Geist appears to have lost scales, not sure how

[Little Veiltail]

Hey guys. I'm a little nervous because just recently during Geist's nightly feeding I noticed that a spot on his back was very pink, not the usual golden brown. In fact, it looks as though his scales had been rubbed off.

His last water change was on Monday [I change 50% every other day and 100% once a week, since he lives in a 2 gallon hex], and I would change his water today but I'm wondering if the water conditioner might have irritated his skin.

My last bottle of conditioner [I think the brand was Jungle, or something] ran out, and the new bottle is a different brand [Topfin]. I used the new brand for the 50% change on Monday, so I'm wondering, could the change in conditioner have affected him?

Unfortunately I'm a college student who is busy in class most of the afternoon and evening, so I don't have the opportunity to observe his behavior throughout the day [only mornings and nights, and I admit I didn't take a good look at him when I fed him earlier]. As far as I can tell at the moment, though, he is acting normal, swimming around the tank. Though... he's also resting a lot on the gravel [but he may be tired because it's the evening].

You guys probably need to know the specs of the tank, so I'll do that now.

- 2 gallon hex
- no filter [but I change the water 50% every other day, and 100% once a week]
- heater [constant 76 degrees F]
- airstone [the airflow is restricted, though, so the water doesn't move much.
-fake plants, but they're relatively soft
-aquarium gravel
-feeding: 2-3 pellets every morning and evening

Other: This is the second week Geist has been at my college dorm. Suddenly it occurs to me that the water here may be different than the water at home, and that could be affecting him even with the conditioner.

I'm attaching two images of his back, but if you need more images of something specific, or even video, let me know.
I have a class early tomorrow but I'll check on his condition before I go and report any changes.

If anyone has any ideas of what could be causing this, and what I should do to treat it, let me know. Thanks from me and Geist!

[Little Veiltail]

Another quick question: if I got one of those water filters [not the kind you put in tanks, the kind you use to filter tap water for drinking], would it be okay to use that water for water changes? Or would it not make a difference in how clean the water is?

[Oldfishlady]

The house hold type water softner/filter type products are not the best for aquarium water use as they just exchange a sodium ion for calcium and magnesium ion that is not suitable for the fish

I don't think the conditioner is causing the problem, I can't really see much on the pic, however, if his behavior has not changed and he is still eating and the scaleless area is not getting worse or changing-it may be an injury and water changes are the best treatment IMO
If the area starts to look as if it is growing or changing or the fish itself has a behavior change...then a more aggressive treatment may be needed

Check in the tank and make sure something inside is not the cause, I would also keep my water temp in the 76F range and increase aeration for several days along with daily water changes to help prevent secondary infections...

[peaches3221]

i agree with oldfishlady. i like the flowers in his tank, by the way!

[Little Veiltail]

Thanks so much, everyone. I'm actually relieved to know that it's most likely an injury and not something worse. I increased the flow of the airstone and am about to change the water. Later today I'll get the aquarium salt that I let my friend borrow, and will probably use a bit of that to help recovery.

As for what he could have hurt himself on, I'm really not sure, but it's possible that he wedged himself between the heater and the side of the tank, and may have rubbed against the plastic part that holds it in place. I don't want to remove the whole heater but maybe there's a way I can soften the edges of the plastic?

I'll attach a few images of his tank for reference.

[Oldfishlady]

If you are going to do a salt treatment-I would make sure to use the correct dosage and duration to increase healing and reduce problems

Aquarium salt 1tsp/gal with 100% daily water changes for 10days-this is best done while in QT

However, I would try the clean water method first for at least 3-4 days of daily 50-100% water changes before I started a salt treatment. Watch the area for any changes-like if it become fuzzy or the edges start to look discolored as well as any behavior changes.
Often, once the environment and diet are stable the fish immune response will take over and the fish will take care of the problem itself.

Remember that diet is also important for healing and over all well being-a good varied diet and some added protein can work wonders during the healing process.

[Newtonbetta]

Oldfishlady,

For an injury, how often do you recommend water changes in a 10 gal?

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

The house hold type water softner/filter type products are not the best for aquarium water use as they just exchange a sodium ion for calcium and magnesium ion that is not suitable for the fish

I don't think the conditioner is causing the problem, I can't really see much on the pic, however, if his behavior has not changed and he is still eating and the scaleless area is not getting worse or changing-it may be an injury and water changes are the best treatment IMO
If the area starts to look as if it is growing or changing or the fish itself has a behavior change...then a more aggressive treatment may be needed

Check in the tank and make sure something inside is not the cause, I would also keep my water temp in the 76F range and increase aeration for several days along with daily water changes to help prevent secondary infections...

[FuulieQ]

Giest is so cute. :) Healing thoughts!

[Tisia]

this thread is from september, I'm guessing he's already healed, lol