Thought they were fine

[Angry_Platy]

Last week I bought 3 female lyretail swords. All looked perfectly healthy when I got them and looked perfectly healthy when I moved all the fish from my 30gallon into the 10gal, with them, while I rearranged my tank (new gravel etc.). Anyways, this afternoon when I go to move the fish back into the 30gal I notice some small white specks on the fins of the new fish. They are very small dots. Not large enough to be ich, I don't think. On one of the new swordies I notice she has a weird white growth around her mouth. Is this columnaris? (I don't think I have seen this before).....she is eating fine, it just looks weird.

So now the swordies are in quarantine with salt and melafix (the safest option for now till I find out for sure its ich, if it gets to that stage with the treatment I am using). And I will be definitely watching the other fish for any signs of dots on fins/bodies etc. If need be I will need to treat the whole tank 30gal).....in which case I will need to move the catfish and cories out (to a salt-free tank)....

I just hope it doesn't come to that.....

Kind've shows me I should have quarantined for the normal period of 2-3 weeks

 

[DeepSeaFishin]

Yup, sounds like everything you did is what i would do, be sure ( im sure you already have ) to add a table spoon or two of aqaurium salt to restore electrolytes and boost recovery

 

[Polardbear]

It sounds like it A_P. If you can, you might want to lower the tank temp to 74-75 degrees. It's bacterial and grows like wildfire in warmer water. Also increase your aeration and do daily water changes. Salt baths wouldn't hurt either as well as having salt in the tank. The timing is right to, I usually see the first signs (like your seeing) right about the one week mark when I bring home new swordies. The stress of being shipped to the LFS then changing tanks again to come home is enough to bring it on. I'm fighting it right now with my batch of fry but they seem to be responding well.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Well one of the swordies died through the night but the other two new lyretails seem fine. They have a few very small spots on their fins but thats it. They are both being very active and are very displeased at being in the 6gal (temporarily).... I don't think it is columnaris but I have turned down the heater and have added salt. I will be doing water changes daily till it is all resolved.

I shall keep you updated