Sculpins

I've posted questions before about problems I've had keeping freshwater Sculpins. They seem to keep getting bacterial infections, based on photos I've posted here.

Right now I have two that have a sore in exactly the same spot; on the side of their body just in front of their tail. That is where most of these lesions seem to occur.

I did some searching and found this article written by a Mr. Luther Brown. I noticed that they live in swift moving water. I'm keeping a few in a 20 gallon tank with a AC 70 filter. I do PWC's twice a week and the param's are always excellent.

I've kept Bluegills and a Green Sunfish for quite a while. I have a few other types as well but the Sculpins are the only ones that seem to catch this (bacterial infection).

All I can think is that maybe the water is still not moving fast enough. Presently I am treating them with API Melafix and keeping them in a small "hospital" tank. While I don't see any real improvement they are still alive.

If anyone can offer any clues as to why the Sculpins are the only ones affected by this malady, or how I can treat and/or prevent this I'd sure be grateful.

Edited by Sombunya, 09 February 2009 - 11:18 PM.

I'm not a sculpin expert (not even close) and I have more questions than answers.

What sculpin are you keeping? This might let forum members help you with past experiences on that particular fish.
What is the temperature in the tank?
Do you use any salt in the tank?
Do you know the dissolved oxygen content?
What is the temperature in the tank when the AC70 is turned off?

In my opinion sculpin do not need unusually high water turnover inside home aquaria. In fact I believe it's a detriment to sculpin unless you've found a way to move a lot of water without raising temperature levels. I believe salt helps two fold...infection and oxygen uptake. When I keep sculpin I primarily concern myself with two things (which go hand in hand). Temperature and oxygen levels. Cooler water allows for greater oxygen levels.

I've found sculpins in non-flowing water (lakes), so I don't think water movement is essential as long as filtration is adequate. That was in WA so they're certainly a different species than yours. Not sure how similar they are.

Aggression by the crayfish is something I would consider. They used to share a tank, right? It would make sense that the bottom-dwellers would be easier for them to catch. It doesn't always take a large or serious wound for an opportunistic infection to take hold.

What sculpin are you keeping?
What is the temperature in the tank?
Do you use any salt in the tank?
Do you know the dissolved oxygen content?
What is the temperature in the tank when the AC70 is turned off?

Here is a photo I snapped of one of them. They are found in Southern California but may be from the central state area.
 Sculpin_WEB.jpg   129.34KB   4 downloads

I don't have a chiller so the temperature now is maybe 65 Fahrenheit or so. About what the aquaduct water temp. is. I also understand that cooler water contains more dissolved O2.
I have used salt at times but don't keep it in the tank regularly. Many varying opinions on the usefulness of salt. I kind of lean towards its use.
I don't know the exact dissolved O2 content but the 20 gallon tank they are in is lightly stocked, I think. And the AC 70 keeps the water moving quite well.
The filter is never shut off except during feeding.

I don't keep any Crayfish in that tank. Only a small "swimming" fish that I thought was a Bluegill but since it has not grown much I'm beginning to wonder what it is. Its been in there for a while and is quite healthy from what I can tell. I'd keep a higher concentration of salt in it except for the little fish that is in there. I think it is a bit too small to keep with the bigger Bluegills, even though it can swim quite fast.

Sculpins have a reputation at the plant I work at for being very hardy. They are regularly found in the ozone contact basins, alive. (ozone is a powerful disinfectant)

I do bi-weekly 20% water changes. All of my tanks and fish appear very healthy and I've never lost any except for the occasional Sculpin. Its a shame because they are very interesting fish. If anyone can offer a suggestion I'd sure appreciate it. I really don't know where to go next.

Edited by Sombunya, 10 February 2009 - 09:51 PM.

I think I mentioned before that your fish were prickly sculpin (fwiw, likely the same as gzeiger's WA fish). These don't need strong current, are MUCH different fish than the mottled sculpin that Brown's study was on. if you've got a bunch of them together, it might be results of aggression; bites that get infected later on. How many cover items are available for these? >1 cover space/fish? Have you seen same symptoms with fish kept in isolation?

Sombunya, I should have stated in my first post that I only have experience with banded and mottled sculpin. My thoughts may not help you in any way as I have no experience with "western" sculpin.

I think I mentioned before that your fish were prickly sculpin (fwiw, likely the same as gzeiger's WA fish). These don't need strong current, are MUCH different fish than the mottled sculpin that Brown's study was on. if you've got a bunch of them together, it might be results of aggression; bites that get infected later on. How many cover items are available for these? >1 cover space/fish? Have you seen same symptoms with fish kept in isolation?

That never occurred to me. They are usually just laying around when I see them. In fact, they usually lay around on top of each other at times. I did notice that when I put some tiny feeder guppies in there many of them disappeared rapidly. And the little "swimming fish" in there (I'll try to get a photo up and get it id'd soon) seems to stay well clear of them even though I've never noticed aggression. I also noticed that the wounds seem to occur in the same place; on the side in front of the tail.

There are a couple of smooth pvc tubes they like to stay in. I'll add a couple more flat rocks and such and keep an eye on them.

I did an image search for "Prickly Sculpin" and I do believe you are correct. I'll remember that. And thanks very much for your reply!

Edited by Sombunya, 11 February 2009 - 08:03 PM.

That never occurred to me. They are usually just laying around when I see them. In fact, they usually lay around on top of each other at times. I did notice that when I put some tiny feeder guppies in there many of them disappeared rapidly. And the little "swimming fish" in there (I'll try to get a photo up and get it id'd soon) seems to stay well clear of them even though I've never noticed aggression. I also noticed that the wounds seem to occur in the same place; on the side in front of the tail.

There are a couple of smooth pvc tubes they like to stay in. I'll add a couple more flat rocks and such and keep an eye on them.

I did an image search for "Prickly Sculpin" and I do believe you are correct. I'll remember that. And thanks very much for your reply!

About that "little" swiming fish in there. I have thrown yoy blue gills in with large mottled sculpin and wonder why they would not be there the next day. I would check the floor and all. But one day I threw one in and out from its shelter the sculpin came up and with one big gulp there went the sunfish. And it was not so small. Maybe one inch long. So I would be careful in leaving that "swimming fish" in with a sculpin to large in size. As for the infections. I would suggest the same as someone else did. Have more than one shelter for each sculpin just in case. In other words plenty of caves on ground level.

My two pennies worth,
Daniel