new catfish sick peeling skin help!

[irishgrl]

Hello:

I recently bought 2 catfish (freshwater). They are spotted B&W and only about 2 inches long. Begins with a "P" sorry I forget the name....
It is the second pair now dying for same reason in--skin flaking off, vertical swimming, ...what do I do? I tried a larger tank. I've had bettas that lasted years using my same water. I used conditioner in the water twice. I can't figure out what is wrong. Help???

Peggy

 

[Stevie]

Good to see someone else from Ireland!!!! *SUPERSMIL

Id say its a Pictis (spl?) catfish you have they can grow to about 6 inches long. I here they can suffer from ich, but my fish have never got it that I know of so I don't know what the symption's (spl?) are. Maybe someone could steer you in the right dircetion *twirlysmi

What part of Ireland are you from *SUPERSMIL ?????

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

I have a synodontis euruptus who had a temper tantrum several weeks ago and apparently jumped up out of the water and scraped his head on either a ballast or a light bulb and ended up with a giant loose piece of skin on his forehead. It turned white and then eventually came off, leaving a light patch until the new skin grew in. I didn't medicate the tank, (although I probably should have) and within 2 or 3 weeks he was completely back to normal.

I guess he was trying to make a jail break!

 

[derajer]

What kind of heater do you use? And how do you have it positioned. I had 3 upside-down catfish die because they would not stop hanging underneath my heater and it finally burned them so badly they died, but before that their skin would peal.

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

I don't use a heater. If the water gets too cold in the tank then I put a bowl of water in the microwave and heat it up really hot and then add that to the tank to bring the temp up. Just kidding about that. I'm sure I had a few of you out there going though. I use a submersible glass heater in each tank, but have not had prpblems with any fish baking near them, although they do go through phases when they prefer to hang right beside it.

I have on occasion been in just the right position with just the right lighting and seen the wavy water by the heater when it is on, like we can see waves in the air above a hot road surface on a hot summer day. I would hope that the catfish would have the sense to move away if it got too hot for them. But I'm not sure if they could do that while they are sleeping.