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White Scabs

Started by Guest_jblaylock_* , Nov 08 2008 05:52 PM

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29 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 08 November 2008 - 05:52 PM

So, I have this issue currently going on in my tank. I have noticed that some of my fish, mainly my Rainbows (male and female) have something on their tail and Dorsal fins. It looks like a white crust on the fins. It isn't Ich, I'm 95% positive. It almost looks like a white scab where the fins have seperated/split and may be healing or something else. I think that's it's odd that it seems to only be affecting the Rainbows. I even checked a juvenile rainbow in a totally seperate tank with fish that have not be in my main tank and it seems to be affected also.

Other than the white 'scabs' the fish seems to be fine. They eat, swim, play, etc... with the other fishs as normal. Has anyone seen this on any of their fish? Any ideas on what it could be. I researched every fish illness I could find and nothing seems to fit, unless it's a type of fin rot I've never seen before.

Also, yes Irate....I know, their gonna die :rolleyes:

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#2 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 09 November 2008 - 03:39 PM

Nobody....not even a thought.

Well, while inspecting them today the white has turned to a bluish tint. I don't have a clue what's going one. The only thing i've done is add salt to the tank. I have some Melafix at my office that I'm going to bring home tomorrow.

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#3 Guest_AndrewAcropora_*

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Posted 09 November 2008 - 06:29 PM

Salt is a step in the right direction.
Can we get a few pictures?

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#4 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 09 November 2008 - 09:03 PM

I'm working on the pics....hard to get those little guys to come to the front of the tank and be still. I'll try to get them up tomorrow.

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#5 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 09 November 2008 - 10:37 PM

Nobody....not even a thought.

Well, you shot me right out of the saddle, so what can I say?

The only thought I have is that it doesn't sound like the dreaded White Fins O' Death. How big are these scabs, and do they have a regular (as opposed to irregular) outline?

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#6 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 10 November 2008 - 05:10 PM

Well, you shot me right out of the saddle, so what can I say?

The only thought I have is that it doesn't sound like the dreaded White Fins O' Death. How big are these scabs, and do they have a regular (as opposed to irregular) outline?

The scabs are very small. I would have thought they were Ich, but it's only affecting the fins and ich usually looks more like a round white dot. These don't have a specific shape. Let me go try to get some pics.

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#7 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 10 November 2008 - 07:50 PM

Ok, here's the pics of the Rainbows. Notice the fins. I couldn't get a pic of the female, but she has it too.

This one just has one spot of the rear fin.
Posted Image

Notice the rear fin
Posted Image

On this one, it looks like the stuff is on top of the body on the tail...it's only the light reflecting
Posted Image

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#8 Guest_blakemarkwell_*

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Posted 10 November 2008 - 07:59 PM

Looks like common Ich (White Spot) disease to me, use a search engine to research the remedies. It is a common disease so luckily there a lot of ways to treat it. However, I have very rudimentary knowledge of fish diseases, so you may want to wait until someone else chimes in.

blake

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#9 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 10 November 2008 - 09:01 PM

From the look of it, Blake is right. Though I have never seen a case that has been so restricted and dense in that one area. I had an Ich incedent about 2 months back. Since I am not big on meds(nor have a lot of money to do so), I did the heat/salt combo. Since Ich have short lifespans, the heat increases this (I left the heater on the lowest setting for 4 days). I added a good deal of salt for two days, did a large water change and then added a bit more and went 2 more days just in case. All cases cleared up by the 3rd day. Out of 6 with ich, 2 died several days later from stress and not feeding. But that's may experience with it. Hope it helps.

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#10 Guest_camber1981_*

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Posted 10 November 2008 - 10:41 PM

Well, I'll decline on my urge to call it "ich" until Irate or someone else chimes in (though it DOES look similar....), if it is ich I treat for it with 1 tbsp. salt/5 gals. water, and I raise my tank temp to 76-78 degrees F. That's how I've always prepped my tanks for new arrivals, since I never used to be able to afford a quarantine tank. I even treated my darters to that, after they came from 45 degree creek water. The key is GRADUAL temp. change, along with heavy aeration. Maybe I'm just really lucky with natives. I dunno :fishy:

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#11 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 08:22 AM

One reason why I don't think it's ich is that it's only affecting a couple fish in the tank....all of which are Rainbows. I mean, it could be coincedence, but doesn't seem likely. Also, looking in person, it doesn't look like any Ich I've ever seen.

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#12 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 10:40 AM

It does "kind of" look like ich, but not exactly. I'm not sure what it is, but treating it as if it WERE ich is your best option.

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#13 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 01:10 PM

How long have you had these fish? Did they all come from the same place? Did they have the spots when you got them?

I have collected a handfull of fish that had small cysts on their fins. At first I was worried about it, but it never caused any problems. Didn't clear up with treatment. Never figured out what it was.

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#14 Guest_natureman187_*

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 01:17 PM

Ich doesn't have to effect every fish in the tank. I may be wrong but I think it's common flora and opportunistic like most other aquarium diseases.

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#15 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 11 November 2008 - 01:25 PM

How long have you had these fish? Did they all come from the same place? Did they have the spots when you got them?

I have collected a handfull of fish that had small cysts on their fins. At first I was worried about it, but it never caused any problems. Didn't clear up with treatment. Never figured out what it was.

That's the odd part, all of the rainbows came from different places at different times. Some of the collection locations are hours part and no in the same drainage. None had anything on them when I collected them, this just came up about a week or week and a half ago.

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#16 Guest_camber1981_*

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Posted 13 November 2008 - 09:14 PM

I've been thinking this over for a few days, and every time I look at your pics again, the more sure I am that it looks identical to the fungus I found on the scales of one of my wife's mollies a few months ago. Being the "hands on" type, I netted the fish, laid her on the workbench I keep my tank on (holding her with the net, not my hand), and removed the affected scales with my knife. I then treated the wound with a small dab of neosporin and put her back in the tank. She's still alive and well, with no more fungus and a few more litters of babies to her name.

While I wouldn't suggest this route with your darters, I definitely would consider treating for fungus if you haven't already....

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#17 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 24 November 2008 - 02:14 PM

I've been treating my 10gal tank in my office for over a week for Ich. No positive results. My rainbow in this tank has lost most of it's tailfin with this white scabby stuff on it.

Here's more photos from my office tank. (sorry bad pics, my work camera isn't the greatest)

Posted Image

This is the worst case in all my fish and tanks.

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#18 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 24 November 2008 - 03:07 PM

Not ich of any sort I am familiar with.

The parasite looks grossly like epistylus. I have it chronically in my systems. It tends to be localized in distribution on fish, especially on hard parts like exposed spine, teeth, bones and sometimes on scales. My bluegill seem to be genetically variable in terms propensity to suffer from infection. Normally the parasite is simply a filter feeding critter associated with organic deposits but will occasionally infect fish. Will occasionally infect rayed fins if frequently damaged mechanically. Can you photograph it under a scope?

Edited by centrarchid, 24 November 2008 - 03:08 PM.

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#19 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 24 November 2008 - 04:51 PM

No chance of photo'ing under a scope. I can try to get better pics tomorrow, that's the best I can do.

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#20 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 24 November 2008 - 05:04 PM

No chance of photo'ing under a scope. I can try to get better pics tomorrow, that's the best I can do.

Do you have experience with formalin used as a bath or salt as a dip. Both can kill even epistylus but hey are only a short term remedy. Do you vacuum your gravel much as it ould be a way to control the disease organisms reservoir when it is not in infecting mode.