Red Dots On Pearlscale

[ashlee18]

Ok, I'll start this off by saying that this fish acts completely normal.

She is a crown pearlscale, about the size of a golfball. She had been in a bare bottom 20 gallon qt tank with another crown pearlscale for 6 weeks. A week ago she was moved into my 55 with three other fish. The parameters are 0/0/5. I recently noticed that she has tiny red dots all over her belly. But no where else on her body. She and all my other fish have finished their treatment Prazi and salt treatment, so I don't think its internal parasites. Her fins are normal as well. None of the other fish have red dots, not even Kyle, my tiku pearlscale who has the same colors on his body. He doesn't swim near the sand.

Could it possibly be an irritation caused by the sand? She does like to swim just over the substrate, with her belly sometimes rubbing against it. When I get the new tank ready, it will have gravel and not sand (I'm freaking tired of it - it likes to kill my filters).

[kukana d]

Any chance of a pic,Ashlee?

[Cynders]

It might possibly be the grains of sand irritating her like you said. I think a pic would be great too like Susan said.

[ashlee18]

Off to find my camera.

[kukana d]

It sounds perfectly viable to me also-but I'm bare bottom,so I don't have experience w/ it. I just thought a pic would help,so people could identify 1 way or another

[ashlee18]

Here is a pic. It goes about halfway up her side but doesn't go any further. Her fins are still all white.

I'm uploading a video of her swimming as I type but my internet is being SLOW.

[ashlee18]

And her swimming:

I thought it looked like the area around her eyes was filled with fluid but her "crown" isn't any bigger. Looking at an older video of her, it looks the same.

Edited November 4, 2010 by ashlee18

[amynmitchell]

It looks like it could be sand irritation to me, especially based on the size and shape of the spots.

[Sakura]

I can definitely see some bags of fluid under/around both her eyes in that video. Is that something new, or has she always had that? It could be a precursor to dropsy, so I just want to make sure.

[ashlee18]

She has always had the HUGE eyes, at least as long as I have had her. The dots are the only new thing.

I'm going to buy a UV sterilizer for the tank next week since the tank seems to be toxic to most of my newer fish. I was going to buy the 36.99 one but I figure you get what you pay for so I'm gonna get the 24 watt one and pay a little more money (2x as much ).

Edited November 4, 2010 by ashlee18

[Captain Findus Goldfish]

I agree with Sakura, those are definitely eyes with Popeye. One thing is the size of the eyes (which doesn't really matter), but if you look close you can see the fluid filled sacks under them. THose are a sign of pop eye. Try and clean out your tank well and lightly salt maybe. I also think you have to be careful for dropsy.

[ParadiseLost]

Pearlies are quite sensitive to all sorts of things... it might sound like a right pain but maybe going barebottom would be the best solution to the irritation plus combined with the idea that pearlies are sensitive to loads of stuff it would eradicate the chance of any nasties hiding away in the sand?

Sorry I can't advise on the dropsy/pop eye, never had to deal with it x

[shellbell4ever]

That does look like irritation to me poor thing,she is quite zippy in the tank though (LOL) I also was wondering about the eyes??Can you get a good head on shot for us maybe??

[seheap]

I thought it looked like the area around her eyes was filled with fluid but her "crown" isn't any bigger. Looking at an older video of her, it looks the same.

The areas around her eyes are definitely starting to pop-eye. No doubt about it. Her crown wouldn't get any bigger because it's the same thing as a wen, so would not inflate like you suggest.

She needs to go into QT and be treated with Epsom salt (0.25tsp per 10gal) and keep the heat elevated (80*F).

Pearlies are especially quick to go terminal with dropsy/pop-eye so you must act quickly.

[ashlee18]

I really don't want to sound like a witch...but like I said, her eyes have been like that for six weeks. My friend had her for two weeks. I looked at pictures of her from when my friend first acquired her and her eyes look the same. So she has had buggy eyes for two months. She is not retaining fluid in any other part of her body. Its not my top priority.

I need to know about the dots on her body, since those are new.

Don't think me mean for not taking your advice. I will however add in salt.

Edited November 5, 2010 by ashlee18

[Sakura]

Well it really does look like pop-eye. But since it's been like that for a long time with no change, it could be just the way that fish is like you say. Some fish do have smaller versions of the bubble-eye goldfish eye sacs. Here's a little article about it from Goldfish Connection. GFC- Ring-like sacs

Sorry, I don't really know what to tell you about the red dots though, I have never seen anything like that before.

[Captain Findus Goldfish]

I just want to add that I had a pearlie when I started out this hobby. She got those same exact bags - pop eye. I thought it was cute, didn't do anything. Then suddenly she gets red bruising and starts to have bubbles of fluid coming out from her sides (dropsy). She died a few days later. This is why I am always to observant of fish eyes, they can tell a lot on the fish's health.

QT her, do as Sarah said and you will treat the red dots with the pop eye as it is all correlated. Also make sure you have medicated (Metro) food just incase you will need it and things escalate fast.

[ashlee18]

Well I did want to apologize to everyone. I looked at her today and her eyes are completely normal. No more fluid filled sacs under her eyes. Its weird. I added a uv sterilizer to the tank so maybe that will help.

I don't have an extra tank separate her to though since butters is in the hospital tank now with her sister. Butters is the happy dropsy fish that has been pineconed for 6 weeks now. I don't know if it might just be better to add her back to the main tank since I think the bad bacteria might be living in the filter and reinfecting her. And hopefully the uv sterilizer will take care of that in the main tank.

I duuno. What do you all think is best? Because of work and it being november, I don't havetThe time or cash to buy a rubbermaid bin.

[Captain Findus Goldfish]

Have you checked the filter? It really reminds me of when I found Koko. I had a dropsy fish and pearly a with pop eye. In my case it was major bacterial build up in the gravel and filter. Do you have gravel or ornaments? Maybe you could even remove the fish in the main tank - give it a good rinse and check if that helps? Same with the filter?

[ashlee18]

I had two tetra whispers on it. One was replaced by an ac 70 and the other by a penguin 400 2 weeks later. I hope they aren't too dirty yet. The penguin doesn't have the filter cartridges but sponges instead. I have sand as the substrate for now. Its only 1/4th of an inch or less, there are some bare spots throughout the tank, and it will also be replaced once I switch the tanks over. So im at my witts end trying to figure out what is causing the problem

There are some plants that are turning brown. Ill remove them asap.

Edited November 6, 2010 by ashlee18

[Captain Findus Goldfish]

I know, it can be so annoying.

Just take a look in the filters. Otherwise, any ornaments?

[ashlee18]

No ornaments. Just plants and a few smooth stones.

Ill look into the filter tonight.

[AMeyers]

Have the red spots changed in any way since you first noticed them?

[ashlee18]

The red spots look the same. Maybe a little darker if anything. Her eyes are now completely normal, I hope as a result of the uv sterilizer being added. Ill take another video of her tonight.

[Sakura]

I'm sure the UV is making a big difference. So strange about the red spots though