If This Isn't White Spot, What Is It?

[This Old Spouse]

Putting the deaths of my DGs aside (chalking it up to DG disease), now I have other problems with 1) my green cory and 2) at least one tiger barb. The cory has been acting odd the past couple of days. It will go from being barely visibly moving on the bottom of the tank, to racing around the tank like it's lost its mind. Then yesterday I noticed a white bump on the back of its dorsal fin. It also seems to have lost its appetite.

Next is the tiger barb, who just looks, well, pale. It almost appears like there's a film over all of it. And all the other barbs have been harassing it constantly.

All this is in my 55 g tank. All stats are normal (according to my test strip and ammonia liquid test. Getting the liquid tester later today). Temp is a little cooler than I'd like at 76F, and I had wondered if I need a second heater.

Please help ... I'm hoping not to lose any more fish!

Thanks ... you've all been so helpful with my other concerns.

 

[star4]

Not sure what the white bump could be with out a pic, same with the tiger barb really, but the grey/white sheen to the body sounds a little like Costia.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Doesn't Costia just affect goldfish and koi?

 

[This Old Spouse]

The cory is lower center in the photo. I can't get a clear shot of anything in the tank to save my life, but you can see the white spot on the back of its dorsal fin.

The tiger barb appears better this morning, except that the other barbs are still picking on it.

 

[star4]

I know what you mean about taking pics, they dont like to sit still

Costica can affect tropical as well as cold water, it could also possibly be velvet but you would see a gold dusting on the fish with extra slime being produced. However if the tiger is being bullied he can also produce extra slime coat through stress of being bullied and loose colour, if he looks a little better today I would say its most likely stress related than disease.

The lump. Is it fluffy or just a bump? if its fluffy he could have been nipped and its a bit of a fungal infection, if its a bump it could possibly also be a nip thats healed on top but has bacteria inside (like a cyst) If it doesnt go in a couple of days move him to a seperate tank and use and antifungal med if its fluffy or an antibacterial med if is not. It may clear up with a couple of extra wc without meds.
Hope this helps.

 

[This Old Spouse]

That helps a great deal!

Would adding Stress Coat to the water help at all?

I'm still so new at all this and I want to provide the best for all the fish. I had thought it was an easy thing to set up a tank and just start tossing fish in there (well, I DID know that certain fish shouldn't be together, but other than that I had very bad newbie syndrome ). I now know, thanks to this forum, worlds more than before and frankly, I wish I was starting all over. But at this point I have a shopping list going for the next time I get to the LFS and I think much of what I'll get is plants and then fish just to supplement what I already have.

 

[star4]

Stress coat may help, tigers are little devils for picking on each other, a rule of thumb is to have a group of 5+ to spread the aggression between them, so it maybe worth adding some more to the group, depending on how many you have.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I did start out with 5, but one apparently left for Jamaica. I can only assume that it, along with a serpae tetra and a common plec, hopped on a plane for warmer surroundings (it was 45 below zero in these parts this morning). Actually I'm fairly certain they jumped out and my cat had a nice snack. But I am planning to get some more.

Could having a tank with not very many plants contribute to the stress?

 

[star4]

It is a possibility, no upper level hiding places making the middle and bottom of the tank more crowded.