What is going on with this Apisto?

[tolstoy21]

I just finished treating this fish for pop-eye and moved it back to the community tank after a month-long quarantine. (Hmm . . . eyes seem bulgy, actually now that I look at these pics. But nothing like they were.)

These spots on the head started as one teeny speck while in the quarantine tank, but I dismissed it as discoloration since the fish had just finished a course of Kanaplex (soaked in food) and salt, and then convalesced in a clean tank for three weeks.

Now the spots are getting bigger.

Fungus? Hole-in-the-head? Thoughts?

I lost the female a few months back suddenly after she went south fast and her stomach bloated and showed what looked like red internal hemorrhaging.

Edited December 4, 2020 by tolstoy21

[Colu]

What are your water parameters 

[Colu]

If water parameters are good it could be secondary fugal or parasitic infection

[tolstoy21]

@Culo - I broke down the quarantine tank that I believe this started in.

But knowing that, the parameters were all well within healthy scope -- nitrates < 5ppm, PH 7.4, everything else of note that could cause stress = 0. Temp 78F.

To be honest, I think this pair of apistos came to me with issues. They originally lived in their own tank until they spawned and I moved the male out to the community tank.

The female died 2 weeks after spawning, which would be three or so weeks after I received them. The male developed pop-eye in the community tank shortly after, which is full of otherwise healthy fish and has been stable for a few years. 

I didn't treat them with anything after purchase, given that they were going to stay isolated as a breeding pair. I only moved the male because of aggression issues with the female after spawning. 

I guess at this point, I'll re-quarantine and treat for internal parasites, and use salt for any possibility of fungus.

Unless anyone else has other suggestions. 

Edited December 4, 2020 by tolstoy21

[Colu]

I would try it that it  seems stress induced illness 

[MAC]

Tolstoy21 I have has nearly identical experiences with a pair of Kribs and a trio of angelfish. I actually just posted my own topic about it. The fish seem good, breed, get bumps on their heads and sort of just fall apart from there. I tried meds for parasites, bacteria, high salt, water changes, everything I had. The offspring of those fish have had no problems, however.  I'm starting to think it is coming in with the fish from their source. 

[tolstoy21]

@MAC Yeah same. I have about 30 healthy, growing, 2-month old fry out of these two fish.

My hope is that there is nothing environmental in the tank they were spawned in with the parents, since they've never been relocated out of that.