Hi,
I have just noticed some white spots on two of my hoplo catfish about the size of a grain of salt, my first thought is whitespot, is my diagnosis correct? If so what is the best cause of treatment? baring in mind they share a tank with a black ghost knife fish. I am aware of the 3 stage life cycle of whitespot.

Any advice would be most gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Richard

how many whitespots are there, have they only just appeared?
Ok firstly gradually increase the temperature in the tank to 28C (82F) and then i would start treating with half a dosage of WS3 (if your in UK or any alternative white spot treatment)

Thanks for the reply. Its difficult to say how many spots there are, its like a sprinkling of small salt grain size spots probably about 3 to 4 mm apart. Yes just noticed it last night. I am in the UK, are there any meds I should avoid?

Thanks.

Richard

hmm, i don't think so, IMO WS3 is probably the best treatment that is widely available, unlike most other meds it is specifically just for treating whitespot,
if you can't find that however, protozin or tetra white spot control or even the king british white spot control should all do the job.

I used King Bristish White Spot med in the past on Hoplos to great effect, was there one night and gone the next, granted i continued treatment for another 48hours though.

Do remember that the medication has NO effect on the cysts on the fish (the "white spots"). Those disappear because they have completed the feeding stage of the life cycle and burst, letting the next stage of the life cycle swim away into the water.

Medications only kill the free-living stages of Whitespot. With NO exceptions (that I'm aware of, anyway!). Nothing you can do can kill the visible cysts on the fish. The best you can do is speed up the time until they burst, which means raising the temperature.

When the cysts burst, if in sufficient numbers, they can be an opening for Finrot and Fungus. So always keep an eye open for these, even when you think you've "cured" your fish.

Cheers, Neale