Loaches Online Forum

Hello. One of the R. dorsiocellata has suddenly developed a circular red blotch under its skin. It has become very pale and lethargic. I fully expect it will be dead within 24hrs but I just want to check what it might be.





The pictures don't really show just how red and bloody-looking the patch is. Any thoughts?

internal injury.
probably due to either tumor or parasite. i can't see that there might have been an external cause...

fish still with you?

I'd get it out of the tank and into quarantine. Regardless of what is wrong with the fish, you don't want any fish dying in a main tank. Dead fish are toxic.

i'd go with a tumour, and as far as i know there's no treatment were able to buy for it.
agree you should q it away from the others.

mick

Thanks guys. Amazingly it is still alive but looking terrible. Setting up a Q tank for the sake of prolonging the short, miserable existence of one doomed fish doesn't really make sense, so it's going to have to be euthanasia I'm afraid.