This concerns an X-Ray pristella tetra. My tank has been set up for about a year and I've had this fish about 10.5 months. It was part of a group of 7 pristellas.
It has lived peacefully in my DT for its entire tenure with me until a recent move to my QT. My DT is:
29 gallons
76 degrees
0 nitrites
0 ammonia
7.8 pH
10 ppm nitrate
Planted and fertilized with Seachem root tabs, Flourish comprehensive, flourish excel, and API leaf zone
Fluval 206 filter (no carbon)
2 T Fluval peat in filter
2 mystery snails
2 rummy nose tetras
5 peppered corys
7 (now 6) X-Ray pristella tetras
The fish in question has always eaten well and would school with the other tetras but during the day has always hung out alone behind the plants for the most part.
Two weeks ago, I noticed a dark "smudge" on the fish's left side, about 3/8 in. across, that appeared to be mostly internal, but also external. I researched and came across ammonia as a possible culprit for blackened skin. Since my tests always came back 0 and I noticed no other signs and no other affected fish, I took a wait and see attitude.
About 4 days ago, on this pristella, I noticed a lesion on the upper right side towards the head, but well behind the gill. It was raised, yellowish with pinkish, possibly bloody edge. It was about 1/8 in. across. In a day it grew to 1/4 inch x 1/8 inch, and turned cottony white (fine, short cottony threads). I was able to net the fish and remove it to my 10 gal QT.
I suspect a strain of columnaris as the cause of the white lesion. I began treating the fish with Maracyn 2 in my QT.
QT 10 gallon
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5 ppm nitrate
7.8 pH
76 degrees F
Aquaclear 30 HOB filter (no carbon)
The good news is that the lesion is healing quickly and as of tonight, is only a faint, nearly imperceptible line.
The black is another matter. There definitely is a patch of blackened skin/scales. The blackening is minimal and there are no obvious lesions, bumps, or red streaks, etc. The fins all look very healthy. The internal looking black remains (it's really hard to tell exactly what is internal and what is external).
The affected scales are not all black, but rather seem kind of edged in black and still retain their reflective sheen. There are no lumps, bumps or other external deformations. This black area neither grows nor shrinks since it appeared.
If pristellas weren't semi transparent I would not be able to see the internal black. I can only see it because pristellas are so "see through".
The fish seems to swim, breathe, and eat normally.
I'm going to continue the 5 day course of Maracyn 2. I have some Furan 2 on hand, and I've ordered some Kanaplex. I plan to move on to those when the course of Maracyn 2 is over and it is removed with water changes and carbon, unless someone says a reason not to.
My other fishes in my DT have to date shown no sign of whatever this is.
Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone seen anything like this?
I've been reading everything about columnaris and myxobacteriosis is which some say is a form of black columnaris. I've gone though all the fish disease information I can find and nothing really fits what I'm seeing on the black.
I think if the black were internal columnaris the fish would already be dead or nearly so, but I don't know for sure.
This sure has me stumped.
It has lived peacefully in my DT for its entire tenure with me until a recent move to my QT. My DT is:
29 gallons
76 degrees
0 nitrites
0 ammonia
7.8 pH
10 ppm nitrate
Planted and fertilized with Seachem root tabs, Flourish comprehensive, flourish excel, and API leaf zone
Fluval 206 filter (no carbon)
2 T Fluval peat in filter
2 mystery snails
2 rummy nose tetras
5 peppered corys
7 (now 6) X-Ray pristella tetras
The fish in question has always eaten well and would school with the other tetras but during the day has always hung out alone behind the plants for the most part.
Two weeks ago, I noticed a dark "smudge" on the fish's left side, about 3/8 in. across, that appeared to be mostly internal, but also external. I researched and came across ammonia as a possible culprit for blackened skin. Since my tests always came back 0 and I noticed no other signs and no other affected fish, I took a wait and see attitude.
About 4 days ago, on this pristella, I noticed a lesion on the upper right side towards the head, but well behind the gill. It was raised, yellowish with pinkish, possibly bloody edge. It was about 1/8 in. across. In a day it grew to 1/4 inch x 1/8 inch, and turned cottony white (fine, short cottony threads). I was able to net the fish and remove it to my 10 gal QT.
I suspect a strain of columnaris as the cause of the white lesion. I began treating the fish with Maracyn 2 in my QT.
QT 10 gallon
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5 ppm nitrate
7.8 pH
76 degrees F
Aquaclear 30 HOB filter (no carbon)
The good news is that the lesion is healing quickly and as of tonight, is only a faint, nearly imperceptible line.
The black is another matter. There definitely is a patch of blackened skin/scales. The blackening is minimal and there are no obvious lesions, bumps, or red streaks, etc. The fins all look very healthy. The internal looking black remains (it's really hard to tell exactly what is internal and what is external).
The affected scales are not all black, but rather seem kind of edged in black and still retain their reflective sheen. There are no lumps, bumps or other external deformations. This black area neither grows nor shrinks since it appeared.
If pristellas weren't semi transparent I would not be able to see the internal black. I can only see it because pristellas are so "see through".
The fish seems to swim, breathe, and eat normally.
I'm going to continue the 5 day course of Maracyn 2. I have some Furan 2 on hand, and I've ordered some Kanaplex. I plan to move on to those when the course of Maracyn 2 is over and it is removed with water changes and carbon, unless someone says a reason not to.
My other fishes in my DT have to date shown no sign of whatever this is.
Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone seen anything like this?
I've been reading everything about columnaris and myxobacteriosis is which some say is a form of black columnaris. I've gone though all the fish disease information I can find and nothing really fits what I'm seeing on the black.
I think if the black were internal columnaris the fish would already be dead or nearly so, but I don't know for sure.
This sure has me stumped.