What Are These Spots On My Keyhole Cichlids? Photos Included.

Hello All. I have noticed for 2-3 weeks that my Keyholes have been getting these spots on their scales. At first I just thought it was scale damage spots but now I'm not so sure. I don't see any biting or fighting that would cause this. It doesn't really look like ich on their bodies but now a couple have some spots on their tails that slightly resembles ich. Everyone is active and eating as normal. Tank is 7 months old, 55 gallons, heavily planted ph 7.9, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate, 20-30 ppm nitrate. Twice weekly 50% water changes.



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Looks like ich to me like a grain of salt ? Mine had it and we're eating fine . But did scratch on glass alot.. I just turned the temperature up a bit Did not want to use to much medication as I have a lot of live plants but they do work great !

 

I've seen ich before and this just doesn't look like ich to me. The individual scales are discolored at the edges, it's not white grainy specs. It sort of looks like ich at the base of the tail but when I look close it's not a raised grain of salt spec like ich, just a bright white spot. No other fish in the tank show any symptoms

 

Well maybe Google....the fish and particular parasites or diseases spesific to them... Do let me know if you ever find out but I think in general raising temperature and salts can help.. Good luck

 

Yeah I've seen my fair share of parasites and fungus over the years and this doesn't resemble anything I'm familiar with. Hoping for someone who's seen this type of spotting before will have an idea. A quick google search and I've found a fishes scales can begin to turn white from chlorine. Around the same time I started noticing the spots I switched my water change system from filling 5 gallon buckets and dosing the buckets with prime before adding water to using a python water change system. Prime recommends dosing for the entire tank volume when dosing directly to tank so I dose 2.5 ml during tank refill and 2.5 after it's filled back up. Could I be exposing my fish to chlorine since water goes straight from the tap to my tank before being treated now?

 

I would say yes since our tap water is pretty much just chlorine.... I have always gotten my water off my friends cleaning company as they have proper distilled water with no chlorine . Aparently leaves marks o The windows I fill up my tanks with it and only ever do small changes with treated tap water.... I would definitely treat the tap water and leave it overnight before using it...

Yeah I've seen my fair share of parasites and fungus over the years and this doesn't resemble anything I'm familiar with. Hoping for someone who's seen this type of spotting before will have an idea. A quick google search and I've found a fishes scales can begin to turn white from chlorine. Around the same time I started noticing the spots I switched my water change system from filling 5 gallon buckets and dosing the buckets with prime before adding water to using a python water change system. Prime recommends dosing for the entire tank volume when dosing directly to tank so I dose 2.5 ml during tank refill and 2.5 after it's filled back up. Could I be exposing my fish to chlorine since water goes straight from the tap to my tank before being treated now?

Either way you're doing what you need to and I'm sure they will be looking flash soon