Over the past 2-3 weeks two of my tetra (both cardinals) have developed whitespot, I went out and bought ESHA Exit whitespot treatment, but it had no effect (the fish havent got better or worse). I have since bought the Interpret no.6 anti whitespot plus, but it requires to removal of carbon and zeolite filter media.
I dont know what these are or if I have them. I have a rena aqua one aquarium which uses bio stars and a bio crystal as its filter. All I know is the stars are for the bacteria growth to cycle the tank. What happens to my tank if i remove these?
Does anyone know whether the crystal/stars are carbon or zeolite filter media?
Thanks in advance
Nicola

I also have the aSHa EXIT treatment, I'm on my 5th day and only starting to see the white spot fall off!! How long did you give it?

First - carbon and zeolite comes out with all meds no exceptions or you risk the meds getting nutered ...

Second eSHa didn't seem to work for me with the instructed dose regime, although their Hexamita (hole in the head) treatment worked a treat. On my first encounter with ich I tried EXIT for the three days recommended and there were still fresh outbreaks so I stopped using it, the interpet is OK but needs mixing with hot water before use and I think their treatment routine is suspect to say the least - treatment on day one and day four ??? on a parasite with a 3 day life cycle and a cycle where it is only vulnerable for 4 hours or so ... the maths don't work.

In the end I stopped all treatment did a water change and then hit it with 27°C and King British WS3, the visible evidence was gone in 3 days, I carried on dosing twice daily for 6 days, result no more ich ..... probelm with WS3 is that you can easily kill what you are trying to cure if you aren't careful - it is that strong. I didn't use half doses either and both my clown loaches came through it OK (had I read more prior to treating I would have taken them out and dosed them seperate but I got away with it).

Based on the opinions I have gleaned from some fish breeders and retailers the WS3 is the number one off the shelf cure for ich.

Be aware that I still got an outbreak of ich despite a 14 day quarantine routine so in future ALL new fish in my house will get dosed in the quarantine tank for ich / other parasites and a general anti bacterial / anti fungus whether they show signs or not and they won't get out of quarantine until they have been ... I don't care who says you shouldn't dose pre-emptively - the outbreak of ich I had cost me 10 old freinds ....

Ich by the way does far more damage to the fish where you can't see it - the gills.

Get that temperature up - 27 (a degree a day until you get there).
Get a large or several small airstones in there to help the O2 levels and circulate the water / meds.
Lights off (apparently light can break down the meds used against ich).
Avoid water changes until the treatment is done, don't assume the ich is gone because the spots are and stop the treatment, if you don't nail it all then it will be back in a matter of days.

This post has been edited by Jabba: Aug 14 2007, 07:47 PM

Raise the water temperature slightly to shorten the life-span of the free-swimming tomites. Treat water with commercial remedy to kill tomites!

Hope you can have the white spots destroyed

Try 'Protozin'. It's always worked for me.

Great stuff.

This post has been edited by backtotropical: Aug 15 2007, 07:47 PM

Sorry its taken me so long to come back but ive had a few family problems. Thanks for the advice but ive still got a question, which bits of my tank do i remove as i dont knwo whats carbon/zeolite.
Thanks
Nicola

From what you described at the beginning if that is all you have I don't think either are worth worrying over, yes the 'stars' are for the bacteria, not sure of the crystal what does it look like - a white flossy material ? in which case that is nothing to worry over either.

I am reasonably familiar with Aqua one media (although I don't use it) amd the names don't ring any bells so I'm not sure the items you list are standard or even Aqua One .... (I currently have an Aqua One AR980)

I wouldn't remove either of what you describe - the consequences won't be nice and ich will no longer be a problem.

THe crystal is a white material covered heaxonal block. If i remember correctly when it first went in the tank i had to rinse it under water and it turned the water blue. It should be standard as it came within the tank starter kit i bought from them. It the Rena bio chem zorb (but in the manual i had it described it as a crystal)

Well it is real hard to decide since the filter maintains the conditions and I don't know what this particular thing is, I don't think it worth the risk of removing at this time. If you could post some part numbers etc it may help identify it.

do NOT use protozin if you have clown loaches in the tank, I did this and i've discovered that I killed 3 clown loaches. Protizin has a large amount of copper in it and clown loaches do NOT like copper.

seriously, don't use it. I've paid the price and lost a couple of friends because of it

Ive found the name of the part Im on about, its a bio chem zorb. Reading the back of the box i had the tank in it says

"Your aquacube contains easily removable media cartridges that clarify water, eliminate odours, absorb organic and toxic material and make your aquarium pollution free and crystal clear."

HAving googled an online shop selling them I found

"Mix of resins and activated carbon. Ideal to keep the water clean and pollution-free." http://www.maidenheadaquatics.co.uk/eshop/...products_id=366

If that is the stuff then as suspected it is not an Aqua one product or standard. Ideally it must be removed ... BUT ... it does things to allow fast startups of 'kit' tanks, the resins are the clue so your tank probably isn't bacterially sound or able to support the fish population without it - catch 22.

How long has it been in the filter i.e. how old is the 'zorb'? - the older the better because carbon doesn't work forever and you may be OK.

While browsing on this forum I found this topic http://www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical-Fish-Emergencies/209556/http-www-fishforums-net-index-php-showtopic-209556/ which answers my question.

Thanks for all of your help
Regards
Nicola