[budman90]

Hey guys,

I've had my tank up for almost a year now, stocked currently with 6 serpae tetra, 5 neons (was 8, but the serpae seem to be decimating them), 3 Cory's and a pleco.

I just added the neons and pleco last week, but did not quarantine them (bad I know). Yesterday and today I noticed these shiny spots on a few of my serpae tetra. I have not noticed this on any other fish, just the serpae. They don't exactly appear to be white, almost metallic. I'm concerned it could be ich, but I do find it a bit odd that it's not on any of the new fish, and only the well established serpae. Any thoughts? I'm going to try to attach a few crappy pics...

These spots look much more metalic than they do white in person. They almost go from mettalic to a shin yellow depending on the angle your at.

 

[Diana]

I am not sure about shiny spots. Ich usually shows up as raised white dots.

Serpaes are known to be more aggressive than most Tetras, quite nippy. I would get rid of them. Get something similar shaped and colored but more peaceful to get along better with the Neons. Red Phantom Tetras are better. May still be a bit nippy, but nowhere near as bad as Serpaes.

What size is the tank?

Ich can spread like this:
New fish carry Ich inside their gills. You see nothing, though maybe the fish flash a bit. (rub against things). Water from the store can have the Ich babies that are single cells, too small to see.
Ich can enter the tank in two ways, and land on the original fish, but some land on the outside. Thus, it looks like the new fish have nothing, but the original fish in the main tank get Ich.

 

[PlantedRich]

Ich shiny? Not that I've seen. Raised scales, maybe? But one way to be sure is to watch a specific spot. If it is there and then gone and possibly shows somewhere else, then suspect ich. More like tiny grains of sugar.

 

[budman90]

I am not sure about shiny spots. Ich usually shows up as raised white dots.

Serpaes are known to be more aggressive than most Tetras, quite nippy. I would get rid of them. Get something similar shaped and colored but more peaceful to get along better with the Neons. Red Phantom Tetras are better. May still be a bit nippy, but nowhere near as bad as Serpaes.

What size is the tank?

Ich can spread like this:
New fish carry Ich inside their gills. You see nothing, though maybe the fish flash a bit. (rub against things). Water from the store can have the Ich babies that are single cells, too small to see.
Ich can enter the tank in two ways, and land on the original fish, but some land on the outside. Thus, it looks like the new fish have nothing, but the original fish in the main tank get Ich.

Its a 36 gallon bow front tank. I'd prefer not to get rid of the serpaes. Ive had them for a year and they are a nice size now. They get along great with the corys and pleco. Apparently they are not a big fan of the smaller neons.

Either way, I've added pics to my first post

 

[Nordic]

I love serpaes, I'd rather get rid of the neons and get some black skirt tetras, bleeding hearts and other similar shaped fish to join them... tank allowing.
Anyway, hit them with the kordon, or whatever ich meds you have on hand, the sooner you start the better, I do not believe in the raising temps thing for ich, there are strains proven to be heat resistant.
The main thing is to start as soon as possible. Meds targeting ich, will normally take care of most external problems.

 

[budman90]

Do you think its actually ich? The spots are very small, and again appear to more of a metallic color (they definitely have a sheen to them, almost like they sparkle), not reall white.

 

[Nordic]

The white dots does look like it. You may be picking up some pearlescent spots because The colour could be washed out a bit from being sick.
Either way I am pretty sure the same medicine would fix most of the ailments that effects the skin. I.e. anti bacterial, cyst killing, fungicide.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Can't really see much, but it may be Oodinium, aka"Gold Dust" disease.

Tommy