Albino BN: Hole in Side, Feces Coming Out HELP PLEASE

[aquafeet]

Symptoms / Problem description: Day before yesterday, I noticed one of the ABN plecos had, what appeared to be a string of feces coming out of a hole in his side. I thought I was just seeing things but I saw it again that night and yesterday (not so much today). He's also dented in where the hole is but there does not appear to be any inflammation, (it looks like a “normalâ€

[steve-o]

Sorry I don't know what the problem is, but that is a gorgeous looking long-finned BN.

[aquafeet]

Thanks Steve-o. He is a beauty.

He's still doing okay. There's been some suggestion at KWAS that this is a birth defect and that because he's lived with it this long, perhaps he'll be okay. I certainly hope so.

I have a female too and I was hoping for some fry. However, on platercatfish forum it has been pointed out that this kind of defect my be the result of interbreeding so I will be separating them. It was also suggested at that I destroy this fish but I won't be doing this unless he shows signs of being in pain or wasting - I just won't allow him to breed.

[aquafeet]

Well, it seems as if the congenital diagnosis was incorrect. Here's a pic of this little guy today with his anus in the correct place and working as expected. There's no longer any sign of the hole in his side except it's still a little dented in.

I believe this must have been a puncture wound sustained in the tank somehow. I know when I got the plecos, we looked them over pretty well and found nothing amiss - pooping from his side would have been something to note. I had watched them quite a bit every day until one day I noticed the hole in his side so I think I am safe in saying that the hole was not there when I got him, then it was for a few days and now it is not again.

The most surprizing thing is that he is still alive and thriving!

Anyhow, here's a pic of him this evening.

This might be one for the record books...

k, it's not attaching images tonight

[steve-o]

good to hear it's back to normal. If you want you can email me the photo and I'll host it in my photobucket account for you and then I'll post the picture here. email is crunked_zombie !AT! yahoo.ca