White Speckles On Fish

[Schmill]

All my Rainbow praecox have tiny white speckles all over their bodies and fins.
It almost looks like they have very fine bubbles stuck to them. Now I do have a very fine bubble producing aircurtain in the tank, but I really don't think that they are bubbles on the fish.
It doesn't seem to be bothering them, but I am worried. Is there any 'sickness' that would look like this on a fish?
There is possibly also a slight 'fluff' on their lips.

I've tried taking a photo, but it just doesn't show up, it seems to disappear into the shimmer of the fish in the photo!

 

[nosoup4you]

Ich

 

[LauraFrog]

The fluff on the lips is worrying because that makes it sound like they might have columnaris (mild strain) as well.

Water params (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/temp/pH) especially nitrate. If it's over 20 you are going to have problems keeping rainbows healthy.

How long have you had them?

Are there any other symptoms (ie flicking/rubbing, lack of appetite, lethargy).

 

[Schmill]

Water params are:

0 Ammonia
0 NitrIte
around 40 NitrAte

This is common for my tanks, and I have Rainbow Praecox in my other tank which are all fine.

However the effected fish arrived last Friday after a VERY stressful shipment...

No other symptoms, although possibly one of them was flicking a day or so ago, but it's not something they are constantly doing or even regularly doing.

 

[LauraFrog]

There's your stressor then... both ich and columnaris are diseases that commonly strike stressed or weakened fish, making them common in uncycled, dirty or overstocked (or thoughtlessly stocked) tanks. I didn't think that would be the case in one of yours. Rainbowfish are extremely sensitive to nitrate, and the general recommendation for keeping them is to ensure nitrates remain below 20ppm. If your praecox are fine, just keep in mind that letting the nitrates get any higher isn't a good idea. (IE if you have to go away, instead of skipping water changes, do an extra one before you go.)

Is there any way of disconnecting the bubble wall for a few hours to see if that's what it is? Ich looks like the fish is sprinkled with salt usually, the parasites are solid white (not clear like bubbles) and stuck all over the fish including the fins. Bubbles would not be on top of the head or on the fins, although I have seen fine bubbles adhering to the sides and belly of fish before. Ich also usually produces flicking and rubbing, so it's odd that yours are not.

 

[Schmill]

I've ha dthe bubblewall off for an while now as I had to redo some planting that my cory's nicely dugout for me. Will just go check the rainbows.

Ok, definitely not bubbles, definitly white, as you say, like salt grains on the fish body, fins & head. If it's a parasite they are infested

Looks most like this one from following that link:

Time to research Ich treatment on the quick!

 

[LauraFrog]

Yep, that's ich alright, if your fish look like that they have ich.

 

[Schmill]

Ok so filter flow is set to max, airpump is set to max, heater is set to 29 deg C, and tomorrow I shall try to get some Ich / Whitespot med.

 

[NonstickRon]

For ich I've had great success just adding salt and raising temp slowly to about 90 degrees and leaving it there for a couple weeks.

I've no idea what treats columnaris though.

 

[Schmill]

Cheers, I've raised the temp, but salt is a no no for me as I have coryes in the tank. Will aim to get meds tomorrow

 

[Bigbadbaz]

I use King British WS3, had a batch of botia histronica which had ich, only half dosed the tank and it has done the trick. How many fish are in the tank and is it your 300 litre that has the ich?

 

[moritzbuesch]

Hi,
I have successfully cured itch/white spot by raising the temp slowly to about 29-30 and using Melafix (with teatree).
It is a natural remidy and so is better and safer for your fish.
Hope you get them back to full health.
Regards,
Mo

Hi,
I have successfully cured itch/white spot by raising the temp slowly to about 29-30 and using Melafix (with teatree).
It is a natural remidy and so is better and safer for your fish.
Hope you get them back to full health.
Regards,
Mo

 

[Schmill]

Hi, yes it's the 300L tank that has teh Ich in it

I've wound the temperature up, but the heater (300W) is taking it's sweet time to get the tank temp up.
I'm going to go and look at meds in a bit, but have to be careful as I have corys in there, and soon to add shrimp.
Melafix was dosed on the tank when the fish arrived, and for 3 days, (last sat, sun, mon)

 

[Schmill]

Ok, I have some Interpet #6.

However it says it contains:

Formaldehyde
Methanol
Malachite Green Oxalate

Will this be ok to use on a tank that at the moment had Albino Corys & the rainbow Praecox in it? (and shrimps later)
I've read mixed warnings about the Malachite Green in that catfish might be affected by it, but I don't know if the corys will be?

Any advice please?

 

[Bigbadbaz]

WS3 has the same stuff in it, corys will be ok and so will the rainbows, if you are worried just use a half dose and keep an eye on them. put some filter floss in your filter as well, make sure there is no carbon (I forgot) Change the floss after a day or so and put new in.