Growth on Agassizi

["Stuart" <Stuart@snoopers.karoo.co.uk>]

Wonder if anyone can help..... One of my male Apisto Agassizi's
developed a patch on one side of it's body, approx. 5mm in diameter,
at the side of it's stomach. I originally thought, because of the
missing scales, it had been fighting with one of the 2 females. 5
day's ago I removed the females to another tank, leaving him on his
own, but now the symptoms have spread, he looks like he has been in
the ring with Mike Tyson, teeth and all, he has patches of scales
missing all over his body.

To make matters worse one of the removed females, which has turned
out to be a male, has developed an identical patch on his side. On
closer examination, the patch is slightly raised and looks granular.
Two possibilities spring to mind, first the real female is battering
the males, the first male deteriorating from the original fighting,
or the fish have picked up some form of parasite.

Suggestions, comments, help greatly appreciated.

Stuart Greenley
Kingston upon Hull, England
stuart@snoopers.karoo.co.uk