What is wrong with my featherfin?

Question

Before I had a piece of driftwood resting on a treasure chest at an angle which he used to go and hide under during the day. Now he ditched the driftwood and is hanging out next to the heater during the day. Today he was running up against the wall of the tank and since it was during the day his skin had turned pale he usually never does this and rarely comes out during the day unless food landed right next to his old piece of wood.

Answer 1

Your featherfin will outgrow your tank and likely attack the other fish.

("'\(o.o)/"')

Answer 2

I can't really give you a definite answer to that.

Did he look like he was scratching himself riding up the glass/heater? Does he have an increase in respiration? If yes in both answers, then your featherfin have the same disease as my giant bumblebee catfish: Gill parasites.

If no in either one of the statements, then maybe he has velvet or ich. does he have white spots on his body?

When my giant bumblebee catfish was diagnosed with gill parasites, it took like a week before he got back to his old ways. maybe he just needs time to recover.

Define pale. Pale as in he is loosing his markings. this is natural for a featherfin catfish as it will loose almost 50 to 80 percent of it's markings once adulthood is reached. If pale as in his color seems faded, then consult a vet. I think he has velvet if thats the case

Answer 3

I was trying to figure out how the above answer helped, then I realized it didn't.  Are there any other visible symptoms?  Stressed fish generally hide, but fish that normally hide may just lay out in the open.  Have you tested your water lately (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?  I would start with a water change.