[Minsc]

My female checkerboard cichlid has developed pink, puffy areas in between her gills and fins. The two areas are extremely close, so it is very difficult to tell which is having the issue. I do know that she has always (in the month or so I've had her) breathed heavily, significantly more heavily than her boyfriend.

She seemed to be swimming a bit funny as well, so I netted her and put her in a hospital tank. I consider it a bad sign that I was able to net her at all, in a heavily planted 40 gallon, so I definitely think something is wrong.

I have treated her with metronidazole, but I really don't know what is wrong or if there is anything else I can do.

Does anyone know what the problem could be? Any help is appreciated.

 

[oregon aqua]

I ran across a fish diag sheet a while ago and its helped me with my friends sick fish, http://fins.actwin.com/articles/disease/chart1.php hope it can help you. Good Luck

Jeremy

 

[Minsc]

Thanks for the link! According to that sight, she has gill disease, so I did a bit of reading...

Gill disease is more a symptom than a disease, it could be caused by bacteria, fungus or parasite, columnaris bacteria being one cause

The good news is, I think she has had this for a couple weeks now, and the rest of the fish seem fine.
With any luck, I can beat this, or at least only lose a single fish

 

[oregon aqua]

I have found the site is a little incomplete, but it has helped out, my friends fish had grayish patches and was flashing, I never had grey hair anything on my fish and it directed me to "true body fungus" although no cure i had a place to start.

I learned that the fungus was a secondary symptom and the fish was sick from poor water quality do to over feeding. (turns out the kribs would come to the front of the tank and then a family member would feed it, ALL OF THEM EVERY TIME THEY WALKED BY)
Fixed it with Melafix and water changes plus a couple of slaps on the wrists.

 

[Minsc]

(turns out the kribs would come to the front of the tank and then a family member would feed it, ALL OF THEM EVERY TIME THEY WALKED BY)

That will do it alright!