# What are those white pimples on my Caribas?



## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

One of my Caribas has some white like pimples on his face and another one has only one. What is this stuff? How can I treat it? thanks for the advice.


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## vlahos (Sep 7, 2003)

are they white specks just around his face or all over the body...maybe ick!


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

Nope! just around the face and not that many. just like 6 white pimples.


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## Bigkrup444 (Oct 6, 2003)

Any way you can get pics. The only way we could tell you what it is for sure would to see some pics







But It is possibly Ick, but a photo is needed for verification


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

moved


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

Ich will cover the entire fish,it is not ich,it is a sensory disease,salt will not fix it,nor will meds,i will add a link and see if this is it....
http://www.piranha-fury.com/forum/pfury/in...&hl=white+spots
basicly without a sample to send to a lab,we will never know what it is,it has not spread to my other fish,but one still has it to this day,i have done everything you can think of,i have accepted it as a part of the fish,they act normal,eat anything,grow like weeds,if someone can add to this at this point please do,o.. look at the link and the dates on my post.


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

I have exchanged several PM's with individuals from this site because all of us have caribe with this. All 3 of mine were collected and purchsed fromthe same dealer as were the other affected individuals on this site. I believe this to be a wild parasite, or even an egg from another parasite that has yet to hatch. It has not spread on any of my caribe and my smallest pair seems to be losing theirs. I too have tried everything but to no evail. I think these caribe are collected in a specific area that may be affected or infected by something. I too would love more information, but at this point there have been no ill effects to my P's.


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

Same with mine. They act totally normal. always swimming around, eating fine, everything is cool. It is just something I noticed and was worried about it. I hope someone finds a cure. thanks you guys I feel better.


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

physco 1! yes they look exactly like the ones in the pictures of the link you showed me. You said you tried the hi temp and salt and no results, huh?


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

Novato said:


> You said you tried the hi temp and salt and no results, huh?


 Nothing changed it


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

I tried salt with high temps, salt baths in a small rubbermaid and even melafix in the tank and nothing happened.







I would consider scraping them of, but I don't want to injure the P's and these white "things" don't seem to be causing any harm. :sad:


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## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

MStiers said:


> I tried salt with high temps, salt baths in a small rubbermaid and even melafix in the tank and nothing happened.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 i wouldnt do that, seeing so many of your cariba have it and there all eatting and fine and healthy, other then this, dont worry about it, =)


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

I just posted a note for help on this very same topic. My Cariba just developed this though. It did not have it before, so I am perplexed as to where it came from.

One of my small spilos did have these spots also, and I put it into a quaranteen tank (before it was with my other 23 in the same tank, and the others did not get it). It has been in the quaranteen tank and it seems that most of it is gone by now. What I have used is Hex-A-Mit, which is Metromidazole, byaquatronics. It has taken 2 1/1 weeks, but seems to be taking it out, along with 85 degrees.

I am not sure what it is, as I posted the question, and just realized it has been addressed here. I am treating it like Velvet, seem that seems to fit the description. Hex-A-Mit claims to cure "white dots or body velvet", and seems to be doing the trick on the spilo. I am about to start treating the Cariba with it, and will post the results. Hopefully we will solve this...but my guess is, again, by descriiption and by the results thus achieved, body velvet.


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

Do you have any pictures? From the information I recieved, all of the Caribe in question were caught at the same time in the same area and sold from the same person. All of these caribe have this regardless of size. I am familiar with "velvet" as well as it's treatment and this does not fit the description. I think your P may have something different. I will post updated pics today of my caribe to clarify that this is not velvet. I tried melafix, salt and high temps but to no avail. However, another boardmember has a pait of baby caribe from the same group as mine and he said that his are nearly completely cleared up now. He has sand as a substrate, salt and higher temps. I think this may have helped his in clearing the visual symptoms.


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

I don't have pictures, but might try to get some over the weekend. Meanwhile, if you post yours I can tell you if they are the same. The instructions on Hexamit say "for white dots and velvet". I don't know what they mean by "white dots" but I used it since it best fit the description, as well as the description on Chris Andrews' Fish Helath book...this lead me to believe it was some strain of "velvet". Incidentaly, it also claims that high temperatures accelerate the life cycle of velvet, and if it does not find a host, it dies quicker, thus my conjectures. Metramidazole (known as Flagyl, is a broad based protoazide...which I suspect this is.

Also, I have just hooked up my hospital tank, where the cariba is, to a UV sterilizer to rid the water of free floating pathogens, and raised the temp to 87...all this might help (or kill it)...will see


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Some wild caugh Caribas come with this kind of hard not contagious parasites that won´t harm the fish and will naturally die in 4-6 months...you can also remove it with a needle or clamp








...!


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## mashunter18 (Jan 2, 2004)

My 3 cariba have 1 of those dots each,I notcied it a few weeks ago.Had them about 2 monthes and no problems at all,so minut I never noticed it I actually went and looked special at them.

I dont think Im to worried about it.


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

If they are pimple-like white dots like in those pics then it's definitely not velvet (oodinium). I don't know what these spots are, or even if it's a parasite, but various strains of freshwater velvet would have the similar appearance of being lightly sprinkled with flour or talc powder. The spots are smaller than ick in appearance. Not larger... If your fish has velvet, you can treat it by slowly elevating the temp to 86, turning off the lights (since they have a form of chlorophyll), and treating with salt (if caught early), or acriflavine or copper sulfate (cautiously) if it's a heavy infestation.


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## kozmo (Sep 4, 2003)

Zarathustra: Sounds like you know what your doing and your fish will be ok. I can't believe how many people don't have:

1. a sick tank
2. UV Sterilizer

For god sakes its only $100-$150 and if you are a broke DIYer you can build your own pretty easy. If you are feeding feeders it's a must.


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

What is interesting is that mine developed them once in my tank. It did not have it when received...now, it may have been dormant though. According to my readings these spots, which may be a strain of velvet, lives in the fish, and then loosens into spores, leving the fish, and completing the reproductive cycle. I agree that this manifestation differs from conventional oodinium in size and coverage, but it seems related to the oodinium/ichthyophthirious multifillis strain. Actualy the size does resemble more ich than velvet, except that in this pirahna it is manifesting sparse and localized in the face.

Rasising the temperature seems to be the most effective way to deal with it once it is on the skin, but treating the free floating ones with medicines, and if possible, with UV may deal with it.

I have almost completeley erradicated the ones in my spilo using Hex-a-mit, and raising the water temp for 20 days. Wheter it is the temp or the medicine...who knows? In not knowing exactly what it is, i am treating it as a parasite/protozoan.

I just started tratment yesterday on the Cariba...will advice...


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

kozmo said:


> Zarathustra: Sounds like you know what your doing and your fish will be ok. I can't believe how many people don't have:
> 
> 1. a sick tank
> 2. UV Sterilizer
> ...


 You do not have a clue,this is not from feeders. And zarathustra it is not velvet,look at my post and the date,mine still have it today,i did everything like Mstiers,and i am not worried about it at this point,they are fine.


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

I agree that it does not seem like conventional velvet...and by size, more like a strain of Ich, but also, not conventional Ich also...what do you think its is though? And, could it be what is described as "white-dots" by the "Hexamit" box?

As I mentioned, one of my spilo had like 20+, and is down to 2 or 3...almost over. I am afreaid to take it out the hospital tank and have the spores of whatever this is reproduce, even though I have UV's in all my tanks...

I am currently treating the Cariba the same way, and can't wait to put it in with my other Pygos, but again, afraid that it may be contaigous...

Does any one really know what these are???


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

In my case,it is not contaigous,same tank mates from day one till today,only the caribe have it,in your case,if you spilo had 20+,and is going away,we are not talking about the same thing,you may have a type of velvet or ich,i have cured ich in 3 days with salt,this does not respond to salt,in my case,the only way to find out is to send a sample for testing,i am not doing that,glad to hear yours is clearing up.

forgot,is it clearing up on your caribe ?


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

Here ia a current pic of my biggest cariba.


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## Xtremek43 (Dec 5, 2003)

whats weird is now 1 of my cariba has 1 on his side now and another red has 2 on his chin..... should i worry there acting normal. kinda weird it showed up after i read this post lol. They look fine though, i thought it was just a bump on the redschin from swimming into shitbut when i saw the pimple on the side of the cariba i knew it was somewthing more


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

My cariba has exactly those pimples...and my spilo had what looked to be also exactly the same, and only around nose/eyes, and like I said, it took more than 20 days in high temp and Hex-a-mit....did clear completely.

The Cariba is undedr the same treatment for 2+ weeks, and haven't seen much improvement...will keep it for two more weeks, and if it still prevails, will just put in with the rest of the pygos based on everybody's experience that it is not contagious.

Will still try to find out what "white dots" mean, and if it could mean the same?


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

are these pimples or Holes?

i have seen P's with small Holes.... Could be a case of HITH..

it they look like White heads or Zits.. that you can Pop Puss out of then i have no f*cking idea. i have had 2 cichlids get these wierd ass WHite heads.. that looked like you could Pop the puss out of...


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## burna (Feb 10, 2004)

maybe its a TUMA!
or a beauty mark. 
either way, if it does no harm, why worry, I'm sure growths exist that are not harmful and just look goofy.


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

my 2 caribes still have it as of today,that makes almost 5 months with it and no change,no spread,,but did notice that the 2 that have it are not growing as big as the 2 that do not have it


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

Strange that you bring up the growth issue. I have noticed that my bigger cariba in the 150 with the mixed shoal is quickly getting outgrown by the other pygos. He eats like a pig, but really hasn't grown. He has been getting picked on lately due to being nosey and smaller than the others. I also noticed that it seems like these white pimples change location every few weeks. One side of my baby cariba is clean now, but his other side has more. Very strange.


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## Zarathustra (Nov 9, 2003)

How can we get to the end of this mistery? is it necessary to try to remove one and observe it under the microscope and see if it is a crustecean/parasite/etc??? If so, how likely is it to create damage?


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

update,one caribe only has 2 of the spots left as of today,the other got killed today,the 2 that had it did not grow as fast as the rest of the shoal









look at my dates,it is April, this wierd sh*t has been on the caribe since november


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## psrotten (Jan 27, 2004)

all of my caribes have it also but they are growin well and still very aggressive


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

psrotten said:


> all of my caribes have it also but they are growin well and still very aggressive


 did you read the whole thread ? and the link ? and the dates ? if so let us know in 6 months if yours still have it ,i think it affects growth rate


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