Does My Tetra Have Ich?

[destinyxrose]

I have a Red Minor Tetra that has a couple white spots, one small and a larger one on its tail fin. I have only had this tetra for just about a month and a half or so and it appeared about 2 weeks or so after purchase. It doesn't seem to be getting worse and he seems pretty active and acting normal for the most part. I was wondering if this is possibly ich. The one thing that is making me consider that it might not be is that it hasn't gotten worse and he is still going. I don't know how long ich takes to actually end the life of a fish but as I said no changes in the last 3 weeks or so. Also, He is the only one with these symptoms/spots.

I also read somewhere about the virus lymphocytes and I read that the symptoms my tetra is having is similar but I looked at images of this virus on google and I don't really feel it looks much like it.

Currently:
Tank Size: 35 Gallons
Tank Mates: 4 Platies, 2 Mollies, 3 Red Minor Tetra, 1 Zebra Danio, 2 Glofish, 1 African Dwarf Frog, 2 Ghost Shrimp
Water Changes: 1-2 times a week: 25%

When Tetra first started showing symptoms:
Tank Size: 10 Gallons
Tank Mates: 2 Platies, 1 Molly, 3 Red Minor Tetra, 1 Zebra Danio
Water Changes: 1-2 Weekly: 25%-40%

Water Stats:
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate - 5
Nitrite- 0.2
Hardness- 90
Chlorine- 0
Alkalinity- 100
PH- 7.1

I moved my fish into the 35 Gallon tank just a Few days ago and we purchased the additional fish at that time. The red minor had the spots before the new fish were added and before they were moved. The water stats were pretty close to if not the same in the old tank as they are now. If I notice a jump in ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite I would do an additional water change if needed. I keep close eye on the water stats.

Here Are some two photo's. They aren't the best but its the best I could do. He is Very camera shy.

If it is ich, what would be the best way to help him out? And if it is something else I'd appreciate all the info you can give me on what it may be and also how to help him out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Everyone.

 

[WILDER]

Dosn't look like whitespot as the spots to big.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Fish can get bacterial spots, the spot will have a red edging or a red centre to the spot. Or no redness at all.

Lymthocysystis. The spot will look smooth, or like a cauliflower or a cluster of berries.
Usually lymthocysystis mainly starts on the fins but it can also start on the body of the fish.

 

[destinyxrose]

Dosn't look like whitespot as the spots to big.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Fish can get bacterial spots, the spot will have a red edging or a red centre to the spot. Or no redness at all.

Lymthocysystis. The spot will look smooth, or like a cauliflower or a cluster of berries.
Usually lymthocysystis mainly starts on the fins but it can also start on the body of the fish.

He doesn't seem to be doing any rubbing. He often just sits there though (not sitting on the bottom, just floats in place). He doesn't really seem to be having any issues swimming but I'm not sure, if anything it's not very obvious. He has gotten a little more active now that he is in a larger tank but he never was very active. I am not sure if he has discoloration or if he has maybe some form of fungus or columnaris but if that's the case it's very light and hardly noticable at all. He looks rough compared to the other fish. None of the other fish have any signs of anything wrong with them. I don't really have much money at the moment but I have epsom salt (epsom salt bath) and a few doses of maracyn 2 also melafix and pimafix. Should I give him any of those? I don't want to wait to find more symptoms because usually it's too late by then, at least that's my luck, but I don't want to dose him incorrectly. He has had it for a few weeks and doesn't seem to be worse though but I don't really want to wait till he is worse just because I don't want to make him suffer.

 

[WILDER]

If you can issolate I would try the maracyn.
I would only use the maracyn if you have enough for 5 days treatment.

 

[destinyxrose]

If you can issolate I would try the maracyn.
I would only use the maracyn if you have enough for 5 days treatment.

I don't think I have enough for a 5 day treatment but I will check I can try to get more should i stick with maracyn 2 or should I go try 1 or something else? I can isolate him but I am concerned since he is a school fish I don't want him to be stressed if he is alone and I was told that even that can make them sick and die. Should I isolate all 3 tetra's from the rest of the fish? Also, my hospital tank isn't cycled yet, I have stress-zyme but I've heard that isn't as good as it claims. I know epsom salt baths are stressful but would that help at all? I also have some antibiotic but I haven't ever had any luck feeding any fish it but I have that too. Oh and I failed to mention you asked if there was any red coloration and as far as I can tell there isn't. He seems a little thin but not terribly and pretty much what you see in that picture is all I can see. It looks like there is a spot on another fin but its the same area right next to the rest of his body. Would any of the fungus' cause spotting like that? Or does velvet cause spotting like that? I don't really think it's velvet but I am just trying to get all the information I can. And thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[WILDER]

If he's ill he won't mind being on his own.
Fish can get columnaris spots.
Velvet spots are usually yellow.
http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/d...columnaris.html

 

[destinyxrose]

Do you think it could be columnaris? I talked to you a while back when I got a green spotted puffer that got it and passed almost immediently. After that I read up on it a lot and the other information you gave me as well. My boyfriend says he hasn't ever seen him eat, I have a couple times but maybe he isn't eating enough. I guess what steers me away from thinking columnaris is that he is still active and he has had this for so long. I guess about a week ago or so (I wasn't with the fish because me and my boyfriend were fighting) my boyfriend said that the nitrate and nitrite levels were out the roof and I assume because he has a problem with over feeding but I guess he was told to do a 10% water change everyday and add stess-zyme everyday until it got down. I was gone for about 5 days but when I got back things were fine and I don't know how long it was like that but I know columnaris strives in water with high stats because it stresses the fish and also we have never had the temperature lower than 78 which it strives in temperatures above 76 as well. I guess I just expect that he would have it a lot worse or not be here anymore since its been going on for so long. I haven't really done any treatment for him. I did a little melafix/Pimafix treatment but only for a short period of time and that was when I first noticed it. I guess I just don't get why it hasn't gotten worse if it is that. Yet at the same time, I don't know what else it really could be especially since the other fish don't have it. Also, from what I can tell there isn't redness around the spots but I will check again in 2 hours when its morning time for the fish.

At first I kinda thought that he may be stressed do to having such a small school. But now that we added another red minor he is more active, not as much as I'd like but still more active. I was planning on getting one more if it would help him out.

He isn't showing signs that he is going to pass yet but I don't want it to get to that point either. What about other fungal or bacteria infections? Parasites? I know that if he has any of those things the others should be showing signs of it too but I am trying to make sure that I get a correct diagnosis before it's too late.

Would an epsom salt bath be too stressful for him? I haven't given a fish an epsom salt bath before but I did read up on it so I think I got what needs to be done for it but since I haven't done it before so it makes me nervous.

And what about the hospital tank not being cycled? We litterally just set it up about 12 hours ago. Its running so we can get it cycled but it can't do it in that little time.

 

[WILDER]

It can't be whitespot if he's had the spots a while.
As long as you have an airstone and heater don't always need a filter.
As some meds knock the beneifical bacteria in the filter anyway.
You just keep an eye on water stats and if you have to preform a water change you just add the correct
amount of med back to water removed.
Epson salt baths are only good when a fish is bloated.