Glass fish white spots

[Bobo8]

Two of my glass fish I have had 5+ years have two little white spots on the fins. My first reaction was that it was ich. I moved them to a hospital tank, slowly raised temp to 30 and using aquarium salt carefully. Has been there 8 days now and no sign of the spots being gone? Could it be something else? I don't want to move them back in case it is something my other fish will get. Help! Water parameters in the other tank are good.
Planted tank
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 10

I do not see anything on any other fish.

Thanks in advance!

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[UntimelyLord]

I would wait a few more days to rule out ich, but it may be lymphocystis. I had this problem in my tank and it took me a long time to figure out what it was because all searches for white spots, as you know, turned up "ich". Lymphocystis is caused by a virus and there's not anything you can do about it. It's like warts in humans-- most people carry the virus that causes warts, but they will not actually display warts unless their immune system is comprised by stress or other factors. There isn't a medicine that can cure it, but often the immune system will eventually get rid of it.
In my case, when my "head honcho" skirt tetra died of old age, the remaining skirt tetras, which are known fin nippers, had a weeks long battle for supremacy. That's when some of them developed the lymphocystis. The spots did not get worse and eventually after several months some of them went away. I'm attaching a picture and hopefully it works on mobile. I would check your tank for stressors if your water parameters are good.

 

[Bobo8]

hmmm that IS what it looks like! I will keep temp up for a few more days and I will look more into that. Is it contagious? No apparent stressors.. There's not too many fish in the tank. 3 glass fish including the 2 sick? ones. 5 rummy nose tetras. 3 ottos and a clown pleco - 36 gallon planted

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[UntimelyLord]

My understanding is that it is contagious but is not very infectious-- meaning that most fish can have the virus but not be infected by it. The other fish in your main tank have likely already been exposed to it so if it is lymphocystis it probably won't matter if you put them back in that tank.
I've heard that glass catfish can be very sensitive and that they prefer to be in schools of 6+. It's possible that this is causing stress?

Edit: re-read and saw you've had them 5 years, it does seem strange that they'd suddenly be stressed from school size after all that time...

 

[Bobo8]

Hmm that definitely could be... although I have had them 5+ years and never had any problems with them but could be! I could introduce a few more but I was kind of heading in a different direction haha

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[UntimelyLord]

Maybe they are just more vulnerable because they are old? Hmm

 

[Bobo8]

Yeah I'm not too sure. I will wait a few more days and them move them back and keep an eye on them!

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