Elephant Nose

Question
QUESTION: I just recently got a baby elephant nose fish. I have had one before, but never had any problems with it. My baby elephant nose has little white spots on his fins about 3 or spots. I have read that there aren't many chemicals you can use with them because they are more sensitive, what should I do. I have 30 gal. with two neon tetras, two angel fish, and one guppy, and I don't want them to get what the elephant nose has. The elephant nose has only been in the tank for 3 days.

ANSWER: Hi Dani
Elephant noses are such cool fish!  But, they are a difficult fish to keep.  I had one years ago, and he only lasted a month for me.  Bought another one, and that one lasted about 2 weeks.  This is my personal opinion here, but after the 2nd one I had, I found out they're wild caught-not farm raised or tank bred.  So, it's very important to keep their water conditions and environment very similar to where they came from, as opposed to a tank bred fish being able to adjust.  Make sure there's a cave or piece of PVC pipe or some kind of tubing in there for him.  They are more nocturnal, and usually are very shy fish, and they love hiding.  That will help him feel secure as well, cutting down on stress.

Now for the spots....what do they look like?  Like the fish was sprinkled with salt?  That would be ich.  Or does it look like a flat white spot on the fins, or fungusy?  Whatever it looks like, I would do an immediate water change.  If it is ich, that's usually a parasite that takes advantage of fish when they're stressed.  A lot of times frequent water changes can help.  Be sure to vacuum the gravel/substrate good as well.  Don't add salt either with the EN or tetras, or any other scaleless fish.  Also, go ahead and slowly raise the temperature in the tank to about 82F.  Do it over the course of a day or so though.

Also be sure he's eating.  I fed mine either frozen bloodworms, or frozen brine shrimp, and live brine shrimp.  The problem with EN's is that they have a hard time competing for food with the other fish.  You may have a problem like that with the angels in the tank.  My EN took over a hollowed out log I had in the tank, and I would put the food in a net or use my hand, and put the food down to him and watch to make sure he was eating.

Let me know what those white spots look like, and I'll look around to see what meds are safe to use.  I know I remember reading about one that was safe for loaches and other sensitive fish....see if I can find it.

Christy

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

QUESTION: thank you, I feed him mosquito larva and he loved it until recently. The white spots are on his fins. and they're bumpy... I have never had a problem with those types of fish before. The one I had before I had for about a year, but the top on the tank broke, so I was using a plastic screen but last week he jumped out, and I was not home to save him. My angel fish surprisingly are not agressive. I have had them for two years, and they will only eat out of my hand, not from the top of the tank. the elephant nose has a tube and an overturned pot, plus a cave... but for the past two days he chooses to lay right in the middle of the tank on the sand with no protection from anything.
Thanks for your help christy, I just hope I can find something to help my elephant nose. hes such a beautiful fish

Answer
Oh good, you're familiar with them :)  And having one for a year, must be doing something right lol :)  

Bumpy white spots...you just got him, and he may have been wild caught, I think it might be a good idea to quarantine him if you can in a separate tank.  The tank doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a bare bottom 10 gallon tank(with a hood-they like to jump as you found out).

Does it look like ich?  Ich is small white spots, and they do look bumpy as well.  Here's a link for that med I was talking about, not sure if it's safe for EN's though, but it says it's safe for scaleless fish like loaches and catfish.  It's called Ich Guard II by Jungle Labs:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4709&N=2004+113016

If it doesn't look like it's ich, it may be a bacterial or viral infection-that'd be my next guess.  I would say try an antibiotic med like Maracyn Two, it's a broad spectrum antibiotic that treats gram negative bacterias.  Plus that one is said to help fish that aren't eating.  If it is a viral infection, there's nothing that will help.  Just keep the water quality good, and if you do move him to a separate tank, make sure to do frequent water changes(daily) on that tank.  Most meds will kill off any beneficial bacteria, and you don't want the ammonia to start building up in there.

Hope that helps some.  It's hard diagnosing fish sometimes, especially not seeing what the problem is, and even then it can be difficult.  Bacterial, viral, parasite infections can all take on the same symptoms-but all require different treatments.  Then you add in a sensitive fish like an elephant nose or loach, and it gets quite difficult.  Well good luck and hope he makes it through!

Christy