Red spotted severum

[Lee harrison]

Hi all I'm new to site and forums in general, I have a male red spotted severum with lumps on its pectoral fins and spots on the tail fin. I have multiple South American fish in the tank also with no other signs off this that I can tell at the moment. My water parameters are fine my tank has been established for over 3 years no new fish have been added. Not sure if its a parasite or ich as I though the lumps looked too big but I'm no expert and need some help.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

What color are the spots?

How big isn’t the tank he is in?

Does he have any other tank mates?

You said your water parameters where in check, ich or “ick” is caused because of.....

Serum and mucus from those immune fish contain antibodies against the parasite. ... The antibodies also cause the parasites to leave the fish so that ich cannot become established in immune fish.

(That is how to prevent it

How it starts is....

The life cycle of Ichthyophthirius is complicated but very important in understanding the treatment and prevention of ich. Once the ich protozoan attaches to the side of the fish, it begins feeding on the skin and tissue causing irritation. The fish's body begins to wall off the parasite to try to limit its damage.

If it is ich, they would start on the fins, and head, then move to the center of the body.

Will you please include a picture?

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[Lee harrison]

The lumps are white and are the size off a pin prick in some and the others are a larger size carnt be accurate but maybe the size off a sharpey pen dot. Nothing on his body just pec and tail fin. I have posted some pics.

The tank is about 800L his tank mates are a jack dempsey a clown knife a ghost knife and a couple of clown loach and a black striped pike no one else has any visible spots etc

 

[Colin_T]

Have you added anything to the tank in the last 2 weeks?
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH of the tank water?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?

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The safest way to treat whitespot is to raise the water temperature to 30C (86F). Keep the water warm for 2 weeks, then reduce the temperature.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate before raising the temperature. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash filter media in a bucket of tank water.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise the oxygen levels in the water.

 

[Lee harrison]

No fish have been added for atleast 6months now. I do between 30 and 40% water changes weekly using api tap water Conditioner . No nitrite only a trace of ammonia but still yellow on test kit and maybe a 5.0ppm for nitrate. I've cleaned the filter this week I don't gravel clean every week only 1 in 2.
Cleaning the filter I have 4 media trays I empty the water and only clean out 2 of the 4 sponges in some tank water I've taken out previously leaving the other 2 so some bacteria is left in am I doing something wrong? Only started fish keeping 4 year ago so still new. I have a 2500lph canister filter and two air stones currently

 

[Lee harrison]

Pic off the larger spots

 

[Colin_T]

Have you added any plants, shrimp, snails, feeder fish, live foods or anything from another tank during the last couple of weeks?

If nothing new has been added in the last few weeks, it is unlikely to be whitespot. However, you can still try heat treatment just to make sure.

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How often do you clean the filter?
Filters should be cleaned at least once a month and every 2 weeks is better.

You can wash all the filter media in a bucket of tank water at the same time. You don't have to wash half and do the other half at another time. As long as the filter media is washed in a bucket of tank water, the beneficial filter bacteria will be fine.

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You should gravel clean the substrate every time you do a water change. If you have a small gravel cleaner, you can make a bigger one out of a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle and a garden hose. Cut the bottom off the bottle and throw it away. Remove the cap and plastic ring on the top and throw those away too. Put the garden hose or clear plastic hose from a hardware, on the top of the bottle and gravel clean away.

Try doing a 75% water change and gravel clean each day for a couple of days before raising the temperature. It could be poor water quality or a dirty tank what is causing the white stuff on the fish. It's pectoral fin is also frayed and that is an indication the tank might not be up to spec.

 

[Lee harrison]

Pec fins are the worse small spots on tail and one on the Gill plate by looks off ot

 

[Lee harrison]

No one else has anything which is why I wasn't thinking white spot but I'm no expert. he has gradually got worse over the months as I can tell but with me been away then on holiday then braking a leg my full on tank maintenance hasn't been up to the standard I normally do. I've added some old plastic plants which were in the tank last year I just washed in boiling water and left in a bucket with old tank water. My tank is currently on 24.5 degrees Celsius I will adjust temp over days just to be sure is 30 a safe temp as I have fish in there with no scales as I've had to get rid off my quarantine tank for the moment. I clean the filter once a month but only like I said I will now clean all media and filter every 2 week and take your advice rather than monthly. Sorry about the other thread wasn't sure if it had posted and was a bit worried that's all. He eats as fine still active but I know his fins are annoying him. I've also notice my pike and loach flashing but no evidence off spots at the moment

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It sure does look like ich to me.

 

[Colin_T]

Boiling plastic items can cause them to release chemicals so it's best not to do that. If you have to clean plastic, you can bleach it or wash with warm soapy water, then rinse well with fresh water and leave it to dry for a day or so.

If the fish has had the spots for a couple of months, it is excess mucous or the start of hole in the head disease. Both of which are treated by doing big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate and cleaning the filter.

The spots on the pectoral fin rays could be calcium deposits, which can occur if the fish are kept in really hard water with lots of minerals.

If other fish are rubbing, then do a couple of big water changes and raise the temperature for 2 weeks. The high temperature will kill any whitespot or velvet parasites that might be in the tank, and then go from there.

 

[Lee harrison]

I will do that thanks for the advise do you think it may be a problem that I don't have enuf substrate I'm my tank as there's only a thin layer over the months it's gone down due to water changes and what sands come out I've never put back in

 

[Colin_T]

Shallow substrate will not cause any problems to fish unless they bury themselves in it and your fish don't do that. As long as there is a thin layer of substrate on the bottom and the fish can't see the glass, it is fine.

If you use a gravel cleaner, you can kink the hose to stop the sand being sucked out with the water.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Sand is definitely harder to clean than gravel is!

 

[Essjay]

I find sand much easier to clean than gravel. With sand you can see where the mess is and can target the messiest areas first. The only downside to sand is that you can see the mess while with gravel it is hidden away