lymphocystis

[jag3365]

Just brought home new visitors and placed in quarantine last week. 2 4 striped damsels were doing fine after acclimation and although a little shy they looked fine. Came home today to take a real close look at them and noticed some cotton/cauliflower looking things beginning to dot their fins and tails. Thought they might be fighting but it doesn't look like fish nips.
Think it might be lymphocystis, and did a little research. Water parameters are all good.
PH 8.3
Temp 80
Amm 0
Nitrite 5
Nirate 0
ALK ok
SPG 1.023
So what recommendations do you guys think I can do. What food is the high quality stuff I should be feeding them? Also would hyposalinity work, at least help them. I am pretty sure they are not stressed as they are in a 20 gal QT tank in a back room. Any help would be appreciated, my wife is gonna be upset if I can't fix them.

 

[beth]

That nitrite level is not good at all. Any nitrite can be lethal to fish. Are you sure this is lymph and not ich? Take a look at the Diseased Fish Thread and see the example there of lymph.
Quality water, quality food, and no stress is the treatment for lymph. You have to get those nitrites down. Are the fish in a QT?

 

[jag3365]

Yes this is a QT tank and I miss labeled the numbers. The Nitrites are at 0 and Nitrates are 5, sorry for the confusion, I double checked with my tests. I am almost positive this is lymph as there are no spots gathering on the fish body itself, just some cottony on the fins. They haven't been in the main tank, straight from the store to the QT. What is some high quality food to feed? Anything else now I can do for them? I know this is caused by a virus, so after these fish have cured/died should I do anything to the QT tank?

 

[beth]

You might want to try feeding your fish fresh foods. Look at the receipe in the FAQ thread. To this, you can add occasional frozen foods for variety. Use zoecon supplement or freshly minced garlic.

 

[jag3365]

Looks like you were right Beth, it was Ich...started to spread across their bodies. Well they've been in a hypo tank for about a week now and one has completely cleared up and the other is getting better everyday. God bless the disease forum!

 

[beth]

Be sure to follow the hyposalintiy prodedure exactly. Check your salinity daily. Full course of 3 wks after all symptoms are gone.