Ancistrus Ich-like disease, advice needed

[corielover]

Hey, I recently noticed that my ancistrus has some strange off-white patches, (very small, but not pinpricks like ich), and I don't know what to do. I tried to get pics, but the ancistrus isn't cooperating and I don't want to stress him. I have looked at other topics and asked the advice of my LFS, but have not even been successful getting a diagnosis. I recently noticed the spots have disappeared, but the ancistrus is still breathing heavily. I also have a loach that has started panting at intervals while resting. No spots on him. Here are my parameters:
77 degrees Fahrenheit
6.8-7.0 pH
Hardness soft
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 4
25-30% water change every other week
Tank Set up
29 gallon
Fine black sand substrate with small smooth rocks for algae growth.
Penguin biowheel 200 and biowheel 150 filters, as well as a 40 gallon sponge filter cycling for a quarantine tank ( not in place any more)
2 lava rocks w/ holes, 1 plastic cave.
one large piece of bogwood, one pink and red rock with two holes and numerous caves, four large plastic plants, 2 cryptocoryne.
3 bronze corys, 1 albino cory, one regular ancistrus, 6 black neon tetras, 5 cherry barbs (three male, 2 female), 1 Botia kubotai.
My only treatment has been water changes, and a rise in temperature to combat possible ich; I am setting up a quarantine tank for the first time, but need to have a resolution for a heater guard problem before introducing fish, (see topic "Do I need a heater guard" in tank talk.) Any and all advice would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance

[Jools]

What size are the patches relative to the size of the eye? Same size? Half the size of the eye?

Jools

[corielover]

The patches are, on average, a quarter the size of the eye. The biggest is half the size, and the smallest is pinprick size, maybe 1/16 of the eye.
I will try to upload some pics and a video, but they aren't to high quality so you can't see the small spots. The big ones may be stress coloration.

[corielover]

Here are some pics, I can't upload the video. Every time I try, it just loads me into a blank reply form page.

[Barbie]

From these pictures, I would say the fish does not have ich. It tends to start on the fin tissue, not on the body. It's really hard to say though. Could you try cleaning the glass and taking a better picture? How long has this tank been set up?

Barbie

[corielover]

It's been set up about a year. I can try cleaning the glass, but even then my camera might not be able to pick up the remaining spots, as they are very small. I will try, though.

[corielover]

O.K, sorry I don't have any new pics, camera's resolution just isn't good enough. (And I'm not a very good photographer). He was acting pretty normal until this morning, now he keeps swimming from place to place, he has one large white splotch right behind and above his interopercular odontodes. Another couple spots on the snout. Could he just be growing new bristles? Some older bristles have white tips; just an idea. After dashing around he breathes heavily, maybe just from exertion. Any and all advice appreciated.

[corielover]

MORE PICTURES! No abnormal activity, ate some of the sinking cory food, and his algae wafer and all his lettuce so he's getting enough food, very active but very skittish; I used to hand feed him, now if I sit in front of the tank he makes threat displays or swims away. He's been hanging out around the heater a lot; could they be heater burns? I noticed when I magnified the pics that the white stuff is sticking out from his body a bit; could just be discoloration of the ends of the scales, but might be fungus? I don't want to treat until I at least have some idea of the disease: any and all ideas, however farfetched, are welcome.

[corielover]

More pics. Limited to three per post.

[Barbie]

It doesn't look anything like ich. I would be tempted to swab the areas with iodine, if he was mine, being careful to avoid his gills and eyes. Lift him out of the water, dab the area with a paper towel and swab it with an iodine dipped qtip. Do not wait for it to dry, just put him back in the water. I can't guarantee it will help, but honestly, it's hard to tell what the issue is in the pics and that will definitely alleviate issues from fungus.

Barbie

[corielover]

Thanks Barbie, I'll try that.

[corielover]

O.K., I caught him, took him out, and the marks disappeared. I put him back in the water; still gone. I got suspicious, and decided to look at all the pictures of Ancistrus I could find. Sure enough, most had off-white dots and discolored patches. So now what I need to know to be sure it isn't a fungus is At what age do Ancistrus develop adult coloring? and Does fungus fade when taken out of the water?
Thanks for all your help, I'm really paranoid about Ancistrus diseases as I have lost many.

[Barbie]

Keep their water clean and over filtered and feed them enough and Ancistrus are really quite resistant to diseases. Treating fish is WAY more stressful for them than just giving them the conditions that let them keep healthy all on their own.

Barbie

[corielover]

I'm running two filters on the tank, either one of which would be more than enough by itself, and I have veggies in there constantly. I'm not treating right now because he's acting fine, but if the problem spreads any more or he starts acting weird, I'm definitely going to take measures.

[corielover]

Postponed treating, now the spots are smaller and less frequent and he's all over the place during the day, climbing on plastic plants and filter intakes, scavenging in the substrate. I think he's recovering, but I'll keep an eye on him.