# What is this??



## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

Both sharks, but only the sharks are showing these markings. No missing scales, not bumpy. Just discolored. Anyone know what this is? The spots I'm looking at are in te middle of the body below the dorsal fin. No flashing (that I can see), still appear to be eating but never actually get to see them eat. Still swimming around.


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

Anyone? If it's an illness, I'd like to treat tonight. These guys dart around the tank very fast so I suppose they could've rubbed up against something, but yesterday they were doing a weird type of "courting" dance together which I found off for two reasons. They're both males, as far as I know, and they usually want nothing to do with each other. Now I see these markings and I have no idea what it is besides some sort of illness.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Being two males I would say they are fighting, and has done a little damage. I would keep up several water changes through the week to help cure.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

It does look like injury more than disease.Possibly from fighting or trying to escape the fight and bumping into a rock or hard deco.
Waterchanges sound like best treatment to start.I would watch closely for any decline or infection.


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

That's great news! Thanks you two!


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

A better pic than before. Still look like injury over illness?


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

Any input on the new pic? Caught one shark briefly rub once against the substrate. Haven't seen it since.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Pic is hard to tell from, but I would still think fighting. Can you catch him and put him in a small clear container to take close up pics.

That is actually a red tail shark not the rainbow variety. And they can be aggressive to its own kind.


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

Unfortunately I don't have any containers like that, and catching him is nearly impossible without causing further damage. I just don't want to let it go and find that it's a disease. I also heard you can't really treat sharks with mess as usual because they don't have scales? So I'm at a loss of what to do


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

the other day I came down and found my glass top broken and in the tank. Pretty sure one of my cats decided to test the weight and it broke under her weight...now, cats tend to have cat litter in their paws..I wonder if this is bits of cat litter. And if it is, will this screw up my water? I just did a 50% change yesterday and two days before that.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

My cats use to jump up on my tanks to lay on the lights because they are warm. I have big lighting enclosures (12" wide) and it use to be easy for them when I kept tops on the tank. Since I took them off and they started getting wet doing it, they have stopped. I know this because there are no more water stains on the front of the tank.

Litter should be okay. Some people use kitty litter as a substrate (clay type) - works pretty good too.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The blue crystals are probly the scented part of the cat litter.It doesn't look like much,but I wouldn't think it is good?I wouldn't worry,but would watch your fish.If things get 'funny" you may want o change water again if they have all disolved and can't be vacced out.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Good catch on the scent crystal possibility. Never used litter with it and didn't think about it. It doesn't look like too many. Get a pair of tweezers and pull them out. Does your litter have those crystals?


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

No, I hate scented litter. Makes my cats smell all flowery. Lol. I took the vacuum off my siphon and just used the tube to suck out the bits so I wouldn't lose a lot of sand. I did this right away in case it was a disease of some sort.


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