Pine Coney Minnows

[scaeriefaerie666]

I have 3 white cloud mountain minnows, that i have had for about 18 months. Recently i had to leave my fish over the christmas break, so i used my electronic timed feeder, put the lights on a timer and did the big water change necessary. I have done it so many times before and never had a problem, until this time. My heater fused over the break, and killed all but 4 fish in the tank - leaving 3 minnows and a danio. I have no idea how long they were in a tank of dead fish, but they were swimming fine and i bought them back up to temperature over 24 hours so i hoped they would be ok. However, its now about 6 days since i cleaned the tank out and put them back in, and all of their scales have lifted. They aren't swollen - and they're swimming fine which makes me think it isn't dropsy. Its not isolated to one area, so i don't think its parasites - but they do look very pineconey. Every scale, over the whole fish is raised. The danio is completely fine, its just the minnows. Is it something to do with being cold and then warmer? I have no idea what this is, and i can't find anything in any of my books - can you tell me what it is and what i need to do?!
Please help!
xxx

 

[scaeriefaerie666]

I hate it when people do this, but this is just a bump, please help if you can! I can't bear losing any more.
xxx

 

[sara213]

Hmm if you don't think it isn't dropsy then you have a chance. Is the Danio okay or does it have the raised scales as well?

Try to do daily water changes and see if this resolves the issue.

 

[scaeriefaerie666]

Hmm if you don't think it isn't dropsy then you have a chance. Is the Danio okay or does it have the raised scales as well?

Try to do daily water changes and see if this resolves the issue.

No the danio is perfectly fine, its just all 3 minnows. I'm just really concerned because their scales have lifted so high and they look so ill - but they're swimming fine and eating fine, so i don't know what's wrong - but something clearly is.

It hasn't been that long since i had to do a complete water change when i cleaned the tank out, i don't want to do so many water changes that it kicks off a new cycle
xxx

 

[fluttermoth]

scaeriefaerie666; you can do as many water changes as you like; as long as you use a dechlorinator and only wash your filter gently in old tank water, it won't cause any mini-cycles.

I don't know exactly what's wrong with your minnows, but it does sound like dropsy; probably brought on by poor water conditions and not the temperature, as white clouds are sub-tropical and are very tolerant of lower temperatures. Unfortunately once fish have 'pine-coned' there's normally nothing you can do

You could try a med for internal bacterial infections.

I do hope they recover.

 

[scaeriefaerie666]

they're fine now!

I put some aquarium salt in as i was concerned some of the others were flicking - and over a few days the scales went back down and they look fine again.
It wasn't dropsy after all, and other than the scales they weren't acting any differently - though by the end of it the scales were almost completely standing on end!
SO... for future reference - if fish scales start to lift, salt is the way to go, apparently!

xxx

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm so glad they're better; great news!