Loaches Online Forum

I have a young Synodontis catfish, not sure of the species (doesn't look like my S. euruptus when they were young). He's about 3" and hides most of the time. Today I pulled him out of his tank, and he has terrible sores on his mouth. I don't know if he has hole in the head (no holes along the lateral line) or if he injured himself, but they look terrible -- clean but deep.

My quarantine tanks are full and so I am ejecting my Betta from his 5 gallon, and I will treat the synodotis in that tank. The tanks is full of snails, gammarus shrimp and planaria, so I would like a treatment that will not kill those. I don't want to make things worse by having a large die off of little creatures. I also thought he could eat gammarus shrimp to make him feel better.

Could anyone recommend a good, safe medicine for the synodontis to treat wounds in the face? He is active and eating well.

Thanks for your help. I was thinking about treating with Maracyn and Maracyn 2.

(I am cross posting this on my local forum for more info.)

Does it look like cuts? injuries? If the water is absolutely clean (lowest possible nitrates) he may heal without any meds (safest for the other critters).

Blisters? (I have used Triple Sulfa for a clear blister-like mouth problem)

Fuzzy stuff? Either a bacterial problem called Mouth Fungus, or a real fungus infection, perhaps invading tissue compromised by injury or bacterial infection.

I will do my best to get the water as low nitrates as possible.

They could be cuts or injuries, or they could be hole in the head. I do not know. I may try another tank for him, because I think I can get another tank cleaner.

There is nothing white, fuzzy, blistery, so I don't think it is fungas.