Missing scales

Feb 6, 2011
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#1
I came home yesterday and noticed my Black Moor has a white coloring on each side and was missing 1 scale, today he's missing many scales on each side. He is eating well and acting normal. The only other fish in my tank is an algae eater. I have 4 small plastic plants that he can swim past without a problem. I can't see him having gotten stuck anywhere in the tank. I think the tank size is 48 gallons. We've had him for 2 years now at least and they have been the only fish in the tank this whole time. I can see in 1 area where the scales are missing its slightly red in color, not bleeding but could I be seeing his vessels’? I called the pet store and they didn’t seen to know what they were talking about. I'm afraid to put something in there that will burn him. They wanted me to get something I've never heard of and I wanted to ask the experts. Please any ideas if this sounds like injury or disease. What can I buy to heal him? It looks painful and since he's eating still I want to try to fix him. It's happening very fast. On Friday I didn’t notice anything wrong with him.
 

achase

Large Fish
Feb 1, 2010
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British Columbia, Canada
#2
What are you water parameters? Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia?
What is your maintenance schedule like for your aquarium (water changes, etc.)?
What type of algae eater?

You could probably treat with Melafix just to prevent infection and help recovery. But lets get a second opinion on that. Possibly aquarium salt.....but I don't know because I have never used it for anything besides ick.
 

Feb 27, 2009
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#3
If possible, I would seperate the two fish. If you have a Chinese Algae Eater (neither from China, nor an algae eater beyond 2 or 3 inches long), the larger they get, the more they seem to snack on the slimecoat of slower moving fish, especially at night. They do not 'play nice' with other non-aggressive fish. Some say it is a lack of protein in the Chinese Algae Eater's diet that starts them on the slimecoats of other fish, but once they start, they do not stop.

If you can, please post pictures of both fish, especially the injured spots on the moor.
 

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