salt grain spot on just one fish..not ich?

[andyjh]

I've got one cardinal tetra that appears to have a salt grain sized spot on the side of its body, right between the green and red stripes towards the tail area. This spot has been present for about a week (at least that's when I noticed it). Seems to have stayed the same size, remained only in that place and NO other fish in the tank (55 gal.) has a spot. Fish schools with the others, eats fine etc. Water params. are good. I certainly don't want to start medicating the whole tank over this, and I'm not even sure it's an ich spot. I've always thought ich would show as multiple spots on multiple fish. Any idea what it could be? I don't have a hospital tank set up, but accomplishing this may be on the agenda.
Thanks,
Andy

 

[Lupin]

Do you have pics? Definitely not ich to me if it stayed there for a week. What's the temperature?

 

[andyjh]

Tank temperature at 74 degrees. As far a a picture that would be tough. You have to be a just the right angle to the light to see the spot. The spot appears slightly raised as you can see it protruding off the body as the fish faces you dead on. (not sure if this useful info. but wanted to include it.)

 

[gmh]

I don't think it's ich either. 74 degrees is colder than cardinals like. Could be he is stressed and came down with some bacterial infection. I keep my cardinals at 80 degrees.

 

[andyjh]

I bought the cardinals from an LFS that kept the tanks at 72. Maybe I should raise to at least 76. Anything I should be doing for him, or just watch things and leave it alone?

 

[bitbot]

It sounds like something that might just resolve itself, especially if all the other fish are healthy and conditions are good.

 

[ChrisK]

It's probably just a bump from scraping across, or running into some decor or something in the tank. Extra water changes to keep the water very clean will help cure it, and prevent infection.