Loaches Online Forum

I have 2 weather loaches (Bonnie and Clyde) who have been very hardy and cheerful fish.
They arrived with an old Goldfish tank we bought second hand, with goldfish removed.

Once they were transferred back into it (after a full home renovation, new gravel, live plants, filters, cycling,) despite the previous owners complaints that all they did was bury themselves in the gravel, we found they were highly active, curious, friendly, acrobatic, and amusing little guys, although they tend to be a bit klutzy (Good noses, but bad eyes!)

After gradually introducing some tropical roomies (Platies, Guppies, Neon Tetras and a albino sucker) and imporiving their diet from the Goldfish flakes they used to get from the previous owner, they were loving their life, by the looks of it.
That was 5 months ago, and now although everything seems fine otherwise, Clyde (the big one) has developed 3 white spots, on his tail (in what I suppose you would call the "webbing"... the transucent bit)

They look a little like pimples, raised off the surface. After checking it out, the first thought was White Spot, or Ich.

But I'm not so sure, and knowing they can be sensitive to medications, and only being a newbie at fish-keeping, I thought I'd ask the question of what else it may be, like a fungus, or something else? And if so, what are the best treatments I can try?

ALSO should I isolate Clyde immediately? The weathers like snuggling together, and don't want Bonnie to get lonely.

thanks

Hello, 96ghia, and welcome to LOL.

Is your tank heated? Weathers are not tropical fish, and over time, higher temps will stress them, leaving them susceptible to disease/parasites that they could normally fight off.

See here for more info on them:
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/we ... licaudatus

Also, it's very hard to diagnose based on descriptions alone. A picture would really help. And, if it is ick, you will need to treat the whole tank.

When did you notice the spots? Are they increasing in number or size? Have you noticed any rapid respiration or change in behavior--lethargy, loss of appetite, hiding, hanging out on the top or bottom, aggression?

shari2 wrote:Hello, 96ghia, and welcome to LOL.
Is your tank heated? Weathers are not tropical fish, and over time, higher temps will stress them, leaving them susceptible to disease/parasites that they could normally fight off.

Yes and no. Yes, the tank has a heater, for the other fish, but its unplugged right now, as the ambient temps are keeping the tank warm, (much warmer than I'd like... 26 degrees C, and I can't get it any cooler, even with Frozen bottles floating in the top, and the lights off) I realised that they aren't tropicals, but the temp (when it was around 24deg C) was listed as ok in the article you mentioned.

shari2 wrote: Also, it's very hard to diagnose based on descriptions alone. A picture would really help. And, if it is ick, you will need to treat the whole tank.

No Problems. I have circled the spot I found below. sorry for the ppor quality, but the focus wouldn't focus very well, and the slippery little sucks were foraging in the gravel randomly, so it was hard to get a shot still... had to wait until they were having cuddles, as you can see in 2 of the pix.

shari2 wrote: When did you notice the spots? Are they increasing in number or size? Have you noticed any rapid respiration or change in behavior--lethargy, loss of appetite, hiding, hanging out on the top or bottom, aggression?

My wife noticed them a day ago. They haven't increased, or gotten bigger. Only 1 spot is seen int eh photos, but I have seen a second one on Clyde, on the other side (facing away from camera) on the fleshy part of his tail (not on the fin)

Not increasing in number, or size... no change in behaviour at all. Bonnie (the small one) likes to hide in the gravel from time to time, but clyde has been eating, and playing in the bubble curtain like he always has. neither of them have been flashing as far as I can tell.

Bonnie jumped out of a quarantine tank several months ago, and got a little cut on his/her (can't tell!) tail, but this healed up after a week, and no trace remains. Can't leave them unconvered for even a second!

Bonnie has no spots. that I can see at all. They do like to show off their bellies to me, and I haven't seen any spots on either of them here.

I hope I'm not just being paranoid.. I had 2 guppys with Dropsy recently, that are now no-longer in the tank, (quarantined immediately when I noticed the symptoms) and I'm worried about my fish

Look into Lymphocystis.
This is sort of like a wart: it grows for a while, but does not really become rampant in the tank. Fish live for years with it. Every time I have seen it it has started at the junction of fin and body.

Ich will start with a couple of small white spots, but usually within a day there are a lot more, and within just a few days you have a major outbreak.

Without knowing I will suggest you do some really thorough gravel vacs. One phase of Ich life cycle is to drop to the floor of the tank to reproduce. If this is Ich, you are helping to slow the re-infestation.
If this is not Ich, there is no harm in a few extra water changes.

Diana wrote:Look into Lymphocystis.
This is sort of like a wart: it grows for a while, but does not really become rampant in the tank. Fish live for years with it. Every time I have seen it it has started at the junction of fin and body.

Ich will start with a couple of small white spots, but usually within a day there are a lot more, and within just a few days you have a major outbreak.

Without knowing I will suggest you do some really thorough gravel vacs. One phase of Ich life cycle is to drop to the floor of the tank to reproduce. If this is Ich, you are helping to slow the re-infestation.
If this is not Ich, there is no harm in a few extra water changes.

thanks for that advise.

I've been doing 1/5 water changes for the last 2 weeks, each day or so, after my sick guppys got dropsy, and I removed them.

Sunday, I did a very large Algae scrub , water change and gravel vac, so I'm glad this may have helped.

I think you might be right about the Lymphocystis. Its at the junction of the fin and the body, and it is like a little wart, or pimple (raised off the body.) Its been several days, and I haven't seen any other fish with it, and it hasn't spread on Clyde, so it doesn't look like ich after all.

Thankyou one and all. I'll let you know if anything changes