treat with antibiotic medications that treats gram negative bacteria such as maracyn2 or kanaplex 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Colu