Columnaris/Costia?

Question

Bosmani with bumps  
Scales missing   QUESTION: Hello

I have a 5 foot tetra tank. For a while I have had a Bosmani with a patch of scales missing- I thought she was just a wonky bred fish as nothing came from it. She remained like this for a year, but in the last 4 months I've seen it get worse on her and go to the other Bosmani's (not all of them, but only the Bosmani's). I have been treating with 'Heal All'  (herbal treatment)and salt as I have a large clown loach. The other fish don't seem to be affected. I have bala Sharks, Angles, Widows, Sail fins, Giant Danio's and various Goramies. I have only see my Red Robins displace small sores like the Bosmanis. Its patches of scale missing and in the worse cases the flesh is like its being eaten away. My large Bosmani displays a different sore, a large pinkish bumps and a flesh rot on the mouth. I'm not sure if this is either Columnaris/Costia or something completely different. none of the sours seem bloody.

None of my fish are acting peculiar, nor have they lost any appetite. I feed twice a day and they are all ecstatic and rush for the food even the sick ones. I do a 20-30% water change weekly. my temperature sits at around 28-30 degrees C. My Nitrate levels have always been highish, but it has never been a problem with my fish. It is getting worse now. I have had my fish for a long time and they are all very large. I do not have access to many treatments in my area, our treatments are very limited and ebay and amazon won't deliver more than books to my country. Is there anything I can do? I'm am desperate and very worried about losing my fish. I have only had a red robin die but I don't think that was related to the disease and more stress related as I was changing my tank around.

Thank you
Christie

ANSWER: The top picture looks like the fish might have injured itself some how. Do you have any decorations in the tank that is either rough or has sharp edges? The second fish concerns me. It might just be the angle of the fish, but it looks to me it has Dropsy. When you are looking down on it from above, does it resemble a pinecone? If so, remove it from your tank and put it in your hospital tank. Since Dropsy is relatively incurable, you might want to euthanize it. Let me know if the second fish looks like a pinecone.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello

I do have rough rocks in my tank, this is only on the one side of the first fish and he also has it on his lip, as if the flesh is being eaten away by acid or something. As I've mentioned, they're not behaving oddly at all, I do not see them rubbing themselves on the ornaments either.  The Bosmani's seem to have much hardy scales than some of the fish in my tank, if it were rough decorations then shouldn't I see injuries on some of my other fish as well? I do hear the odd splash and ornament moving, this is the large Clown Loach, who has no injuries at all.

My second fish is flat from a top. the scales are against his body as normal, nor is she a bloated fish or resemble anything like a pinecone. The injuries where the scales are missing also seem to be flesh being shaved away. I wondered if it was hole in the body but the its not quite holes, more like she has had her scales removed and a layer of flesh shaved off. To put it simply, she looks like she is molting.

I do think that the two fishes are suffering from different problems.

Answer
Even if some fish get injured by decorations, they won't all be injured.The fish in question could have gotten injured and now other fish are attacking it. I would still remove the 2 fish and place them in your hospital tank just in case it is something that will eventually get to the other fish. As you know, Angles can be very aggressive and will prey upon injured fish. Have you tried giving both fish salt water baths? Sometimes this help in healing an injury. I cannot see the mouth of the one that has a sore there so I cannot be sure what is going on with that one. You mentioned you nitrate levels, but what are the ammonia and nitrite levels at? The Boesemani is a schooling fish and you should have at least 6-8 of them in your tank. When there are only 2 of them, they will stress which can bring on illness. If your nitrite and ammonia levels are at zero, then it could be a fungal issue. Any anti fungal medication will help that. Make sure you remove the carbon from the hospital tanks filter so that it will not remove the medication. As will all medications you put into your tank, make sure you follow that directions on the packaging. If after a full cycle of anti fungal medication the fish are not better, let me know.