# Does my tetra have Ich? - Picture included



## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

I am not sure if this is Ich or not. It's a single white spot on the top of my black tetra. It seems to have eaten through the first layer of skin. He does not seem to appear to be in any pain, his activity is normal. My water levels were normal last PWC which was last week, and then this appeared on him. I will do water test tomorrow for new numbers.

I have :

6 glass catfish
2 balla sharks
1 tetra (with spot)
pleco

in 30 long tank.


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## n1zjd (Jan 25, 2010)

Sure doesnt look like Ich to me. But im dealing with my first ever case of it so I cant be sure. It looks more like something took a bite out of him to me...


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Only the balla sharks would be able to but they never show aggression towards other fish. Then again I don't know how it is when the lights go out.


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## n1zjd (Jan 25, 2010)

Like I said I very well could be wrong, just offering my opinion based on what it looks like. Also, the tetra is a schooling fish that does better in groups of 6 or more. I would keep an eye on it but it doesnt look like Ich to me. Is there anything sharp in the tank the fish may have gouged itself on?


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

n1zjd said:


> Like I said I very well could be wrong, just offering my opinion based on what it looks like. Also, the tetra is a schooling fish that does better in groups of 6 or more. I would keep an eye on it but it doesnt look like Ich to me. Is there anything sharp in the tank the fish may have gouged itself on?



No, there are not. There was another tetra but it unexpectedly died yesterday. I should go and get a few more so he can have "friends".


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

that does look like hes been biten ...but there a shoeling fish and a few friends will benifit him


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Am I ok to add three more into my tank with the amount of fish I have now?


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

You're talking about the white sot right behind the eye there right? That's a scare of it getting either hurt on decor or bit....that's no ich. So check your decoration real careful....


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Angel079 said:


> You're talking about the white sot right behind the eye there right? That's a scare of it getting either hurt on decor or bit....that's no ich. So check your decoration real careful....



Well, good thing its not Ich. That's good news. I have fake plants, don't think the plastic plants can do that. I have this little rock cave that could possibly have caused it but dont know how he would have been able to manage to get hurt there. That's about it. I guess I'll keep an eye on him and the sharks to see if the sharks have any aggression with him.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Either one of these things can do that don't let that fool ya!
Or another fish; there's really no telling as each of the damages would look VERY identical....

Make sure to keep a super water quality there for a few weeks and see how the wound is coming along if its healing fine by itself or getting infected.


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## cbirk (Feb 5, 2010)

I had the same issue with my Balla Shark.. But then My Balla shark is the dumbest fish I have ever known, and is constantly hurting himself on things, to include the glass wall, filter, and heater. How he survived to be 6 inches I will never know. I call him Cronk. haha 

Anyways, I left him alone and it went away. 3 times now. haha


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## stephanieleah (Oct 31, 2009)

And I'd wait on getting more fish till that thing heals. And IMO you could add a few friends for him. p.s. i have blackskirt tetras, too. I love them. And a couple albino ones.


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Well I noticed that his scales are starting to grow a little on that spot. So I went out and got him a few friends. I got him 4 friends so there is a total of 5. It's amazing to see how he used to be, just staying in one place, barely swimming around. At first he didn't seem to care but now he is swimming around with them all. I feel like a father, all happy to see him swimming around and enjoying himself. ha.


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

How aggressive are these black tetras? Now that I am thinking about it (and noticing) maybe the black tetra that died the other day was the one to bite this tetra with that mark.

I ask if they are aggressive because the one with the bite mark will not leave this other tetra alone. He is following it everywhere and seems to be aggressive towards it. Now because of that, that tiny one is now my favorite.


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## n1zjd (Jan 25, 2010)

brettxw said:


> How aggressive are these black tetras? Now that I am thinking about it (and noticing) maybe the black tetra that died the other day was the one to bite this tetra with that mark.
> 
> I ask if they are aggressive because the one with the bite mark will not leave this other tetra alone. He is following it everywhere and seems to be aggressive towards it. Now because of that, that tiny one is now my favorite.


Thats perfectly normal. Even with fish there is a pecking order. What we do to minimize this is by introducing all of the group at the same time. Whats happening now is your original fish is territorial, and he is showing the other fish he runs the group. Keep an eye on them and it should stop before long. If it gets too bad you may need to do something about it. I think within a few days they will all be getting along and be one big happy family.


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Its slowly stopping. I think I made the mistake of getting 4 random sized/aged tetras. One of the ones I purchased is rather large and looks quite older then the rest and HE is being territorial the most. 

Its funny, the original fish tetra, when I see him peckin at the little one, he sees me walk to the front of the aquarium and he goes and hides behind the plants haha. its funny.


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

Ok I am bringing this back up because my OP was about the white spot on my fish. Well time has passed and I have been watching it. It was looking like it was getting better but now today, it looks like its all fuzzy and he is wearing a fuzzy white cap with some red in the middle. It did not look like that last night or any other time. I can't get a picture of him just yet but I will try. Hopefully you know what I am talking about when I say looks like fuzzy white cap.


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

After looking I believe this is what it is :

*Glossatella (Heteropolaria colisarium)*
*Synonyms:*
Apiosoma

*Symptoms:*
A furry coating forms after the mucous membrane has been injured. You can see many elongated protozoans on a short stalk with a strong magnifying glass.

*Causes:*
Damaged mucous membrane allowing protozoans to invade and expand on the lesions. They do not feed directly on the lesions but on the secondary bacteria and isolated cells of the destroyed tissue.

*Treatment:*
Sera Costapur, Formalin, Copper Sulfate

I have never dealt with medical side of fish. How should I apply this and help him?


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## brettxw (Mar 6, 2009)

delete this thread. Just died.


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