what the heck happened to my new angel?!

[Twalker791]

So I got this bicolor angelfish about a week ago- has been happy and healthy as far as I can tell in a tank with one smaller black clownfish and a German cleaner shrimp and a few snails. I was just watching him swim around yesterday and I didn’t notice anything odd. Today I came home and saw this HUGE wound on his side and he was sort of floating around and then died about an hour later. I feel there is no way my little clown or shrimp could have done something like this- but I also don’t know what disease would have done this and that fast- no rocks were knocked over- I have no crabs or anything else In the tank other than what I listed. Any ideas? I’m so upset!

 

[Hermie]

burned on heater?

 

[polyppal]

Looks like uronema or possible bacterial infection. Is the tank ammonia level at 0?

 

[Twalker791]

Looks like uronema or possible bacterial infection. Is the tank ammonia level at 0?

Yep tank parameters are perfect- I actually think I just realized what may have happened even though it seems like sort of a stretch- so he looked fine yesterday morning- but I worked late and when I came home, the tank heater was completely detached from the tank wall and was floating which was super weird bc I’ve had that forever and it has never come off- and it’s in a corner and I’m wondering if somehow he got behind it and got stuck between the heater and wall and fought to get free which is maybe why my heater was detached- would a bacterial infection cause that big of a wound in just 24 hours? Just seems so odd!

 

[Twalker791]

burned on heater?

I just realized that I think that may be exactly what happened since I came home and found my heater floating around which has never ever happened- I bet he got caught behind there and fought to free himself- uggghhh

 

[polyppal]

Its hard for me to imagine a heater cause a wound like that on a fish, unless it was all but dead anyways and drifted into the heater. The wound looks raw too, I would think if a heater element did that and burned through the scales, it would also have likely cauterized the flesh too.

I have had a bacterial infection take out a Timor Wrasse before that snuck up very quickly, when he died he had missing scales and wounds that looked like gashes like that.

 

[Twalker791]

Its hard for me to imagine a heater cause a wound like that on a fish, unless it was all but dead anyways and drifted into the heater. The wound looks raw too, I would think if a heater element did that and burned through the scales, it would also have likely cauterized the flesh too.

I have had a bacterial infection take out a Timor Wrasse before that snuck up very quickly, when he died he had missing scales and wounds that looked like gashes like that.

dang- guess I was just trying to think of anything off since yesterday and had remembered how weird it was that the heater somehow got detached like it did for the very first time……is it likely that my clown will get this infection now too if that’s what it was?

 

[Arthacker87]

Other fish healthy? I'd give it a week and make sure it isn't something g that will spread for sure. I hate losing new fish. Makes me feel horrible. Unfortunately it's sometimes part of the hobby.

 

[Twalker791]

Other fish healthy? I'd give it a week and make sure it isn't something g that will spread for sure. I hate losing new fish. Makes me feel horrible. Unfortunately it's sometimes part of the hobby.

Yeah so far my other fish looks totally fine so hopefully it’ll stay that way

 

[Arthacker87]

I'd give it a little. Might had been a fluke as well. A week isn't much time for a new fish, all kinds of stuff can happen in a week w a new fish.

 

[MaxTremors]

Its hard for me to imagine a heater cause a wound like that on a fish, unless it was all but dead anyways and drifted into the heater. The wound looks raw too, I would think if a heater element did that and burned through the scales, it would also have likely cauterized the flesh too.

I have had a bacterial infection take out a Timor Wrasse before that snuck up very quickly, when he died he had missing scales and wounds that looked like gashes like that.

It could be the equivalent of a second degree burn, where it takes several hours or a day for the skin/scales to blister and slough off. I wouldn’t discount this theory, if the fish got stuck behind it, even for 5-10 seconds while it was on, it could’ve easily done this. Glass heaters get hot enough to make water sizzle if they’re taken out of the water and allowed to dry for a second, it could absolutely burn a fish pretty quickly (and the shape of the wound is conducive to this theory). I would still try to rule out other causes, but given the information we have, this seems like the most likely cause.

 

[polyppal]

dang- guess I was just trying to think of anything off since yesterday and had remembered how weird it was that the heater somehow got detached like it did for the very first time……is it likely that my clown will get this infection now too if that’s what it was?

It seems like weird bacterial infections usually don't spread around the tank like ich or other diseases, if the other fish look healthy and happy then they will prob be fine

 

[Hermie]

it would also have likely cauterized the flesh too.

Uh ok based on what evidence? Burns can occur in all types of severity... that's why they are classified third/first/second etc.

 

[Hermie]

dang- guess I was just trying to think of anything off since yesterday and had remembered how weird it was that the heater somehow got detached like it did for the very first time……is it likely that my clown will get this infection now too if that’s what it was?

There's no infection that person doesn't know what they are talking about. The fish most likely got caught just like you said and once the "damage" was done the flesh was burned beyond recovery. I keep my heater in the Sump which is a future consideration for you.

 

[polyppal]

Uh ok based on what evidence? Burns can occur in all types of severity... that's why they are classified third/first/second etc.

There's no infection that person doesn't know what they are talking about. The fish most likely got caught just like you said and once the "damage" was done the flesh was burned beyond recovery. I keep my heater in the Sump which is a future consideration for you.

Take the attitude somewhere else clown, you don’t know whether it’s an infection or a burn or something else anymore than the rest of us, that’s why we’re hypothesizing and considering options.

thanks for your ‘9mos’ of expert advice on marine fish husbandry though

 

[Hermie]

Take the attitude somewhere else clown, you don’t know whether it’s an infection or a burn or something else anymore than the rest of us, that’s why we’re hypothesizing and considering options.

thanks for your ‘9mos’ of expert advice on marine fish husbandry though

I'm not a clown and I didn't call you any name. You should stop the personal attacks and stick to the thread's topic. Use evidence and logic. It's clear the fish died from a burn, the OP even said the heater was floating. Put two and two together no need to attack my logical conclusion as in your original post.

 

[Pneumatic_Addict]

Looks like uronema or possible bacterial infection. Is the tank ammonia level at 0?

I’d go with Uronema/bacteria infection as well. Had a fowleri kick it in quarantine years ago. Same exact wound….

 

[polyppal]

I'm not a clown and I didn't call you any name. You should stop the personal attacks and stick to the thread's topic. Use evidence and logic. It's clear the fish died from a burn, the OP even said the heater was floating. Put two and two together no need to attack my logical conclusion as in your original post.

Your ‘analysis’ is no more logical than anything else that was discussed. Can’t draw a conclusion based simply on a picture.

Life tip: Don’t discount experienced peoples commentary with your selfrighteous behavior/assumptions and maybe you’ll learn something

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like post injury that developed bacteria. Burn is also possible

 

[MaxTremors]

I'm not a clown and I didn't call you any name. You should stop the personal attacks and stick to the thread's topic. Use evidence and logic. It's clear the fish died from a burn, the OP even said the heater was floating. Put two and two together no need to attack my logical conclusion as in your original post.

The evidence points to a burn. The sudden appearance of the wound, the shape of the wound, the fact that the other fish are unaffected, the heater being out of place. You wouldn’t see a bacterial infection of that severity just appear in less than a day with no other signs or symptoms. In the absence of any other evidence, that is the most logical conclusion. Other causes should still be investigated, but all signs point or a burn.