White "pimples" on my heterospila?

[Sinister-Kisses]

I have 6 baby Oscura heterospila growing out, they're about 2" right now. Most are doing really well, but this one suddenly developed these white bumps about two weeks ago. At first it was just two that I noticed, seemed to have popped up over night, and within a couple days there were more spots. However, no NEW spots have developed since then. It seemed like it was going away and clearing up for a bit, though never totally gone, but then today when I was checking on everyone at feeding time I noticed they are back with a vengeance. They look like little whiteheads on the side of my fish, pronounced protruding white bumps. He/she doesn't seem bothered otherwise and is acting normal. Any ideas on what this is and how to treat?

Apologies for the not super clear photos, my phone isn't great with moving fish lol. But I think they're clear enough to see what I'm dealing with.

PS - please don't throw ich at me, absolutely not ich. And I'm 99% sure it's not epistylis either, as it doesn't line up (isn't spreading, no other fish have it, fish is still otherwise active and eating normally after 2 weeks, etc).

 

[FJB]

I have seen that before. Like pimples that last a few days,disappear or fall off?, reappear in another place or fish. I don’t know what it is, but it seems to be only mildly contagious. Some sort of dormant stage in substratum and they are there but don’t manifest all the time. Miss a water change, or come back from travel and they might be there.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

No. They have been the exact same spots for the entire time (except the first couple of days; 2 showed up first and then the rest - but it has not changed at all since then). These exact same spots have been there for weeks. They seemed like they're getting better - didn't protrude any more, white spots seemed to be healing up - but then now have suddenly started protruding and seemed to have flared up. But still in the exact same spots, no new spots formed, and no other fish have them. I also never miss a water change.

 

[A201]

Looks like inflamed sensory pores. The problem might be early stage Hole in the Head disease aka Lateral line disease.
Maybe up the water change schedule a bit. If things worsen you might consider a metronidazole laced food.

 

[jonclark96]

Looks like lymphocystis to me.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Looks like inflamed sensory pores. The problem might be early stage Hole in the Head disease aka Lateral line disease.
Maybe up the water change schedule a bit. If things worsen you might consider a metronidazole laced food.

I've had a fish with HITH in the past, it never had white pimples. Just the pits around the head.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Looks like lymphocystis to me.

Hmm. Never had to deal with it before, so know nothing about it. Just doing some reading on it now, seems like it could be the culprit, especially since the fish seems otherwise totally fine.

Should I pull him and put him into a QT tank by himself? From what I've read, there is no cure for it, just sort of 'managing' it. Also seems that it COULD possibly be passed to other fish in the tank if they end up with open wounds or something of that sort? For that reason, I'm kind of inclined to not have this one live out life in the tank he's in, I don't want my other hets or my marbled fenestratus to be affected. This guy may be better off living the solo life?

 

[jonclark96]

I am sure there are others with more experience with it than me. I had it introduced into one of my tanks many years ago. Symptoms seem to pop up with a fish is stressed. I believe it is water-borne, so anything in the tank is likely to be a carrier now. I have not really had a fish "die" from it that i know of, but I have had fish get beat up, then get lots of the bumps, then pass.

Sorry I don't have more advice.

 

[duanes]

It looks like lymph to me too, newly shipped and added fish seem most susceptible.
Since it is viral, there aren't any effective medications.
My case came in after some V. breidhori were shipped.
With lots of water changes, and after settling in, the fishes immune system fought it off, and the case quickly went away.
It is ubiquitous.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

That checks out - of the 6 heterospila in the tank, I've had four of them for months now and two were recent additions to bulk up the numbers. The two new ones arrived a month ago, and while I did QT them for a few weeks, this dude is one of the two new ones and it showed up pretty much right after I moved them out of QT and into the main tank with the others.

Looking at him again this afternoon, he already seems much better than he did yesterday - back to the bumps being gone, and just a more subtle grayish white blemish at each spot rather than a bold, bright white protrusion.

I should leave him be, in the tank with all the others then? Just accept that he's a bit of an ugly duckling amongst the others? Plan was to let the hets grow out until a pair formed off, leave the breeding pair in the tank and remove the others. Even if it may be "present" in the tank now, if I remove this one and keep him solo in a different tank will the virus eventually be removed via water changes and time with no other fish showing issues? Should still be able to get a pair from the remaining 5 in the tank...