Black Phantom Tetra (white Patch?)

[D3m]

Hi guys, I got my fish on tuesday after a fishless cycle and as far as I could tell they all looked healthy. It has taken a lot longer than the other fish for the Phantoms to come out and play more but they are getting there. Anyway I may have missed it when they first went in the tank but I dont think I did, the female and one of the males has a white patch on one side of there body's and being new to this I havent got a clue what it could be, can anyone here tell from the picture below?

I just hope it nothing serious and its not contagious!

 

[RushingChamp28]

Hi guys, I got my fish on tuesday after a fishless cycle and as far as I could tell they all looked healthy. It has taken a lot longer than the other fish for the Phantoms to come out and play more but they are getting there. Anyway I may have missed it when they first went in the tank but I dont think I did, the female and one of the males has a white patch on one side of there body's and being new to this I havent got a clue what it could be, can anyone here tell from the picture below?

I just hope it nothing serious and its not contagious!

Is it "fluffy"? sort of like cotton? could be fungus

is it a spot of excess mucus? (could just be some sort of dmg to the scales, this can heal... or could be a thicker than usual slime coat because of various factors)

its hard to tell because the picture is in two dimensions


What are your water stats? pH? ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? temp?

How are the fish acting? rapid breathing, abnormal behavior, eating?

those would help decide what it is

 

[Colin_T]

if it is on the outside of her body then it is excess mucous. If it is on the inside of her body, (under the skin) then it is a parasitic worm in the muscle tissue. It looks more like excess mucous tho. She might have scratched herself on something and it has appeared from that. Or she has skin parasites (possibly costia, chilodonella or trichodina) and that is going to get worse over the next week.
If she has skin parasites then she will start rubbing on objects in the tank. She will go off her food, and over the next few days the white patch will spread over the body.

Check the water quality in the tank and maybe do a 50% water change. Monitor her over the next week and if the patch spreads and goes grey or gets a bluish tinge, then treat the tank with something like "Waterlife Protozin".
*NB* Don't bother treating her tho unless it does spread over the next week.

Other than that I would leave her be and see how she goes. She looks pretty healthy and black phantoms are tough fish. She should be fine.

 

[D3m]

Thanks for the reply's guys, from what I can tell its not fluffy so I will just keep an eye on her and see if it gets worse I will come back for more advice.

The tank Stats are ph 7, ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 0 so no probs there.

They seemed off there food when I first got them but they are definitelty eating better now and swimming around more now too.

 

[WILDER]

Is the fish flicking and rubbing.
Bleaching beneath the skin can be columnaris.
Also greyish white patches can be columnaris which is bacterial.

 

[D3m]

Just checked this lunchtime and I was wrong it is fluffy on the outside, do I need to be anymore worried or just keep an eye on her still?

She does'nt seem to be flicking or rubbing either.

 

[Colin_T]

can you post another pic of her?

 

[WILDER]

Read this article as it sounds like columnaris to me.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

 

[minxfishy]

Im with Wilder on this one, looks and sounds like columnaris to me, do you have any meds to hand, dont know what meds you can get on the isle of scilly, but after reading that link Wilder gave you and you think the same as us, if you can get some pimafix and myxazin this would be the best med to use (use them together).

 

[D3m]

Im with you two aswell, it sounds like a good bet its Flexibacter.

Unfortunately I havent got either of those meds you mentioned Minx, the only meds I have that I bought last time i was away was Melafix and WS3 White Spot Terminator which the guy in the shop told me would probably be the only meds I would need

Out of all the fish the Phantoms have definitely been the most stressed with the whole experience which is what is suggested on the post, (Nice find btw Wilder, Thanks )

The worse thing is im going away for ten days on Thursday so my only option is to try and get these meds in time and my sister in law can add it the same time as the feed, or wait and leave it till I get back and see what happens. Im not really sure but i will ebay for those meds now and hope for a quick delivery

 

[minxfishy]

Those are the best two meds to get, if you leave it for someone else to dose, please stress not to overdose with the med as this can cause the bacteria in the filter to die off, myxazin is particularly prone for that, so make sure you get the correct dosage for the tank Good luck

 

[WILDER]

I wouild turn temp down gradually with uk meds as columnaris thrives in high temps.
For columnaris in the uk myxazin and pimafix.

COLUMNARIS
The hospital tank should be heated to approx. 74 degrees. 76 and above is the ideal breeding temperature for columnaris. Though there is some dispute over lowering the temperature, my experience has been that 72 is too low for the medication to work rapidly, 76+ causes the disease to breed more rapidly than the anti-biotic can kill, and 74 is "just right." Remember to keep this temperature stable!

 

[D3m]

Ok Ive just ordered those two meds and I will let you know what happens, I havent got a hospital tank as im completely new to the hobby so I will be adding it to my tank with the other fish. I will make sure the correct amount is added though thats for sure!

Thanks again for the quick reply's guys

 

[WILDER]

Hope the meds don't take to long to come as if its a bad strain can lose quite alot of fish.
Lower temp gradually.
Water changes till the med comes to dilute the bacteria down.
Good Luck.
You can do salt baths but you have to do about six aday and I find it stresses the fish to much.