White spot id

[inigomontoya]

I am a relatively new discus keeper (old reefer) and I wanted to check on an id of this white spot to better help treat (or not as appropriate). I saw a similar spot on another discus that I thought was a loose scale- there's been some hierarchy fights- but when I saw it on this guy I figured it was something else.
Is this possibly a parasite or ich? Looks too large for ich and have seen on three fish now. Just one spot on the others-this was most obvious.
Hope picture posting works- hard to do from office with photobucket blocked.

General symptoms have been none, eating very well, in a 350g tank, been there a week, previously in qt for a month at lfs and two weeks at home with no noticeable issues. LFS is former hobbyist and he does truly qt new arrivals-keeps tanks separate. Tanks 6 weeks old doing every three day 50-60% water changes. Hopefully just being a skittish newbie but want to catch early if a problem.http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m601/Jeffdean/IMAG2787_zpsydygwgr8.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/Jeffdean/media/IMAG2787_zpsydygwgr8.jpg.html)
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m601/Jeffdean/IMAG2779_zpshld12ngq.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/Jeffdean/media/IMAG2779_zpshld12ngq.jpg.html)

[Second Hand Pat]

Trying doing a couple daily large water changes and see if this clears up. White pimples can form of the water quality is off.
Pat

[jmf3460]

white pimples are an easy fix. I like to think of them as water change indicators. discus get them if their water is slightly off, a water change usually does the trick like pat says. this fish has a beautiful operculum (gill plate) the way the blue goes around the shape of the edge is cool

[inigomontoya]

Thanks to both of you, that's a great answer except that it makes me nervous about frequency of water changes with my tank- was hoping the volume would allow me to do every 3 days or so at 50-60%.
I do want to be sure, these spots almost seem to be on top of the scales, rather than coming through them, which is why I was thinking parasite- that may not come through in the picture. Are there any parasites that look like this (flukes?)

By the way- the pictures are two different fish

[inigomontoya]

this fish has a beautiful operculum (gill plate) the way the blue goes around the shape of the edge is cool

Thanks, the actinic leds really pick that up, I think they're pretty good looking too- first time I've heard "nice operculum" though :))

[jmf3460]

does not look parasitic to me, looks like a regular ol pimple. Does your tank have substrate?

[civic405]

Sorry to hi jack your thread but i have similar problem on one of my discus. I'm doing wc like what has been suggested but i do have one question, should i still feed them like normal (2 times a day) or cut back or stop feeding them for a few days until the pimple is gone? All my discuses are 5"+. Only one of my discus has 1 small pimple on its body.

i have a 92g corner tank. 7 discus 5"+ no other tankmates. Tank had less than 1/4" sand in it but i took the sand out few days ago. Now its bare bottom, with 30g sump. I do at least 50% water change every other day. But will do 50% everyday until the pimple is gone.

[inigomontoya]

does not look parasitic to me, looks like a regular ol pimple. Does your tank have substrate?

It's pfs, not very thick. Another potential indicator was one of the fish was quivering and shaking, though I noticed it doing it again this morning and another one doing it back so I thought: 1) parasites and they're bugging and this is a version of flashing (though there was no scraping); or 2) defending new territory-"this is my branch I'm big and mean stay away"; or 3) this might be a mating thing- "hey baby".

[MKD]

if you increase wc then it's GOOD, but Increase wc + feed less feeding couple days, then that's BETTER. less food to no food couple days should not be a problem. This allows you to see improvement or not faster.

[jmf3460]

shimmying and quivering means they wanna get it on! if you have that going on then its a good sign that you are doing something right. google "discus spawning activity" and look at the videos of the courtship and see if that's what you have when you say "shaking and quivering" I still say you just have a pimple.

[civic405]

if you increase wc then it's GOOD, but Increase wc + feed less feeding couple days, then that's BETTER. less food to no food couple days should not be a problem. This allows you to see improvement or not faster.
thank you . I'll cut back food for a few days.

[Banzai883]

looks like dead scales