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I noticed in a friends tank that her Blue Rams had some white spots on their fins ... I know that they do have coloured flecks through their fins but this didn't look right to me.

Where on a fish would white spot occur first? Fins/body or is it just a random thing?

Many thanks
Crusha

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

I'm fairly sure that it is just arbitrary. Ich can appear on the body and fins, and doesn't seem to choose any particular spot that I've noticed.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Yep, sirbooks is right, its just that depending on the colour of the fish you tend to notice it on the fins first because they are translucent.If youre worried about a fish with spotty fins or lumps specifically near the end of the tail it could conceivably be cauliflower disease, in which case post a picture of the affected fish and well be glad to check it out.

Quick question - do you have any freshwater clams in that aquarium? And are they breeding?

Some freshwater clams (especially the North American ones) produce larvae known as Glochidia, that are secondarily parasitic on fishes. These tend to attach to the gills preferentially if they can, but if they can't, the next site of attachment is the fins. If your Rams start to look as if they've got white fluff on their fins that doesn't respond to an antifungal medication, but no spots on the body, then this is a possibility to look out for if you have freshwater clams in there. If there are no clams, it's time to check out the possibility of Lymphocystis, which is a viral infection that seems to like attacking certain fishes above others (Cichlids tend to be a popular target, Green Terrors are well-documented as being susceptible to Lymphocystis attack, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to hear of it attacking Rams). However, while you can't cure the Lymphocystis, it clears up naturally given sufficient time, but it can take up to 60 days after onset of symptoms for your fishes to develop the immune response that kills off the viruses.

The 'cauliflower' effect from Lymphocystis is caused by the fact that infected cells inflate enormously in size - a Lymphocystis infected cell grows to 300 times normal size!

While the Lymphocystis itself is unsightly, the bigger worry is secondary infection of the damaged sites. Watch closely for signs of secondary bacterial haemorrhaging and treat accordingly.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

No there are no freshwater clams in her aquarium. It turned out that her Nitrates were way off and she ended up losing quite a lot of fish.

Its all good now tho, plenty of water changes, etc. I think the tank may have been suffering from "old tank syndrome".

Thanks for your reply Calilasseia.

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Those who say they cant, Never will !!!

Hi Everyone
We all learn by our mistakes. Yep I lost a lot of fish but it was my own fault. Write on a calander when your filter needs changing as I left mine for a good 6 months and it was gross My nitrate was so blood red it took a lot of work to get it back in light yellow. All is good now.
BubbleLover

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My Fish like swimming all day long,
They love my bubbles 'pop' on their bum!
http://photos.yahoo.com/shedevil_90

I had a few fish with ich only on the fins a few months ago. I only saw a few spots on their bodies...and that was when it was almost gone from the fins.

Weird that is was only on the fins for awhile. If it doesn't go away then I would treat for ich.

*Kristin*

Ich White spot is not fussy when and where it occurs. I am in Vic and it is very commom during the winter months. To help beat the problem I always store the prepared water one week inadvance.

Here is some info that could help you.


“White-spot” Parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

This disease is easy to recognise, as the skin of the infected fish becomes covered with white spots, each the size of a pinhead. Each spot represents the site of one, or sometimes two, parasites. All parts of the body gills, may be attacked.

The causative agent is named Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. It is a spherical and large by protozoan standards, measuring up to 1mm in diameter. Short, hair-like processes known as cilia are spread densely over the surface. A horseshoe-shape nucleus is also present which is clearly visible under the microscope.

By the means of the cilia the parasite rotates vigorously and burrows into the surface layer (epidermis) of its host. It feeds on skin cells and surface debris. The burrowing action causes a local irritation and the epidermis grows across the parasite to enclose it, thus forming a “White Spot”

Reproduction occurs away from the host. After maturing in the skin, which takes a few days to three weeks, depending on the temperature, the parasite bores out, swims away and comes to rest on a submerged object such as a stone, or plant. Here it forms a jelly-like cyst within which a series of rapid cell divisions take place. In a few hours, several hundred daughter cells or swarmers, are produced, which break out of the cyst to find a new host. Alighting on the skin, they burrow in to recommence the life cycle. If they fail to find a host within three to four days, they perish.

Symptoms
If the protozoan is introduced into a tank containing healthy fish, little harm may occur, other than a fleeting infection with a few parasites. If however, the fishes are already weakened for some other reason, e.g. lack of oxygen, the parasite will quickly cover the whole body surface, causing irritation and opening up wounds for secondary infections. The host mobility may become affected. In sever cases, death may result.

Prevention
If white-spot appears in an otherwise healthy tank, the parasite “must” have been introduced either as an adult on a newly acquired fish, or as the cyst form on, for example new stones, a plant or even added water. The only certain method of prevention, is to quarantine all new stock, including stones, plants etc; preferably in water at a temperature of 77F. Allow one week’s quarantine.

Treatments
There are too many treatments today to recommend any specific one. Many can be bought easily at aquarium outlets.


Several very interesting points to think about.

Very easy to recognise.
Its reproduction cycle.
No host they will die.
If introduced into a healthy tank little harm may occur.
Pay attention to all tank details.
Weakened fish, and lack of oxygen can/may and will cause sever deaths. All this is usually caused by poor tank maintenance and/or incorrect and faulty equipment.
Prevention is the best cure
A Parasite “must” be introduced into the tank.

This information was collected from Fresh Water Tropical Fish

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Keith

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