Whitish Areas On Platies.

[xoedusk]

20 U.S. gallon.
3 platies, 2 harlequin rasboras.
ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are okay.

A couple of weeks ago we noticed one of our platies had a whitish patch on his side. Just behind his gill if I remember correctly. Thought it was ich, so we treated the tank with some Mardel CopperSafe. Didn't seem to improve.

The area looks just like an old scar that you or I might have (same color, at least), except that it's flush against the skin. And it's much bigger than salt crystals (this is the size of ich?). It's a bit smaller than the profile of a pencil eraser (and is ovalish shaped).

Any ideas?? I was thinking columnaris*, but not sure.

 

[WILDER]

Stats would be good in ammonia, nitrite,nitrate, and ph, how long has the tank been set up.
Harlequins have to be in a shoal of no less than six.
Any excess mucas on the fish gills, and signs of the fish rubbing againt the filter, ornaments or plants.
Any laboured breathing and is there any fluff on the gill area.

 

[xoedusk]

Tank has been set up for maybe a month and a half. It was a cloned tank, so pre-cycled.

No rubbing on anything in the tank. No labored breathing. No fluff.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5

Gravel vac twice weekly

Harlequins have to be in a shoal of no less than six.

Have new Harlequins in quarentine tank.

 

[xostrawberryox]

one of my mollies has that too. It didnt seem to affect him in any way so im just leaving him too it, i assumed it was just a scratch he got from swimming into one of the ornaments. My old betta had a similar thing on his gills from where he was swimming around flaring at all the other fish he musta caught his flared gills on something

 

[WILDER]

Hard to say, maybe just a few daily water changes and some melafix.

 

[xoedusk]

I've looked around the net and couldn't find this symptom anywhere. Anyone else have ideas? I realize its hard without a picture.

It's a small, ovalish gray area on her right side, and it doesn't seem to have much texture (as opposed to her slightly scaley orange skin).

 

[WILDER]

Right if there no sign of flicking and rubbing try a bacterial med as grey patches can be a number of things.
Can you issolate the fish for treatment.

 

[Anita]

Could it be an ulcer?

Anita

 

[WILDER]

Ulcer usually pink or red with a white border of dead skin.
http/www.fbas.co.uk/Ulcers.html

Take a look here.
http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/d...columnaris.html

 

[Anita]

Two good links there Wilder

Well worth a read

Anita

 

[xoedusk]

Doesn't look like an ulcer. It's almost like their skin is getting stretched too much (because of pregnancy), but doubt that is the reason. Does fungus start out looking like this before it gets cottony?

 

[WILDER]

Is it possible to load a pic up, columnaris had many disguises and it dosn't always have to look fluffy in appearance.

 

[xoedusk]

Is it possible to load a pic up, columnaris had many disguises and it dosn't always have to look fluffy in appearance.

I'll try my best this week.