White spots - Neon Tetra Disease or Ich?

[LiamCH]

I assumed it was Ich, as obviously the disease is notorious for the White Spots that characterise it, but someone who is a very experienced aquarist assures me that it's the untreatable Neon Tetra disease, and that aside from euthanising the fish to prevent it spreading, there's nothing I can do.

Frankly, in spite of her experience I'm still a bit skeptical... The only symptons any of my fish have are white spots; they are behaving and eating as normal. It doesn't really sound like NTD to me, so a little help to clear things up would be appreciated.

Secondly, for treatment I've transferred all the fish with white spots to a small tank. Do you think it's safe to leave the others there? I examined all the fish for white spots, and moved only the ones that have them. So only two of my seven neon tetras remain in the main tank.

Anyway, for the moment I've just added a small filter and some ich treatment to the small tank. I've got only one heater sadly, so I'm going to have to move it between the two tanks periodically to keep them warm enough.

Any advice would be appreciated, and I'm particarly anxious about whether to leave the remaining symptonless tetras in the tank. What do you think?

Thanks, Liam.

P.S. I just thought I should mention... I have no idea at all how the ich came to my tank, as I haven't had any new fish for a while now.

 

[dkpate]

Hmm, is there any way you can get pics?
If you think it IS ich, I would put ALL fish together and treat them, since ich can live in the gills where you can't see them. But since you said you haven't had any new fish for a while, I wonder where it came from....A pic would be great. It might be fungus. Does it look like salt sprinkles?

 

[LiamCH]

Thanks. In light of what you've said, I've moved all the fish back into the original tank. I've actually noticed that one of my zebra danios is hiding underneath the bogwood at the bottom, and will only move when I lift the thing up, so I assume he's not feeling himself either, as they're always so lively normally. It does look like little salt grains, yes . It only seems to be infecting the neon tetras at the moment, and only on their fins. Aside from administering the treatment (which I have) is there anything else I can do to help them? Is turning the temperature up to 32 Celcius (90 Farhenheit) a good idea? I've heard that temperatures above 30 (86) kill the parasite, but obviously I don't want to kill my neon tetras and zebra danios too...

Any further advice?

P.S. I don't think I'll be able ti get a good enough picture, but I'll try..

 

[LiamCH]

I've looked and I can't see any white spots at all now! I'm very confused. There were quite a lot last night... Any ideas what has happened?

Also, the hiding zebra danio seems to be up and about again. I wonder what was wrong? None of them have done that before...

 

[dkpate]

Have you turned the temp up yet or started treatment? If so, that could be why you are not seeing spots anymore. Make sure you stick a bubble stone or lower the water level, since warmer water has less oxygen. The turbulance on the water creates the oxygen.
If you are using meds, make sure you follow the directions on the bottle to a T. If it says so a pwc, do a pwc. Use for as long as it says to. Ich can only be killed in it's free swimming stage.
If you are using meds, I would stick with that, and not turn the temp up. If you do have to turn it up, only go to 86*F. The 86* does not allow the ich to reproduce.
The meds will probably kill your good bacteria, so you will most likely have to do another cycle.

 

[LiamCH]

Thanks. Sorry for the late reply; my keyboard broke! I turned up the heat to around 86F last night and applied the medicine yesterday afternoon. There aren't any signs of the white spots now, and apart from one neon tetra that developed a severe swim bladder problem and passed on last night, there haven't been any casualties. The other fish seem fine, if perhaps a little less lively than usual. Do you think the lack of white spots means it has progressed to the free-swimming stage of the parasites? I'm hoping this will get sorted out soon, as I'm quite concerned since I lost six neon tetras when White Spot Syndrome previously struck my tank.

 

[LiamCH]

I've also just noticed that a couple of my neon tetras seem to have lost part of their rear-most fin. Could this be fin-rot, or something? I've never noticed it before... But nothing really looks infected. Will the fins grow back at all?

 

[dkpate]

If you keep the water really really clean and not too much of the fin is gone, it will grow back. If the rot is not all the way to it's body, then it should grow back, just watch is for fungus.
Did you add an air stone or lower the water levels?
I would say that is has gone to the cyst stage, right before it explodes into the free swimming stage, so make sure you leave the heat up for 7-10 days.

 

[LiamCH]

It's not too bad... Definitely not right up against the body. I have put an airstone in for the time being, so air shouldn't be a problem. I think things are going a bit better than last time ich struck, so hopefully there won't be any more casualties. Thanks!