Ram cichlid has spots. Advice please!

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi,

My Ram started with one white spot and it seemed to have spread a bit in the course of about a month or two. No other fish has gotten these spots since I've seen them on my Ram. I'm wondering if this is ich or not? Can it possibly be any other type of fish disease? I'm guessing it were ich, wouldn't my other fish have them by now? Also, wouldn't it have spread throughout my Ram's body and not just the one area by the front (as shown in the picture below)?

If you guys think this is ich, which of the several methods out there are the best and safest?

Some notes:
I haven't introduced any new fish or plants in like 4 to 5 months. I don't have a quarantine tank so this will have to be the hospital tank (if need be). I have a Kuhli Loach which might be scaleless in there so I don't know how well he could take meds? Other inhabitants are Ottos, Pygmy Corries, Glow Fish (Zebra Danios), and Red Minor / Von Rio Tetras. Oh and my BB Goby. Lastly, I have some low light plants such as Swords, Java Fern, and Anubias.

Advice is much appreciated!

close up:

 

[kdpuffer]

That's a really nice ram, I don't think that is ick though. Almost looks like some form of infection. I'm not sure what can be done for the little guy so hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[Mlani]

If you have a qt I STRONGLY recommend you move him ASAP. One thing I have learned from having rams is they're VERY sensitive and the infections will spread rapidly with a higher chance of death. I recently lost 6 rams do to what I think was a bacterial infection. I would hate for the same to happen to yours.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

If you have a qt I STRONGLY recommend you move him ASAP.

I don't have a qt tank unfortunately. Are there any meds that can treat a wide range of infections or bacteria? My other fish don't seem to be getting this from the Ram (so far).

 

[Mlani]

I tried the salt/heat treatment, then the parasite clear jungle drops, and then I went with garlic guard and metro+. Not saying you'll need all of these. Look them up and see which one would best suit your fish. Another member linked me to this site to help try and figure out what I was facing. It may help you too.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/fish_palace/tropicalfish_disease_identification.html#ERM

 

[bs6749]

Looks like HITH (Hole In The Head) to me, which is the result of heximita and poor water quality. Do a large water in your tank. Next, you want to obtain a product for curing Ick, commonly called "Quick Cure" that has both formalin and malachite green as the active ingredients. Prepare a tub with 1 gallon of water that is the same temperature as your tank and put in 4-5 drops of Quick Cure per gallon(double the recommended dosage). This is safe since it is only a dip/bath. Place the ram in this bath for 15 minutes watching it closely. Be sure to have a second tub of water (the same temperature) nearby and watch the fish. Should it start freaking out, remove it and place it into the fresh water bath before placing it back into the main tank. After 15 minutes, place the fish back into the main tank. I would recommend that you dose the main tank with Quick Cure at the 1-2 drops per gallon rate indicated on the bottle for 7 days. This will help kill the heximita and any secondary infections in the holes on the fish's head. You will need to remove any carbon in your filters and remove the filters completely from the tank to avoid your beneficial bacteria being harmed. This is why you really do NEED a QT tank. I suggest that you buy a 10g tank and treat the fish there instead of the main tank for 7 days.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Looks like HITH (Hole In The Head) to me, which is the result of heximita and poor water quality. Do a large water in your tank. Next, you want to obtain a product for curing Ick, commonly called "Quick Cure" that has both formalin and malachite green as the active ingredients. Prepare a tub with 1 gallon of water that is the same temperature as your tank and put in 4-5 drops of Quick Cure per gallon(double the recommended dosage). This is safe since it is only a dip/bath. Place the ram in this bath for 15 minutes watching it closely. Be sure to have a second tub of water (the same temperature) nearby and watch the fish. Should it start freaking out, remove it and place it into the fresh water bath before placing it back into the main tank. After 15 minutes, place the fish back into the main tank. I would recommend that you dose the main tank with Quick Cure at the 1-2 drops per gallon rate indicated on the bottle for 7 days. This will help kill the heximita and any secondary infections in the holes on the fish's head. You will need to remove any carbon in your filters and remove the filters completely from the tank to avoid your beneficial bacteria being harmed. This is why you really do NEED a QT tank. I suggest that you buy a 10g tank and treat the fish there instead of the main tank for 7 days.

Okay I just realized that you responded to me in the other thread too. Thanks for the input on both accounts! Since I don't have the room and funds for a QT tank, I'm considering this bucket treatment method you mentioned. It seems pretty feasible to work. However, my Ram looks pretty bad. He's acting quite normal though and he's eating fine. But I am seeing normal feces with the "white stringy" type that I read about pertaining to HITH disease. What gets me is why all pictures just show lesions on other fish with the ailment and not white ***** looking pimples as my Ram has? Anyway, do you think my Ram still has a chance or is euthanasia the best coarse?

 

[jpchin]

Tropical Fish Disease Identification with pictures and cures.

here's a link to some fish diseases. if you click on viral infections/tumors i think it sounds a bit like cauliflower tumors. check it out.