# Banjo catfish sick...



## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

I noticed my banjo catfish had a hole on his left side today. I qt'd him and did a water change, none of the other fish are sick and he's been acting normal other than the hole, any ideas?


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## plumdogg (Feb 9, 2015)

*sick banjo*

meltafix,


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

Im starting to think he may have had a chunk bitten out of him. He was in with two upside down catfish that are known to devour guppies.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I've seen this on cories before I can't say for sure but I suspected this:

http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/freshwater-conditions/hexamita.aspx


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

There are also cories in that tank but they seem fine. I'm glad this is not considered contagious. Algae pellets flake food and shrimp pellets were the main foods he was given so I don't think he was malnourished. Any suggestions for treatment?


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

This is what that page says about treatment:

Treatment
The prime medication used to treat hexamitiasis is metronidazole (often referred to by the trade name Flagyl). The most effective approach is using medicated food, especially when early infections are being dealt with. But seriously affected fish may not be eating, in which case you need to add the medication to the water, typically at a dosage of 250 mg per 10 US gallons, once per day for at least three days. Metronidazole is available to aquarists over the counter in the United States, but elsewhere a veterinarian prescription may be necessary. Alongside the medication, improvements to diet and environment are absolutely critical.
Environment
One reason hexamitiasis has been much studied by fish biologists is its prevalence on fish farms where growing fish are often maintained at very high stocking densities.
From the aquarist’s perspective, overstocking, inadequate filtration, lack of water changes and insufficient oxygen are all critical factors that need consideration when diagnosing or treating _Hexamita_ infections in fish. This is likely why hexamitiasis is so strongly associated with large cichlid fish like oscars and severums: These are precisely the sorts of fish likely to be maintained in aquariums that are too small for them and where water quality will be less than ideal.
Nitrate concentration is a useful proxy for water quality, as far as _Hexamita_ infections are concerned. It is recommended that aquarists aim for a nitrate concentration of less than 20 mg/l where possible, and certainly the nitrate concentration should never be allowed to go above 50 mg/l. The keys to maintain low levels of nitrate are to minimize the amount of food going into the aquarium and to maximize the amount of nitrate-rich water removed at each water change. Big fish like oscars do not need to eat every day, and they certainly shouldn’t be allowed to gorge themselves at each meal. Water changes should be substantial and regular. Fifty percent a week is recommended.


I am not sure about dosing metronidazole in catfish.


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