# Sick minnow?



## pepecat33 (Feb 2, 2010)

I have seven white cloud mountain minnows. Six of them are fine - swimming about quite happily. One of them - the smallest one - has developed a white patch of scales just above his bottom fins. He can swim around ok by the looks of things, so I'm not sure it's swim bladder related (and i did give all the fish some peas a couple of weeks ago, which they loved). He's not eating much (on observations when feeding). Could he have been bullied/nipped by the other fish? He is the smallest by a long way. Or is it likely to be something else that's made the white patch on the scales? All the other fish are absolutely fine, no weird patches on them at all. I do about a 50% water change once a week, and all the nitrate/nitrite/ammonia etc levels have been fine.

Thanks


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## Bacchus (Mar 8, 2010)

i am going to just ask a few questions...
ive never actually kept white cloud mountain minnows, but i know they like cooler temps. what do you keep the temperature at? how large is the tank? what do you have for a filter? what are the other tank mates? also, when you say that ammonia and nitrites are all fine, do you mean that they are always at zero? anything but zero is not fine.


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## pepecat33 (Feb 2, 2010)

Hi
Keep the temp as low as I can - no heater, but the light generally heats the water up quite well, so I switch it off once it gets to 24 degrees (which is about the top temp that minnows can take). Tank is 34 Litres, no other tank mates (only the seven minnows) apart from some annoying snails which I am picking out as I see them (have removed about 40 over the last two weeks - damn them - the eggs must have been on a live plant i bought). But no other fish. Ammonia and nitrates are at zero, yes. Filter is built into the tank - its an Aqua One 380 Aquastyle tank and filter. Filter all working fine and is also cleaned weekly.


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## pepecat33 (Feb 2, 2010)

Ok, have been doing research, it's not Ich, as the fish doesn't have lots of small white spots on him (like grains of sand), and its not columnaris either from what i can see cos the patch isn't woolly and fluffy in appearance. It's a smooth patch on the scales, above the pelvic/anal fin. No fluffiness or anything, scales appear to be intact, just white. Fish is eating ok, swimming ok... the other fish are fine. Should i start treating for something, or leave it and see what happens?


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## Sra5446 (Jan 17, 2021)

My minnow has the same. Looks like a white zit or snail egg :/


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## Itz_a_fishkeeper (Jan 18, 2021)

its one getting bullied? maybe provide some hiding places if you haven't already


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## Itz_a_fishkeeper (Jan 18, 2021)

probably got bullied especially if hes the smallest


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