Ich?

[CAPT_Dave]

Hi all;
Need some help diagnosing my new Copperband Butterfly. Think it may be ich but praying it's not. Small dots on anal, left pectoral and maybe dorsal fins.

Fish is in QT with 3 cardinals all bought at same time from LFS on April 18. Never in DT (Thank God)!

QT Water Parameters:
Temp: 78
pH: 8.0
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia: 0.5
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5

Photos here:
http://s172.photobucket.com/user/capt_dave2/media/DSC_0068_zps1ypflmkf.jpg.html
http://s172.photobucket.com/user/capt_dave2/media/DSC_0070_zps529arko1.jpg.html
http://s172.photobucket.com/user/capt_dave2/media/DSC_0070 Closeup_zpsignss2yl.jpg.html

Thanks in advance!

Dave

 

[Dmorty217]

Lympho, only cure is is good water quality and enriched varied diet. Caused by stress

 

[Nina51]

it looks more like lympho. are there any spots on the body of the fish? lympho will clear up on its own. you should be using some vitamin supplements (food soaked in selcon and/or vitachem) and your water must be pristine.

you need to get a handle on your parameters. you should have NO ammonia or nitrite in your tank and this could definitely be stressing your fish. i take it this is not a cycled qt? if that's the case, you need to be doing frequent water changes to prevent ammonia. do you have an ammonia alert badge? how big is your qt? i'd also be using something like prime as long as you aren't medicating with any copper.

eta: dmorty, get outta my head. there's not enough room in there!

 

[Dmorty217]

it looks more like lympho. are there any spots on the body of the fish? lympho will clear up on its own. you should be using some vitamin supplements (food soaked in selcon and/or vitachem) and your water must be pristine.

you need to get a handle on your parameters. you should have NO ammonia or nitrite in your tank and this could definitely be stressing your fish. i take it this is not a cycled qt? if that's the case, you need to be doing frequent water changes to prevent ammonia. do you have an ammonia alert badge? how big is your qt? i'd also be using something like prime as long as you aren't medicating with any copper.

eta: dmorty, get outta my head. there's not enough room in there!

Sorry Nina, great minds think alike!

 

[ThRoewer]

Yep, it's Lymphocystis. It's a cell growth caused by a virus. Bad water quality is one reason, the use of copper another. Likely your LFS run low dose copper in their fish system to suppress ich and velvet outbreaks.
It should go away with good water conditions, but it may take months.

Though right now I would be more concerned about the growth or infection he seems to have on his lower lip. With finicky eaters like these a problem with their mouth can kill them.

 

[CAPT_Dave]

Thanks, all. I soaked the sponge filter in my DT for a couple days but obviously not enough. Doing water changes every other day and will increase it. Would it help to put a live rock from DT sump into QT understanding the rock is now disposable?

 

[CAPT_Dave]

Thanks also for keeping me from further stressing the fish (and me) with a copper or hypo salinity treatment. I'll get the ammonia under control.

 

[ThRoewer]

The rock should be fine unless you use copper.

 

[Nina51]

Sorry Nina, great minds think alike!

:thumbsup:

Thanks, all. I soaked the sponge filter in my DT for a couple days but obviously not enough. Doing water changes every other day and will increase it. Would it help to put a live rock from DT sump into QT understanding the rock is now disposable?

sponges should be soaked for several weeks to really be beneficial. yes, some rock would help kick start the bacteria you need for filtration.