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Help Me if you can [message #8808] Wed, 20 February 2008 14:50 Go to next message
JSly0275  is currently offline JSly0275  
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Registered: January 2008
Location: GA
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I woke up this morning to feed the fish and noticed a white spot on the tail fin of one of my Acei. Still feeds and behavior seems normal but I am concerned. I think it might be a fungus but I am not sure. I am almost sure it wasn't there yesterday...help me if you can. Maybe I am being paranoid, but it doesn't look normal.

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Re: Help Me if you can [message #8809] Wed, 20 February 2008 17:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Trpimp147  is currently offline Trpimp147  
Messages: 502
Registered: March 2007
Location: Littlestown, PA
Senior Member

its an egg spot. normal for them to have usly the males have more egg spots then females... thus the way they breed the male swings it tail in front of the female and she thinks she lost eggs and she follows him and he releases sperm in to her mouth to fertilize the eggs...
Re: Help Me if you can [message #8810] Wed, 20 February 2008 17:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JSly0275  is currently offline JSly0275  
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2008
Location: GA
Junior Member
I understand the egg spot on the anal fin but my curiousity is the long white bubbled spot on his tail fin. It is not smooth like the egg spot, it is raised up and cauliflower-ish (nice word huh?) If it is still something to do with breeding thats fine but I have not read anything like that.
Re: Help Me if you can [message #8811] Wed, 20 February 2008 18:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Trpimp147  is currently offline Trpimp147  
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Registered: March 2007
Location: Littlestown, PA
Senior Member

aaah i didnt even notice it... looked like the fin was like folded over or light hit it different, im not sure of that sorry.
Re: Help Me if you can [message #8814] Thu, 21 February 2008 09:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Malawi Mother  is currently offline Malawi Mother  
Messages: 1213
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member

You say it's bubbled? Gee that's a tough one. It could be fungus, parasite, or even an injury. My first thoughts are to isolate said fish in a hospital tank and treat with aquarium salt. In the mean time, do a water change in first tank. If it is an injury, you will notice it getting better in just a couple days. If it is fungus, it will spread and if it's a parasite, you will notice other symptoms. I will be honest, my fish have had parasites, fungus, and bacterial infections as well as injuries and have not witnessed anything that was bubbled. Doesn't mean it can't be. I would watch if for a couple days though and see if there are any changes to give us better heads up on what it could be. In the mean time, I will pass this on to LeeAnn, she is the owner of the site. Lets see if she has any clue on the matter.


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Re: Help Me if you can [message #8815] Thu, 21 February 2008 11:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JSly0275  is currently offline JSly0275  
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2008
Location: GA
Junior Member
Bubbled might be a bad desrciption, maybe puffy. There is nothing in the "bubble". But the white is not flat against the tail fin. Hard to desribe. But like any help would be great. In the past two days it hasn't grown at all, or shrank for that matter. Thanks again and i will be waiting on the prognosis

Re: Help Me if you can [message #8818] Thu, 21 February 2008 16:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dalton  is currently offline dalton  
Messages: 12
Registered: February 2008
Location: AZ
Junior Member
Definitely not a fungus. True fungi don't occur very often in fresh water let alone hard rift lake water.

Could be a parasite. Are there eyes? Has the spot moved? If it is a parasite you'd probably be able to tell pretty easily.

What was the cause? Has this particular fish been scrappy with some of the other tank mates? Usually an infection like this is a result of an injury. Just like if you cut your hand and don't wash it. It may become infected.

Sounds, and looks to me like a good ol fashioned bacterial infection.

If that is the case, and you have the ability to determine weather or not the bacteria is gram positive or gram negative (via a gram dye test), then I'd say you are well on your way to fixing the problem!

If not, then that's ok, too. Just treat your fish with a broad spectrum antibiotic which will usually treat for both gram positive and negative.

I would personally recommend a product sold byNational Fish Pharmaceuticals called Sulfa 4 TMP. It combines four different sulfide based antibiotics with trimethoprim which allows each drug to work to their fullest. You would probably be successful with some common aquarium meds, too. Like tetracycline, amoxicillin, kanamycin sulfate, etc. Just follow the manufacturers directions.

If it's not a bacterial infection at all, then what else could it be?


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Re: Help Me if you can [message #8823] Thu, 21 February 2008 22:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JSly0275  is currently offline JSly0275  
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2008
Location: GA
Junior Member
The spot hasn't moved nor has it increased or decreased in size. This gram dye test, it is available at most LFS. And if I test this little guy will it show nothing if it not a bacterial infection? BTW thanks for your comments. Until I am sure I don't want to start random treating and jack up my water as all my other fish are fine.
Re: Help Me if you can [message #8825] Fri, 22 February 2008 09:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dalton  is currently offline dalton  
Messages: 12
Registered: February 2008
Location: AZ
Junior Member
Here's what a gram stain test is.

http://www.microbiol.org/white.papers/WP.Gram.htm

It's difficult to do, and the kits can be quite pricey. It's better to just use a broad spectrum antibiotic. Does this spot appear "fuzzy"? There's a pretty good chance that it is a bacterial infection. If it is, then you'll want to treat it quickly.


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Re: Help Me if you can [message #8832] Fri, 22 February 2008 12:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Malawi Mother  is currently offline Malawi Mother  
Messages: 1213
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ
Senior Member

I'm afraid that LeeAnn didn't know what it was either. I still believe you should isolate fish, start saltwater tx.

I do believe in antibiotics but there are a couple things you should know about using antibiotics. First off, antibiotics kill your bioshpere. You will have to recycle your entire tank.

Tetracycline is a nasty antibiotic as I have used it in the past. It turns your water a nasty brown color and leaves the worst smell you can imagine.

There are sulfa products that will work just as well as antibiotics and wont kill your biosphere. Jungle Labs has a few products out you may want to check into. They do have products for a broad range of problems and because we don't know what your fish has, I would try that.


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Re: Help Me if you can [message #8833] Fri, 22 February 2008 13:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JSly0275  is currently offline JSly0275  
Messages: 23
Registered: January 2008
Location: GA
Junior Member
I don't have an extra tank right now but I think I might get a little Walmart special 10g for stuff like this. I will probably just take about 2/3 water from the old tank and mix with 1/3 fresh and see what happens. Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I hate to say it on a fish forum but if I lose this little guy he was only 8 bucks and Acei are dime a dozen, so I will do my best and just see. Thanks again all.

Re: Help Me if you can [message #8838] Fri, 22 February 2008 21:55 Go to previous message
Gass  is currently offline Gass  
Messages: 404
Registered: April 2002
Location: Lake Canyonyika TX
Senior Member
It looks to be only an inflamed fine ray. Could be a slight infection (although I would think it it were there should be red streaks in it), or, more probably, a slight injury. If it were me, I wouldn't even concern myself with it. It may or may not go away (the white portion may scar) but will not affect the outcome of any fry this fish may produce. If it gets noticeably worse, try a salt treatment or salt bath but I doubt very much this will be necessary. I think most of it will fade over time.


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