What Is This On My Fish And Why Won’t It Go Away?!!

Tank
I have a 29 gallon tank that has been running two years about now. Have a UGF and a HOB filter that’s rated higher than the tank volume tho I don’t remember exactly what anymore, I can go searching if that info is vitally important to people. Have a heater that’s rated for up to 60 gallonand usually keep it around 75-78 and just put it back to that yesterday after about a month and a half now of it being up to 85-86 while trying to treat this issue which I’ll explain below (trying to following the sick fish template). The tank currently has two Ottos (tho they are definitely not the same kind of Otto or one is some kinda dwarf), three Glo tetras, two Glo danios, six or so guppy-endlers (possibly other mixes in there but I can’t tell), five or so black mollies (one is practically still a fry as well as one or two of the guppies are young maybe juveniles but barely), and one swordtail. I know that the schools are too small to keep some of the species happy but they was plenty to the point I was actually going to rehouse some before this all started and I’m obviously not going to put any new fish in until this clears up! Also there is many MTS and tho I get rid of as many as I can still way more bladder snails than I care to have.

Maintenance
Normally the water used to get a 25-33 (1/3) % water change weekly or bi-weekly, tho on those times I sometimes did a 50%, and I’m not gonna try and say I was perfect and stuck to this routine exactly because that would just not be truthful. I’ll definitely admit I have occasionally let the sight of a smooth running tank with no issues lull me into complacency and into a cycle of just topping the evap back to full with a quick small gravel clean on those occasions usually. Not great I know but I’m being completely honest and we’re all human and some of us, even the best occasionally, can be lazy. However I was doing relatively good at keeping it up and haven’t had too many problems with the tank since it’s been running. Occasionally a fish or two has had issues but the tank as a whole really hasn’t had a problem till now. Oh and I usually did water changes with a gravel vac to get the gunk outta the substrate that the MTS and UGF didn’t and I usually only used a bit of Prime, according to its directions and the amount of water changed, as my only additive to the tank.

*Parameters - Very Important
The tank was cycled years ago and I use the API master kit to test the water. My parameters have been off for awhile now due to fighting this issue and having the carbon out for such a long time so these are what the water stands at now but previously to this it has been all over good and not so good (maybe even bad) through the trials of whatever this all is... so:

Ammonia: <0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 80ppm +/- (I can’t tell that chart all looks the same to me! It’s high I know, but with the meds and no carbon in the filter.... ya...working on that one)
pH: 7.5
KH- 2
GH- 9
TDS: 207

Feeding
The tank gets fed once a day about a pinch of Omega One super color flakes. Rarely do they get anything else except maybe some Garlic flakes on days I’ve added on medicating days. Keeping it plain and simple for now...

Illness & Symptoms/Explain your situation in detail
The first signs were definitely of Ick about a month and a half ago just before I had to leave because I was visiting out of state family and had a fish sitter who I thought understood the instructions but it was so much worse when we got back. . There was a death, tho no visible signs on it, however others had anything from small white dots to full fluffy white around or all over their eyes. I first tried treating with quICK and then I raised the temp and continued quICK, then I switched to Rid-Ich all with high temps. After a few more deaths and a feeling of lack of progress, tho there was some reduction in some of the fish, I took a couple of the sick fish to a lfs and they said that they had Ich and possibly a bacterial infection from low immunity. Since then we lost a couple more fish was giving them rid-Ich and vacuuming the gravel taking out about 20% or less water change until it looked like it was clearing up. We also treated the tank twice with Kanaplex in case there was any bacterial disease as they thought, not sure if it had any effect or not. By yesterday all that was left was what looked like a couple of the fish had just white places but flat and not fluffy looking, I thought maybe they were getting heat rashes or something from having the temp high so long and not being able to keep their slime barriers, so I lowered the temp and added more Prime. Today the whiteness is looking a little more like it may still be Ich. Through all of it none of the Glo fish, tetra or danios, nor the Ottos have seemed to get sick. One swordtail we had died weeks back but never showed external symptoms but the other has seemed fine however he has silvered in color around the gills, I was afraid it was ick but when I netted him and looked at it closer it turned out that the scales just weren’t red/orange anymore. I worry about the Ottos but they’ve seemed to handle the temps and treatments well enough.
The one thing I know I haven’t tried is adding in aquarium salt yet because I don’t know how it goes with the meds and how much the fish can handle especially the Ottos.
Please help before I loose anymore fish! I have to get rid of whatever this horrible never ending “Ich” is and get rid of it permanently!

Most of the bigger Mollies have whiteness or dots on them but this fish is the worst and biggest fish so easiest to see and capture hopefully what are photos that help...

 

Is the white stuff raised? Or is it more like a wound on the fish where the scales have eroded? Maybe it is just the pictures, but it almost looks like HITH (I don't know if mollies can really get that though) or an infected scrape?

 

It’s a little raised and today one small spot is looking furry like mold but there’s also a slight depression there that I don’t think that particular fish had before but nothing like a HITH wound. More like a depressed scarring but the furriness of the one spot is making me thing that it’s still Ich I just don’t know what else to do besides trying adding aquarium salt and turning the heat back up and taking out the carbon plus doing more and more vacuuming the gravel of course. I just can’t seem to beat this strain of whatever.

Is there anything else fungal that looks like white mold or flat whiteness?

Thanks for all help and suggestions!

 

After using a cotton swab with a little pimafix on it to delicate swab the spot I think your HITH theory may actually be a valid concern. I’ll try to get some better pics and add them but I have no idea what to do for that so am worried....and why would it still be fuzzy. Also she isn’t the only one with a bit of whiteness just the most obvious and biggest therefore easiest to get pictures of but at least one or two other mollies have whiteness that I can’t tell if it’s raised or not or if it’s flat or fuzzy at all but it is located on upper eye ridge and or top of it’s lip/head areas....

 

HITH is usually caused by activated carbon or poor water quality (often coupled with stress) but it usually only effects Oscars and similar fish to Oscars. Taking out the carbon is definitely a good idea as are water changes, but yours might be a fungal issue due to the wounds and stress caused by ich. If you google fish fungal diseases and ulcers you might see something that looks similar.

The information for treating is basically, like always, water changes (but it sounds like your water quality is fine except for your nitrate so probably continue what you have been doing to not stress the fish out more) and check your parameters frequently. I would probably check ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates daily and do you know what your TDS is straight out of your tap/water source? If it's above 150 right out of the tap that could also be an issue, depending on what metals are in the water.

Most fungus also thrives at high temps, and since this seems like a bigger issue right now than ich, I would consider lowing the temp by a couple degrees too.

Concerning salt, I have used a half dose of what is recommended added in slowly during normal water changes when my fish have ich or other issues and have never lost a fish or invert (including plecos, oscars, and snails). If you are really concerned you could even try a 25% dose of salt during a water change and see how the Ottos react.

Since you have already used a couple different treatments I would try those ideas first otherwise it will be hard to know what is helping vs hurting vs not making a difference. If after lowering the temp and adding a bit of salt for a couple days nothing changes I would look into an anti-fungal option.

 

Thanks so much for that information, it helps a lot! I’ll double check the taps TDS and keep the temp low and think about adding in the salt next water change. Stress was something I was really considering because of how long the heat was up high and how long the treatment was going on for, I know the Mollies really seemed to thrive in the cooler temps so I’m sure it was stressful.
Is there something better than just Pimafix for generalized fungal infections?
Since the carbon has been out of the tank for the last month and a half does that mean that it’s pretty unlikely it is HITH then, and should I still take it back out or leave it in especially if it’s fungal in nature and because I know our water isn’t the greatest straight outta the tap?

 

Fungal is almost always fluffy. Do a Google search for Saprolegnia (not a true fungus but close enough and same treatment). You probably either have something bacterial or maybe Costia.

 

I have heard salt baths work the best for very infected fish (or salt for the whole aquarium which is what I usually do). Since Pimafix has teatree oil (both an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal) I think that would be a good choice if the lower temps and salt don't help.

 

The lower temps and small amounts of aquarium salt haven’t seemed to make it get any worse and even seemed to halt it on the fish I took pics of before leaving it looking almost like permanent scarring, but now it has shown up on more of the Mollies now in little patches and dots but they do look more fluffy than like salt the way Ich looks usually. I took some more pics of multiple fish and at least one of the original fish I showed to see if I should follow a more aggressive fungal treatment or if somehow there really is still Ich in the tank :/ my poor fish! I feel like I’m letting them down so much not being able to solve this and thus restock the schools soon.

None of the other types of fish seem to be affected at all which makes me feel like it can’t be Ich unless Glo fish and my swordtail/guppy/endler mixes are all just immune somehow...

Side note:
We did loose one Glofish tetra but that was due to old age and what was clearly a swim bladder malfunction. He was over 3.5 years old. S.I.P. (Swim in peace) Bert, I hope you’re reunited with your buddy (rasp)Berry and are back to being the duo raspberry sherbert (I know it’s spelled wrong technically but fish don’t spell in English even if they live in schools their whole lives!) we knew and loved!❤️

Pics of various mollies (tho I know it’s hard to tell them apart) with some more than once from different angles. Sorry if the glass is a little dirty in spots! (This was suppose to post yesterday but didn’t for some reason! Least it’s up now!)

 

I'm glad your fish from your original post seems to be improving.
It's a little hard to say for sure, but if you don't think the white patches look like ich I would follow your instincts and assume that isn't the issue (since you have dealt with what you knew was ich earlier).
API suggests using Pimafix and Melafix in tandem for treating stubborn infections (use each at recommended dosage) as this should help in case of any secondary bacterial infections as well. I personally have never done this and I know a lot of people are not in favor of Melafix. Have you been treating with Pimafix?

 

I'm glad your fish from your original post seems to be improving.
It's a little hard to say for sure, but if you don't think the white patches look like ich I would follow your instincts and assume that isn't the issue (since you have dealt with what you knew was ich earlier).
API suggests using Pimafix and Melafix in tandem for treating stubborn infections (use each at recommended dosage) as this should help in case of any secondary bacterial infections as well. I personally have never done this and I know a lot of people are not in favor of Melafix. Have you been treating with Pimafix?

Yes I’ve been adding both to the water I think it’s helping a little. I can’t tell if it’s ich or fungus. It’s hard to tell but maybe someone who looks at the new pics will be able to tell if it’s salt like Ich dots or more fuzzy fungus dots... it’s not growing or spreading at the rate that is usually associated with Ich and since I treated so long for Ich and the fact that of the remaining fish only the mollies seem to be showing outward signs (tho I worry about if some gills or something hiding the issue in the other fish) I’m still leaning towards a fungus of some kind... but thank you for the ideas and opinions.

 

Newest development and its half good but also half very bad!!!
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/oh-no-pinecone-emergency.410857/