White spot on the gillplate (pics)

[Drunken]

Hi

I have a breeding pair of dempsey`s, with 2 week old free swimming fry.
A few days ago i noticed a small white spot on the gill plate, i tought at first it was a small wound/scratch but today i can see it more clearly and it looks like its gotten a bit bigger in size. the fish are in a 60gallon, and no tank mates.

Its a bright white spot, witch protrudes from the fish if i look down the side of the fish. Can`t really see if its on the outside or inside of the gill plate ( seems to be on the edge)

I`m thinking its a fungal infection off some sort ? would love to get some help on this and what treathment i should start

here`s a few pics

 

[kzimmerman]

does it look like mold, with thing stringy material growing out? If so it is a fungal infection. The good news is that fungus infections usually go away after you treat the root problem. Usually, that is poor water quality, but it could also just be that the fry are pecking at it. I would probably try isolating the parent for a few days in a livebearer net and see what happens. I would also do a waterchange. If it doesn't go away, you could try something like melaflix I believe. I havn't used any aquarium medications in more than 10 yrs, but anything should work if used correctly. Keep an eye on the fish to see if it's getting picked on too.

 

[Drunken]

I`ve added a small doze of melafix and some salt.
It does not apear fuzzy or stringy looking, more like zit/pimple.

Alltought i havent checked the ammonia/nitrite reading in a while, the Nitrate readings are never above 20 ppm. I`ve been doing small but frequent waterchanges since the fry hatched.

 

[kzimmerman]

The obvious answer is ich, however it seems to be to big for that. ich kinda looks like you spilled some sugar on your fish. It could be velvet, which I think the melafix should take care of. I would really just leave things alone and keep an eye on it though, as the JD looks healthy enough. Is it behaving normally? Does it keep it's fins clamped in all the time, or has it lost it's coloration?

 

[Drunken]

I was watching the tank this morning, and its definitely on the inside of the gills... that "white spot" fell off and into the substrate and i can see a bit more deeper in the gills.
It seems to look better today, not as swolen or protruding as it was yesterday.

I`m 100 % its not ich, I`ve dealt with it a few times before.
The only real behavior change I`ve seen she goes very pale in her coloration at times, Other then that she`s super mom, and does not show any signs a illness

 

[kzimmerman]

It sounds as if she just picked up alittle bug from the stress of spawning maybe? Keep an eye on it, and keep up with the water changes. Any time you have a fish that has a wound or a possible infection the best overall cure is pristine water conditions. If the spot fell of, it's possible that it was an area that was irritated, and produced an excess of mucos (slime). Glad to hear that everything seems to be working out good though.