My CBB story...

[Charley Diesing]

Well I got a CBB on 02/02/2012 and he was eating great at the LFS. So I took him home. I can't QT my fish so he didn't get QT'ed. So now its been just over two weeks, he completely stopped eating.

He started to show either ich or lymp. Not sure which its hard too tell. they're very small white flakes, some of them are bigger and just make blotches on his clear fin skin. Its only on his fins, no where else. He was also just drifting in the water column not showing any movement.

Then last night my LFS got some live black worms! He devoured them, instantly swimming and looking better, 24 hours later i've noticed a decrease in the white dots.

Soo I can't really get a pic. the only camera i have is my moms iphone the pics are just blurry can't even make out its clear tail.

I guess my question is. Lymp isn't contagious? but ich is very contagious? how can i tell which one it is?

Thanks,

Charley.

 

[Charley Diesing]

bump

 

[Reef264]

I would say its lymp, Ich usually is pretty distinctive visually.

 

[Charley Diesing]

Is Ich usually over the entire body of the fish? Or just the fins?

 

[Reef264]

Entire body, fast breathing, scraping against the rock and sand, Twitching.These are all tendencies of Ich.

 

[Charley Diesing]

So too my understanding lymp, isn't contagious? and it can just go away from eating well, and water quality?

 

[Buzzword]

Sounds more like Lymph. Get some frozen blood worms and mysis shrimp and start feeding that, should get him to eat. Best if soaked in garlic. My most finicky eaters all went to town on that combo from the first feeding and have since started eating everything including pellets.

 

[JSeymour]

Doesn't sound like ich, most likely Lymphocystivirus or flukes. Lymphocystivirus often appears as small solid white to pink globules on the fins and body. On it's own, it typically doesn't effect the healtth of the fish and with a good varied diet will clear up on it's own. It is contagious, as are all viral diseases. Healthy fish can usually fight it off before symptoms manifest. [Skin] Flukes are a different situation entirely. Flukes will often only be noticed on the fins, although they will attach anywhere on the fins, body, mouth and gills. On the fins, they often appear as small opaque markings. Other symptoms can include increased respiration, tattered fins, loss of appetite and flashing against rocks and sand. Secondary infections can occur. Prazi-Pro is pretty much the hobby standard for flukes. Most likely you will end up treating the whole tank, as you don't have quarantine systems setup to treat and hold your fish so that the tank can go fallow. Treating in the tank will kill aff all worm populations, good and bad.

Most likely your dealing with flukes. Google both and see what you have.
Look into getting some sort of quarantine setup for future introductions. It doesn't have to be huge, expensive or elaborate. Even a simple ten gallon, a filter, and a heater would be better than nothing. A basic setup will cost you the same as most fish and can be setup anywhere.