white stuff - what is this?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
peathenster

peathenster

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 26, 2008
5,794
254
896
Georgia, US
Need some help.... a few of my fish got some white stuff mostly on their tails. Please see below for an example.

- I wouldn't necessarily say they are "spots" because some are irregular in shape and size.
- It started several weeks ago. I thought it was ich so I raised the temperature to 86-88. It's been >2 weeks but they are not going away.
- I added salt (1 tsp per gallon) a few days ago and kept the temperature high, but it's not getting rid of the white stuff.
- Doesn't look like it's getting too much worse either.
- Doesn't look like the fish are uncomfortable.
- Nothing I can see on the body of the fish.
- Seems to be worse on smaller fish - nothing at all on the big guys (same species).

Is this ich or something else? Or just some bad nipping?

THANKS!!

sick_sev_3.jpg
 
That's what I had on a few of my fish that I couldn't figure out what it was. I put some Tetracycline in my tank as prescribed on the label and it wiped out most of it. Some of the little spots are left but only a few and they seem to be in remission or going away. I'd treat it because if you don't and if it's the same stuff my fish had then it will start to get bigger and not stop. I don't know what it is but it is pretty serious **** as far as I was concerned. Good luck.
 
scottgeeze;2543352; said:
That's what I had on a few of my fish that I couldn't figure out what it was. I put some Tetracycline in my tank as prescribed on the label and it wiped out most of it. Some of the little spots are left but only a few and they seem to be in remission or going away. I'd treat it because if you don't and if it's the same stuff my fish had then it will start to get bigger and not stop. I don't know what it is but it is pretty serious **** as far as I was concerned. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I guess I should try that too. Would tetracycline wipe out the "good bacteria" too?

Here are a couple of more pictures of a different fish:
sick_sev_5.jpg

sick_sev_4.jpg
 
wow that's a nice page.

problem is my fish don't have any other symptoms except for the white stuff. They eat well, behave normal and are not scratching against rocks etc.

What could it be......
 
I think it's the same thing my fish had that I mentioned above. I tried several different medications and none of them worked until I took a chance on the Tetracycline just for the hell of it. Try the Tetracycline because I think it just might do the job.
 
I'd be a little weary about dosing your tank with tetracycline... it will kill of a portion of the nitrifying bacteria that you want in your tank, and you don't know what is causing the spots.

A cichlid of mine showed a similar spot on his fin. It was around for a month or so, and disappeared. I'm not recommending that you leave it, but if you are going to treat the fish with antibiotics, put it in a hospital tank.

They almost look like air embolisms... no idea what causes them though.
 
peathenster;2544734; said:
I guess I'll keep an eye on them for a few more days. Any way I can figure out if it's bacterial or fungal or parasites?
Click to expand...

Not sure, without a microscope.

It is interesting that they appear on the veins of the fins only, similar to my fish. I don't know if these happen or not, but has anymore seen any evidence of air embolisms in fish? For some reason mine really reminded me of air bubble almost. There was no fuzzy growth or spreading outside of the initial white spot.

I'd either...
a) Leave it alone for observations (either alone or in a quarantine tank).
- does the fish start flashing or acting weird? does it spread to other fish?

b) treat the fish with antibiotics at first (in a quarantine tank, not the main tank). If it doesn't do anything at all, either leave it alone for observation or wait a while and does it with something for parasites or fungi.

It's important to remember that medications aren't entirely beneficial for healthy fish, so i wouldn't be too quick to use antibiotics unless the fish is showing clear disease symptoms. No point in subjecting your fish to meds unless you have to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom