# Scraped scales or worse?



## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

I know these pictures are awful but it's the best I can do. I actually park a chair in front of my tank every day and watch the fish. I count them to make sure no one is missing and look for problems. Tonight I found this little guy. At first I thought he had white lumps but after I isolated him in my little tank it really looks like he scraped some scales off. Only problem with that theory is it's on both sides of him but predominately his left side. His blue line is clearly "broken" and it almost looks like his tail droops. He eats and swims fine. He shares is 38G tank with other neon tetras, platies and panda corys, 32" fish though none are mature yet. The platies and corys ignore the tetras. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5. Any thoughts? He's already in salted water and I added stress coat.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

A close-up picture will help even further. Are you sure the scales were clearly removed? And how did it happen? The more information provided, the better.


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

I'm truly giving all the info I have. I tried to get a better pic or crop and zoom but can't do better. 

It looks like the scales were removed but I can't be sure. That's why I'm posting. You know as much as I do.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

I asked because I was thinking of Neon Tetra Disease caused by Plistophora.:shake: It is incurable and can be characterized by restlessness of affected fish at night, cream coloring starting on the mid section of their body, etc. The cream coloring will appear to have deleted the fish's colors.

Isolate the fish, use Melafix and monitor for any changes in its behavior.


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

I was afraid you were going to say that. Thanks for your instantaneous response.


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

Just an update on my little guy...he's alive if not quite well. Actually, he's about 90% better! He's just been hanging out with my cherry shrimp, although I think he's a little scared in there all by himself. Some of the shrimp are bigger than he is. All of my neons are juvies but he's probably one of the smallest. I wonder now if he was getting picked on. I've only treated him with salt, though not too much because of the shrimp. About half of his dorsal fin has melted away but he's healing very nicely. As long as he continues to do well I will keep him in there until he's bigger.


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