white mark on bristlenose 'skin'

Hello
I most recently posted as I had a bristlenose with bloat (who I lost). Now my lil bebe is left and I'm keeping a close eye on him. I have just noticed a new white marking on his belly. It doesn't look raised. It doesn't look like ich to me. It doesn't seem textured - it's almost like he is discolored in that area. I haven't noticed anything strange about his behavior aside from the fact that he doesn't seem to be eating his algae wafers lately. He is eating algae and he has a new piece of what was labeled as mopani wood. It has been in the tank for a week. I spent a week boiling water and soaking the wood before I moved it to the tank. Bebe is in the tank with two black moor goldfish.
Here are the answers to the questions in case there is helpful info, and I'm linking to some pics.
Thank you in advance for any help!
Wendy

b]Tank size and setup:[/b] 55 gallon, three pond pumps w/sponge,

Substrate: natural pea gravel/river rock

filtration (Internal, external, flow rate, last cleaned and what it was cleaned in): three pond pumps w/sponge. Sponges rinsed weekly in removed tank water. Going to add canister filter soon for keeping media (normally like crushed coral to help w/ph as well as additional sponge and bio-media for beneficial bacteria). My three pond pumps contain the beneficial bacteria - one of the pond pumps is a small spare that I am keeping for hospital tank scenario if it should arise. One pump is 720+ gph, one 520+ gph, the other 250+ gph (hospital tank spare).

Airstone/sponge filter etc: see above

Inhabitance: two black moor goldfish (one 5 inches before tail, one 1.5 inch before tail). My

Fish affected by issue (all/bottom dwellers, all bristlenose or a single fish etc): just bebe

Feeding system (what, how much, how often): I feed him now one algae wafer at night as he won't eat two. I am trying to feed him peas, green beans, cucumbers and zucchini. So far he won't eat them. Have tried soaking in garlic water and also adding garlic minced. Have hid wafer in zucchini (sticking out of it). No luck yet. I feed the goldfish peas, gel food that I make that has wheat germ, flakes, brine shrimp, chlorophyll but keep it away from him as am trying not to give him the protein - if he gets any it is very minimal. Also feed goldfish spirulina veg flakes which he might get as well.

current water change system (before illness appeared): every other day, small water change. I have issues keeping my nitrates below 40. My big goldie has nitrate issues and I need to keep them down. I use a python to vacuum the gravel and do that half the tank at a time when I do water changes. I use Prime to treat the fresh water.

water changes made since illness appeared: Just noticed the white coloring today during a water change.

As many levels as you know (pH, Ammonia, nitrate, nitirite, KH, GH, TDS, aanything you can find out, your local fish shop should be able to help with this): Nitrates 40, Ammonia and nitrites zero, ph 7.4/7.6 (high end of low ph test, low end of high ph test), kh low at 53.7, gh at 161.1. Temps 72.

any chemicals used (including carbon/chemical fitration inside the filter): just Prime to treat freshwater

water source and treatment: tap, Prime

Major changes in the last 3 weeks (new fish, new plants, new anything or changes): have added the wood. Have been trying to introduce veg to bebe. Lost my other bristlenose from bloat just around 3 weeks ago.

Symptoms (gasping, not moving, bloated, spots, wounds, stressed colours etc): seems to be acting normal.

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12130515@N04/sets/72157632586572995/

Hi Wendy

How come you re-registered? I think you could have posted the pics directly on the site if you had used your original account.

Anyway, Bebe's white mark is puzzling, but it doesn't look like anything serious to me. Is it still there? Same size, shape? Did he perhaps have an injury there? Are you certain he didn't always have it and you just never noticed it before?

Hopefully others will take a look and render their opinion

Take care, Sarah

Hi - I didn't reregister - I was allowed to post a link this time and couldn't when I first joined. I probably should have tried to actually attach a pic instead of linking it - sorry!!

Thanks for your response - I'm sure that it wasn't there before and I think that it is very recent. It isn't changing now though. I don't know that he injured himself - if he did I didn't see anything happen.

I'm just keeping an eye on it for now.

Thanks!

Hi,i am sorry I missed your original post somehow.As Sarah has mentioned it could be a scar from a wound.As long as it isn't furry or doesn't get bigger or he doesn't get more i would say not to worry.Keep a close eye on it and his behaviour for any changes.


Bristlenoses