Cloudy White Areas On My Cardinals

[craynerd]

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Tank size: 19US g
pH: 6.6
KH: 20
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5
tank temp: 79F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

The cardinals have become dull and the red belly line has faded. There are also cloudy white patches on the back of the fish, on the belly and even on the fin. It isn`t very prenounced at all but on close inspection, you can see it. I have looked as close as i can but there doesnt seem to be any fur like coat, just the actual colouration on the fishes skin/scales!

Behaviour: I posted a few days back, since the fish kept swimming up and rubbing against the tank glass. I thought it was down to the water flow and they were playing in it so i moved the outflow of the pump and it stopped. Now they have started doing it again...but in a new position which corrilates with the new direction of flow! Is it related...seems overly coincidental if it is not!

Volume and Frequency of water changes: Since my tank is heavily planted, and about 2 months old i`m doing 20% twice a week!

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: At present just a basic plant fertilizer and CO2.

Tank inhabitants: 15 Cardinals, 2 plattys, 2 otos

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): I have been adding plants constantly throughout the last 4 weeks.


Sorry no pics of the fish!

Hope someone can help!

Chris

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like a parasite, any trialing mucas on the fins or gills sounds like slime desease and you will need a med called velvet and slime med by interpet, also when a fish produces more slime to protect themselves sometimes you can feel the slime on the glass of the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Also watch out for fluffy bits as it hard to tell sometimes with white patches as it can mean bacterial or parasite, but i would rteat for parasites at the moment, good luck.

 

[craynerd]

thanks wilder! I`ll pick it up tomorrow after work...not all the fish are showing symptoms, so i`ve picked it up early...do you think they will survive?

I have looked, looks like white patches and extra mucas than fluff/hair!

I`ll pick the velvet and slime med up tomorrow!

Chris

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like a parasite with the mucas and if there no fluff it sounds like a parasite infestation, good luck.

 

[craynerd]

OK just turned the lights on in the tank and they are all still as NORMAL but it gave me chance to get a better look!

It the skin/scales of the fish that has actually turned cloudy white!!

There is definately no fur.

I hope they are ok! Anyone else concur with wilder or think its something else?

Chris

 

[craynerd]

just dosed interpet 7...how long should it take before it clears up, if this is the problem?

Chris

 

[WILDER]

Saddleback columnaris runs along the back coming down the sides of the belly to form a saddle so check to see if it looks like that.

http/article.discusnews.com/cat-02/columnaries.shtml

 

[craynerd]

Nope, i hope it isnt that, although i can see not saddle signs. Done a quick google and it doesnt seem to relate to what my fish have. No, my fish are just a little grey/white on the top of their back with a few cloudy areas including on their tail.

I have to admit, reading the interpet manual, the velvet sounds a good discription. It calls it a grey slime...its certainly gray, but cant really see a slime as such, thats why i`m confused! But it also gives flashing against objects as a symtom and they are certainly doing that!

How long should it take to treat..is just says one dose lasts 7 days and says nothing about repeat dose. I presume within that time then?

Chris

 

[WILDER]

Greyish white patches are parasites or columnaris, and they can flick with columnaris, but i would go the parasite way for now, treat for seven days do a 30% water change if no better add the med again, don't forget to remove black carbon out of the filter, raise temp and increase aeration, good luck.

 

[craynerd]

Got back tonight after work (after dosing with No7 yesterday) and the fish have white dots on them!!! I take it it is white spot after all.....!!!

What should my next plan of action be...HELP!!!

Chris

 

[WILDER]

The velvet med should be fine, but i would contact the maker, but usually there the same meds.

 

[WILDER]

Found this for you.
Interpet aquarium fish treatment No.7 Anti Slime & Velvet 100ml
Cures slime disease {protozoan parasites} and velvet parasites .....

Aquatics Direct Price: £3.25

So it should be fine for whitespot.

 

[craynerd]

Wilder...i`m really upset...nothing has died yet but i`ve noticed that the gills on some fish are heavily erroded and red raw!!! It was probably like this before but i never noticed (i.e a few hours ago when i posted originaly)

If its the same med, why do they Sell No6. White spot med and No7 Velvet med ?? if they both do the same job !!!

I`m out on business for 2 days tomorrow lunch so whatever i do i must do it tomorrow first thing ...

Would you do a big water change and buy No6. white spot med and dose or just hope No7 does the trick?

All when everything was going so well!!!

Chris

 

[WILDER]

Red gills just check water stats to make sure the gills are not down to water quality, once the parasite affects the gills not good news, are they heavy breathing, i would get the whitespot med just asking wolf on the velvet med, companies sell them in different names just to make money, but usually there the same, but i think i would get the whitespot med anyway.
Just do a 30% water change run some carbon for a few hours, then add the whitespot med.

Any red streaking or blood patches on the body or the fins.