Small white dots on new fish?

Just got 3 new red rainbows today. Put them in the tank and noticed noticed they have a bunch of white spots all over them. Is this ich? They seriously looked perfect in the store.

 

Looks like ich. Raise the tenp to 86 for 2 weeks and add aquarium salt

 

I agree, it does look like inch, but I wouldn't immediately say it is ich if they looked immaculate in-store but are only like this now.

 

I agree, it does look like inch, but I wouldn't immediately say it is ich if they looked immaculate in-store but are only like this now.

Just a few minutes ago. They looked totally red in store and now they have lost all color. What would cause them to look like this?

 

Looks like ich. Raise the tenp to 86 for 2 weeks and add aquarium salt

I agree with raising the temp for 2 weeks, but not using salt.
You also want to do water changes every couple of days and gravel vac/siphon to pick up any spores that fall off.
After 2 weeks, you should see significant improvement.
If the Ich is gone after the 2 weeks, do a 75-80% water change, and gravel vac/siphon the substrate.

 

Just a few minutes ago. They looked totally red in store and now they have lost all color. What would cause them to look like this?

Stress, possibly, but it could be ich. Increase the temp, because it can't hurt, but don't use aquarium salt. It isn't good for them, and I personally, like to avoid using it as much as I can.
Keep the water really clean too, 25% water changes every 2-3 days.

 

Stress, possibly, but it could be ich. Increase the temp, because it can't hurt, but don't use aquarium salt. It isn't good for them, and I personally, like to avoid using it as much as I can.
Keep the water really clean too, 25% water changes every 2-3 days.

Okay, thank you. I introduced them to the community tank, will the ich spread (if it is ich)?

To your credit, it looks like a lot of the white spots are already disappearing! Maybe just stress!

 

Okay, thank you. I introduced them to the community tank, will the ich spread (if it is ich)?

To your credit, it looks like a lot of the white spots are already disappearing! Maybe just stress!

Yes, it's ich; and yes, they really can show up suddenly. No, it isn't simply stress; they'll come back, but spread even worse.

I highly recommend using a ich med, like Kordon Rapid Cure or Rid Ich, and the sooner the better. You could also try the heat method suggested by the others, but I think using a proper medication to be quicker and more effective, especially in cases as bad as yours. It's also important to dose in the main tank, instead of quarantining, because once your fish has visible signs, then your whole tank has it.

 

Yes, it's ich; and yes, they really can show up suddenly. No, it isn't simply stress; they'll come back, but spread even worse.

I highly recommend using a ich med, like Kordon Rapid Cure or Rid Ich, and the sooner the better. You could also try the heat method suggested by the others, but I think using a proper medication to be quicker and more effective, especially in cases as bad as yours.

What if I just take them out of the tank and return them to the store tomorrow?

 

What if I just take them out of the tank and return them to the store tomorrow?

Too late to return them, if you think it'll prevent the spread. The fact that the spots have diminished shows that they are already spreading and soon you'll see even more of them. In short, you have to medicate the whole tank. Read up on their life cycle to fully understand what I'm telling you. Fortunately, they're not difficult to get rid of if done properly, as I suggested. Get a proper med, read the instructions carefully, and you'll save your tank. If you have a good heater, you can try the heat method as well.

 

Too late to return them, if you think it'll prevent the spread. The fact that the spots have diminished shows that they are already spreading and soon you'll see even more of them. In short, you have to medicate the whole tank. Read up on their life cycle to fully understand what I'm telling you. Fortunately, they're not difficult to get rid of if done properly, as I suggested. Get a proper med, read the instructions carefully, and you'll save your tank. If you have a good heater, you can try the heat method as well.

Thanks for the info, I moved the infected fish into a hospital tank. They were only in the community tank for roughly 1 hour. Is that really enough time to contaminate a 45 gallon?

 

Thanks for the info, I moved the infected fish into a hospital tank. They were only in the community tank for roughly 1 hour. Is that really enough time to contaminate a 45 gallon?

Yeah. They're little parasites that live in the water. If the cysts dropped off they are in the water and will multiply a d infect your other fish

 

Yeah. They're little parasites that live in the water. If the cysts dropped off they are in the water and will multiply a d infect your other fish

Darnit. These are my first fish from the LFS. All my other fish are from Petco and have been incredibly healthy. Does general cure treat ich? That’s all I have right now...

 

Darnit. These are my first fish from the LFS. All my other fish are from Petco and have been incredibly healthy. Does general cure treat ich? That’s all I have right now...

I just looked up the ingredients, and I don't believe so. The active ingredient should have Malachite Green, which it doesn't contain.

Pretty much any ich specific medication should do just fine, but I would avoid the natural, herbal remedies that are sold. From my experience, they're useless.

I would put your infected fish back in the main tank. As I said before, your whole tank is already compromised. You said your fish look better, that you were seeing less ich spots. That's because they've fallen off, and are spreading. So put your fish in the main tank. An ich infection is already stressful enough, and being in a quarantine even more so. Get an ich med tomorrow, and treat the main tank. Don't panic. Ich is relatively easy to treat, and you caught it early so that's good too.

 

I just looked up the ingredients, and I don't believe so. The active ingredient should have Malachite Green, which it doesn't contain.

Pretty much any ich specific medication should do just fine, but I would avoid the natural, herbal remedies that are sold. From my experience, they're useless.

I would put your infected fish back in the main tank. As I said before, your whole tank is already compromised. You said your fish look better, that you were seeing less ich spots. That's because they've fallen off, and are spreading. So put your fish in the main tank. An ich infection is already stressful enough, and being in a quarantine even more so. Get an ich med tomorrow, and treat the main tank. Don't panic. Ich is relatively easy to treat, and you caught it early so that's good too.

Will the LFS take them back? To be honest, they don’t have much red on them at all. Maybe they lost their color during all the stress today, but they really don’t look very good at all. I have 3 others who all show a brilliant, vibrant red. I got these 3 to complete the shoal, but they really don’t look anything like the other red rainbows. They looked totally different in the store.

 

That depends on the store, some will take them back alive, some will give you replacements only if they die and you prove your water conditions, take samples etc. You'll need to call them and ask.

I don't think you would have, but if you came up to the k.p. to pick them up I recently lost a batch of fish from an lfs to a bacterial infection that looked very much like ich until I got one out of the tank quick enough to get a scale scrape and could see the difference under as microscope. No joke, I fought an ich look alike for ~20 days to finally pull one that had passed for exam and realize I had been using 100% the wrong treatment. I even asked for second opinions here a near week (before I lost any fish)into treatment and we all thought it was ich... I failed. I believe it was a rarer issue but you're pretty close to me here so if you came North for the fish it could be the shop. I mention this as my normal lfs was not selling fish when I had an issue come up and required some to fill a school from a rescue tank. I ended up at one I don't usually go to, and you may have as well.

Luckily I was using an isolated tank, not one with an established community. If it is ich, the warnings about treating it quickly are correct. And yes, the infected fish would have infected any water they were put in. Ich-x doesn't stain as bad but I haven't fought a legit case with it yet, and I have had good luck with api super ich cure, but it will blue all your plastics for a month or two.

 

Its Ich, Its not as cure from the photos but I recommend buying ich meds.