What could this be?

[Hatchet]

One of my gourami has raised white spots in several patches on its body and fins. I initially thought it was ick and treated the fish with salt for a week. I also keep my tank temperature 82-84F.

I'm not so sure its ick anymore becasue these spots have been on this fish in the same areas for over a month now. I havn't bought any medications because i don't know what to treat for.

If ick has a life cycle of 3 days, the fish eat readily, acts completely normal, no glancing from it or any other fish in the tank, no signs of the same problems on any other fish in the tank, and its been a month or more without these spots falling off like ick does, what could this possibly be?

I'm seriously stumped and would greatly appreciate any help offered.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

How big are they?? I have 2 gouramis who have white spots on all their fins, which I assume is part of their color/design. Not sure if yours is the same thing..but just a thought. Maybe they are just growing into it..if that makes any sense?!


Justkeepswimmin

 

[Jan]

Yeah lately I've noticed that one of my gouramis has this one white spot on its tail. Maybe they do get these as part of their color/design as justkeepswimmin mentioned. Not sure either tho.

 

[Hatchet]

Croaking gourami dont get very big and they're all pretty much the same size. This is the only gourami that exibits these white salt dots so its very much some kind of a parasite. I'm sure it isn't ick, but if it is its a very long lived strain. So I'm going to get a parasite treatment and see how that goes.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

good luck let us know how you make out.

 

[Purple]

OK - for the record - this is how Ich works (you don't have Ich - but read on anyway.......

Ich grows as a parasite on the fish. After 3 days it drops off the fish, hits the bottom of the tank, multiplies like crazy, and then goes upwards to search for another fish to feed on. The Ich is only treatable by meds when it's off the fish - when it's on the fish the stuff is pretty indestructable. So - you treat with Ich meds for a minimum of seven days, to make sure you get to all of it while it's in its free-floating stage. Any 3 day treatment simply won't work - it has to be for a week.

What your fish has sounds like bacterial or fungal. Doesn't really matter which, because a lot of meds take into account that a fish with a bacterial problem is going to be susceptable to a secondary fungal infection. So they make the anti-bac meds with an anti-fungal ingredient included to make sure. It will say on the lable of the med if this is one of those double action jobbies - so look at the lables until you find an anti-bac med that says it does both.

Lob some of that in the tank, stand back, and it's sorted.