What is this

[nzafi]

moe214 thanks. Very frustrated though. Just tested my water and looks like there are trace amounts of ammonia. Nitrite is 0 and nitrates are between 15-25 which I'm surprised about. Decided to avoid water change tonight but added safe to detoxify the ammonia. Trying to decide if I feed tonight and cut back feeding in general. I want to try meditating him HEX or metro but sure if I just let him be for a week and see how he does. It does look like is fins are healing nicely though.

Here is an update pic of his head that shows how bad this is:

 

[moe214]

Man I wish I could be if more help, I've not seen anything like it on a wolf. Ik ifnit were my specimen it's other me, it looks as if the flesh is dead. It'd irritate me. Kind of how bloat does. Idk why it makes me cringe and wanna like rip it away. I really hope you find a solution, as it seems this fish is the one for you

 

[nzafi]

Decided to feed him as he was begging for food. I've bumped the heaters but it will take time to get the water to 80-81 degrees, and I added about 1 tablespoon of salt per 12g (less than usual due to wolf sensitivity). I think this is just going to take a long time.

 

[shookONES]

I think your large, frequent water changes have blown at your beneficial bacteria population.

 

[Lugal]

If all else fails, try water change only 30% water at most. Last time I did 50% change in Feb, my 4" Albino Barb died and almost lost the other one. Which mean something is totally wrong with the water.
Best of luck for little Aimara though.

 

[nzafi]

I will be rerunning the ammonia test again today and we will see. If ammonia comes back at 0, I will do a 25-30% water change. I am more surprised that my nitrates continue to hover around 20. Would think they would drop to near zero with that much water being changed. I have only 1 decoration in the tank and bare bottom so its unlikely for me to have food hiding somewhere.

 

[koltsixx]

N nzafi I actually meant to ask before I got side tracked. You mentioned you're running a HMF, So your running a Hamburg Matten Filter? Was the filter already established? I ask because while HMF are extremely efficient and rival even the best filtration methods as far as I know they take longer then others to become established.

Do you have any other established media in other tanks you could use to jump start a secondary filter? Maybe a HOB as a supplementary filter. While I know none are rated for a tank your size between what ever is established in the HMF and the low bioload since you only have the wolf it may help.

Do the wounds on the wolf's head look like they're getting better, worse or about the same? If they seem to be about the same or getting better he might benefit from a triple antibiotic ointment. It might help act like a protective layer while promoting healing. I'm pretty sure Aquanero had suggested it to me at one time or another for fungus. And while I know this isn't fungus it might help because it might act in the way I described above. I wish Aquanero was as active as he used to be. I tagged him just in case he happens to log on as he's good with advising people on stuff like this.

 

[moe214]

If all else fails, try water change only 30% water at most. Last time I did 50% change in Feb, my 4" Albino Barb died and almost lost the other one. Which mean something is totally wrong with the water.
Best of luck for little Aimara though.

That's a much more sensitive fish, probably got shocked by a temp change or something like that.

I will be rerunning the ammonia test again today and we will see. If ammonia comes back at 0, I will do a 25-30% water change. I am more surprised that my nitrates continue to hover around 20. Would think they would drop to near zero with that much water being changed. I have only 1 decoration in the tank and bare bottom so its unlikely for me to have food hiding somewhere.

Agree with the guys, bb might be low. Let us know how the test comes along

 

[nzafi]

N nzafi I actually meant to ask before I got side tracked. You mentioned you're running a HMF, So your running a Hamburg Matten Filter? Was the filter already established? I ask because while HMF are extremely efficient and rival even the best filtration methods as far as I know they take longer then others to become established.

Do you have any other established media in other tanks you could use to jump start a secondary filter? Maybe a HOB as a supplementary filter. While I know none are rated for a tank your size between what ever is established in the HMF and the low bioload since you only have the wolf it may help.

Do the wounds on the wolf's head look like they're getting better, worse or about the same? If they seem to be about the same or getting better he might benefit from a triple antibiotic ointment. It might help act like a protective layer while promoting healing. I'm pretty sure Aquanero had suggested it to me at one time or another for fungus. And while I know this isn't fungus it might help because it might act in the way I described above. I wish Aquanero was as active as he used to be. I tagged him just in case he happens to log on as he's good with advising people on stuff like this.

The HMF filter has been running for close to three months. I was running 3 AC110s before and when I converted I took all oft the biomax media and placed it behind the HMF. I was running 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and some level of nitrates for a while now.

My tests are always borderline yellow/green. I need to wash out the tubes with bottle water to make sure left over residue isnt tainting my results.

 

[RD.]

A couple of years ago I posted the following regarding HITH.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/hith-revisited.650466/

I would be willing to bet $$$ that if you took a scraping of those wounds to a qualified lab, they would find Spironucleus vortens. Are you certain that you eradicated this parasite the last time that you had HITH issues? If not .... Then add to that the potential stress of stray voltage, and a new set up, and anything is possible.

And while you may have used the biomax from your AC 110's, the water turnover & 02 levels created from a typical HMF design, is but a tiny fraction of what would have been taking place in the 110's. In other words, the effectiveness of those same biomax rings in your new design would not be anywhere near the levels as previously - add to that a HMF sponge that is 90 days old, and the LAST thing you should consider are massive water changes. The reason that you are seeing ammonia is most likely due to the filtration bio bacteria not being able to keep up with the bio load of your fish and food.

Do you have chlorine treated water, or chloramine?