I need some help. My 4-inch lionhead is having problems. He started developing an asymettrical white spotting on his wen, just between his eyes. Not raised dots or tiny dots like Ich, but almost with an airbrushed look to them. It looks like several spots of white that are smaller than his eyes, and also the two little nostril flaps are white. He is a black LH so this really stands out. Also, when still in his regular tank he started darting around wildly and then stopping altogether in the corner of the tank. He only ate a mouthful or two of food when usually he is a ravenous eater. All the other fish in his tank (one smaller ranchu, two orandas) are completely OK looking. Tank temp is barely 70 degrees; no heater.

I placed him in a 10-gallon isolation tank last night, because the other fish in his tank appear healthy. I used some water from the big tank and some new, unchlorinated as well. I added some salt last night, and the spots have actually let up a bit but he is still not eating right this morning, only took one mouthful and went to the bottom, where he is sitting still.

Here's tank parameters: all ammonia/pH readings are in the normal range. It's a 55g long tank that's been running since May '03. I change one-quarter to one-third of the water weekly. Filtration is by one aquaclear basket filter made for a 20g tank, and also a whisper 40g filter. I use Aquarian GF food as well as spirulina once in awhile. It's flake food, but I soak it for a few mins before feeding so it sinks. I have not added any meds to the tank recently. Tank has a thin layer of gravel and two thin fake plants. Water is uncted and untreated, right out of the well.

This really looks fungal to me. I had a redcap that had a similar infection last month in the same tank, and he died the day after I noticed it. Why does this keep happening with my hooded GFs? I am ready to give up and just stick to telescope eyes and ryukins.
A friend recommended methylyne (sp?) blue. Would that work, or should I go with something else? Again, the salt seemed to do wonders overnight, though the fish is still acting strangely as I mentioned above.

Please tell me what I am doing wrong I am sorry this is so long, but I wanted to get everything in.

Are you sure the white bits on his head aren't just wen growth? Most fish with headgrowth get little white tufty bits on their heads when the wen is growing. If there is no inflammatino and they dissapear quickly (within about 24-48 hours) then I doubt if it's anything to worry about.
I'm not sure about his other behaviour. Are you sure the water parameters were ok in the oringinal tank (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0)? Did you perhaps forget to add dechlorinator during a water change? Did you temperature match the water? Could the ph have changed?
I wouldn't add any meds until you are pretty certain as to what you are dealing with here.

I am going to keep observing him before adding any meds; I would rather not if I don't have to use them.
I will feel like such an idiot if it is just wen growth. I really hope that's all it is! I was just concerned because of the odd non-eating behavior. I tested the water yesterday and everything was in the safe zone, but I will definately buy some more test strips tonight and retest.

I am also worried because a few months ago, I lost a redcap oranda from the same tank. The redcap had white on its wen, what I thought was hood development, but it turned out to be a fingal infection. The whitening of my lionhead's wen resembles the way the redcap looked.

He's OK looking today. He is not darting around anymore (maybe my addition of salt into the tank caused that?) The white spots have all but disappeared. Maybe they were fungal; they were asymetrical and mostly on one side of the wen; I figured that any wen growth would occur evenly on blth sides. Is this right?
I was so happy to see him eating regularly this morning, and I might just put him back into the big tank with his buddies, from his hospital tank. Salt rules!!

If the white bits have almost gone then I expect that it was wen growth. It isn't always symmetrical. I have an oranda now who has white bits on the left of his wen and none on the other.

Thanks, please don't think I am an idiot I never saw white wen growth like that. The white has disappeared now. I put Plumpy back in the 55g with his pals, and he is looking fine now! Thanks everyone.