# Petricola cats - white spots....



## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

I have noticed a few times on my petricola cats over the months - one of them will get a white spot behind the gills on one side for a few days and then it will go away - otherwise behavior is normal and no one in the tank gets sick

The first time I saw it I thought it was ick and was considering moving the fish to another tank but then it went away and it's happened a couple more times since then with different fish - it resolves by itself and no one gets sick

Does anyone know what this is? I heard that the petricola can sting the other fish and that's why they are ok being in with cichlids - I wonder if the white has something to do with the stingers?


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

I guess no one has seen this on their petricola cats? I guess it's not so much a white spot and a very pale spot behind the gills near the first side fin - you can still see the fish's color and speckles


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have Lucipinnis (Petricola are very rare and expensive). I have not seen white spots on their sides. They do have spikes on their sides and do try to stab each other with the spikes, but they have never been noticeably successful.

Multies have the spikes as well. My multies do have aggression marks on them but the marks are on the top of the fish behind the head, not on the sides.

FWIW.


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

white spot is gone again!


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Yeah mine do this. I've determined its from fighting amongst themselves. One of mine was killed by the wound. One of my remaining lucipinnis had the marke last week - first all white, then white with the dark spots showing through, thenn back to normal gray color in a few days.


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

Do you always see it in the same place? Behind the gill and before the side fin?


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Ruthiebaby88 said:


> Do you always see it in the same place? Behind the gill and before the side fin?


yes, always the same spot. size maybe ~half the diameter to the diameter of a pencil eraser.


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## gravitypirates (Dec 26, 2011)

Have two small Pertricolas. White spot as you have both described has come and gone on both my cats. It seems each one getting it intermittantly in the same location. Both on right side, one behind gills, one further back toward tail. Otherwise seem healthy. Odd. Have never seen them tusle.


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## mcgro1 (Jan 31, 2012)

My synodontis has been showing the same symptons now for just over a month - a white mark/patch, less than 1cm squared, just behind the left gill, which comes and goes randomnly. This is the first forum I have been able to find regarding the subject.
At first I was worried about gill flukes causing the fish to flick (or flash - i.e. rub against rocks), but as has previously been mentioned in this thread, the white mark often disappears in less than a day. It comes and goes. 
I have tried increasing the water changes and have even added a small bit of salt as a PH buffer (<1g per litre), but none of this has helped. All fish are very healthy, water parameters are good and tank is very lightly stocked.
This problem is very strange. I am also slightly worried that the white marks seem to be getting larger and, whatever they are, this can't be good.
If anyone knows anything please help.
Thanks


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Since I last posted here, I am down to 1 lucipinnis out of the 6 I started with. Since being down to 1, I have never seen this mark again. I concluded that the marks were almost certainly do to aggression/dominance/spawning behavior. In my case, my lucipinnis were not old enough or large enough to be attempting to spawn, so aggression/dominance most likely.

For whatever reason, 5 of my lucipinnis did not make it yet 1 survives strong as ever. I can not say for sure if the marks or aggression was the sole cause. I had a similar thing happen to the first group of multipunctata I purchased. Out of 6 of them, only 1 now survives. I did not witness any marks on them. Unfortunately, there were times where I know I went too long without a water change (2-4 weeks), and that seemed to always be when the synodontis would start dropping, both species. Like little expensive water quality canaries. Perhaps the marks would usually be superficial and heal, but became infected with poorer water quality?

I also notice occasionally, now that I have 1 multipunctatus and 1 lucipinnis, that occasional the lucipinnis attempts to bully and push around the multipunctatus. I have seen the lucipinnis nip at the multipunctatus and pursue. Perhaps the lucipinnis aggression + poorer water quality than usual can also explain my multipunctatus die off?

This topic has been on my mind for a long time. I have just purchased a new group of juvenile multipunctatus and I'm determined to succeed with them this time.

Hope this helps. If you figure out anything else, please let me know.


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## mcgro1 (Jan 31, 2012)

Thanks for your reply...

Interesting theory about aggression. I have no other synodontis catfish, only 6 tiger barbs and a redtail shark. However, the mark does often appear around feeding time, which is obviously when aggression would be displayed, so im not completely synical about what you're saying.

However, I have one other theory that I came accross while researching the subject this afternoon. Heater burns... My catfish spends a lot of time hiding behind the heater, which obviously means his skin rubs against it. Apparently this is actually a common problem with tropical fish. This theory would also explain the random appearances of the marks. Im therefore going to try and make or buy a "heater guard" to see if this resolves the problem.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Its a theory. How big is your heater? When I saw the marks, mine were in with a 100W heater and I could grab ahold of it underwater without any discomfort when it was on let alone burns. I also saw the marks when I had them in a tank with the heater in a sump. The 1 lucipinnis I have now is in a tank with a 200W heater, and still no marks at all since he's been alone.

I did actually witness my lucipinnis scuffle, and while I never saw one take a bite out of the other, the mouth of 1 often ended up near the spot where the white marks would form on the others.

By all means be cynical and a heater guard is a good idea regardless with synos especially if your wattage is high enough, I'm only reporting what I personally witnessed. You should never take what someone says on the internet as gospel always verify and do your own research. Here's the original thread I started when I witnessed my lucipinnis aggression: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=213857&sid=b623f671957b0105136e6db6c85c453f
the "peculiar marks" I mentioned in that thread way back when were exactly the marks I've talked about in this thread.

Good luck with your synos! They are amazing little fishes.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Synodontis have barbs on the sides of their heads. When squabbling, they try to whack each other with their heads. Sometimes they connect...and the typical landing point is...the side of the fish behind the head.


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