please someone help me. im new here

[SylentRyver]

Hello im new to this site. I have a female creamcicle lyretail molly. She shes pregnant an has a chalky spot on her head that I don't have any clue as to what it is.

I have a 35gal tank with a whisper power 30 waterfall filter, 2 bubble stones and a bubble bar. My filter is set to low because of some unexpected fry. In the tank I have 2 other mollies, an albino bristle nose pleco, a serpae tetra, an 6 ghost shrimp. I currently am treating for ich using the heat method with 30-40% water changes every other day. Im not sure what my water parameters are because I dont have a test kit at this time. Hopefully ill be able to get ich meds this Friday.

My other female molly is a black shortfin an jus had fry. Not sure if that is relevant.

Like I said im new here an I dont see a place to upload any pix.

When I first noticed the spot, it looked light. Now its a more vibrant white. She has a chalky colour between most of her scales now. She is acting fine, eating properly, an swimming as well as she can due to her size. The spot is flat. Its not fuzzy or fluffy or anything.. im so worried about her. Can anyone help me?

Ive been told its either fungal or bacterial but no one knows which.

 

[sinibotia]

Are you sure it's an illness? Color change in fish is not unheard of.

Best way to do pictures is to upload it to a site like photobucket and post a link.

What's the temperature on the tank?

And hi, welcome to AA!

 

[MissGurnus]

Pictures would help us help you a lot more accurately


Sini's my personal bucket lugger..er, I mean husband

 

[SylentRyver]

I have an account on myaquariumclub.com with a forum or 2 about this issue. Im on a phone an am unsure how to post links. Im using the same username on mac as I am here. Its not a color change. It started on her head. The initial spot isn't bigger jus more white.but shes getting chalky between most her scales. Her yellow colour is also fading.

 

[MissGurnus]

You should be able to upload pictures from your phone directly


Sini's my personal bucket lugger..er, I mean husband

 

[sinibotia]

Images for diseaseexpert coralbandit.... I'm dead serious when I say, think it's columnaris?

 

[SylentRyver]

http://www.myaquariumclub.com/bacterial-or-fungal-757557.html

ll the buttons are blue boxes with question marks inside them. I think I got the link. It might work but im a tech-dummy so idk

 

[SylentRyver]

Thats my creamcicle. Idk what that means?? Can it be treated? I dont have a hospital tank..

 

[SylentRyver]

Is it contagious? Is there a home remedy? Is she gonna die?? Idk what that means. Ive never dealt with anything else but ick

 

[SylentRyver]

Oh an since im heat-treating ick my temp is roughly 86degrees..

 

[sinibotia]

I'm not 100% sure what it is, so I won't say anything yet. I'm waiting on a user who knows a lot better than I do. I will say it doesn't look like anything to panic about yet.

 

[SylentRyver]

An infection will usually first manifest in fish by causing frayed and ragged fins. This is followed by the appearance of ulcerations on the skin, and subsequent epidermal loss, identifiable as white or cloudy, fungus-like patches – particularly on the gill filaments. Mucus often also accumulates on the gills, head and dorsal regions. Gills will change colour, either becoming light or dark brown, and may also manifest necrosis. Fish will breathe rapidly and laboriously as a sign of gill damage. Anorexia and lethargy are common, as are mortalities, especially in young fish.

She has none of these symptoms. Jus the spot an her color is faded.

 

[sinibotia]

An infection will usually first manifest in fish by causing frayed and ragged fins. This is followed by the appearance of ulcerations on the skin, and subsequent epidermal loss, identifiable as white or cloudy, fungus-like patches – particularly on the gill filaments. Mucus often also accumulates on the gills, head and dorsal regions. Gills will change colour, either becoming light or dark brown, and may also manifest necrosis. Fish will breathe rapidly and laboriously as a sign of gill damage. Anorexia and lethargy are common, as are mortalities, especially in young fish.

She has none of these symptoms. Jus the spot an her color is faded.

Not all of those symptoms have to happen. The white patch may be an early stage- "the appearance of ulcerations on the skin, and subsequent epidermal loss, identifiable as white or cloudy, fungus-like patches". I'm not sure, but then columnaris loves stressed fish and high temperatures so that's why I suspect it.

Coralbandit you can chime in and tell me I'm wrong any time now because I'm not really sure

 

[SylentRyver]

Ulcerations develop within 24 to 48 hours. Fatality occurs between 48 to 72 hours if no treatment is pursued; however, at higher temperatures death may occur within hours.*

My heats been up for 3 days. This says shed be dead by now.. I dont think its columnaris

 

[SylentRyver]

I really hope it isn't columnar..

 

[SylentRyver]

Idk where I would even get meds for it. If she'd even survive until I got it...

 

[sinibotia]

There are different strains of columnaris so if it is it can be very quick to kill or sometimes very slow. I don't know that much about it but sometimes white patches are caused by it. Like I said, I'm waiting on a particular member who knows a lot more than me.

If it is columnaris, and if you can;t get real meds, columnaris doesn't like salt and neither does ich so 1 tablespoon per 2 gallons might help.

 

[SylentRyver]

I cant use salt though..
1. It'll kill my shrimp
2. I dont think my pleco or tetra would like it
3. Idk how to preform a tank flush to remove it
4. I dont have any aquarium salt
5. Im very scared to use salt on my tank. I never have an I know ill mess it up.

I also dont have a gravel vac yet

 

[Delapool]

Hi,


Ime that would be a bacterial infection. I say ime as that is the greatest secondary infection I get using ich heat treatment method.


Some questions would be:


Are you temp matching the change water? Again only ime, but I've managed to trigger fungal infections using much colder water for water changes.


Is it at a spot where ich was? Is it coming out of the gills? Is the ich gone? If you have triple sulpha you can dose that with the high heat ich method. It's not the best for bacterial infections but will deal with ich slowly so it will cover both, is very safe (not sure with shrimp though).


Would really suggest a test kit like the api FW master test kit. This allows keeping an eye on water parameters while treating to make sure the tank is still doing well.

 

[coralbandit]

I cant use salt though..
1. It'll kill my shrimp
2. I dont think my pleco or tetra would like it
3. Idk how to preform a tank flush to remove it
4. I dont have any aquarium salt
5. Im very scared to use salt on my tank. I never have an I know ill mess it up.

I also dont have a gravel vac yet

If you can't use salt you probably can't use meds either???
No vacuum yet?
How many fish or experiences with ich till you get one?
How do you perform water changes?
No test kit right?

I saw the pictures after OP linked other forum...
Not so sure?
First pic really looks like nothing?
Second a pretty healthy/fat molly..
The third a fish getting some thing noticeably quick...
Who has ich and besides heat how are you treating?

Could be bacterial and kind of like Della ,but opposite (I think), what you see as ich is the secondary infection to a bacterial issue...
If you don't clearly know what ich looks like or had someone ID a picture I would start lowering the temp.
Nothing for nothing I have no clue but .....
Heat for three days and a fish that has gotten worse for 3 days...