Can Or Should I Do A Water Change?

[oldoak66]

Hi,

I have an outbreak of white spot on my neons but unfortunately things don't seem to be working as they should (I'm sure its something I've done wrong) because my nitrite levels were up to 0.3 before I put the treatment in. I have just added a new batch of fish after cycling my tank and the neons were in a week before I added the new fish. The ammonia was between 0 and 0.1. Before I added the fish I did a 50% water change because of the high levels and I have presumed, rightly or wrongly, that once I added the white spot treatment to the tank I shouldn't change the water.

But I'm worried about the levels - is there any point testing the nitrite/ammonia levels once the medication is added? Will the meds alter the levels in any way? I don't want the poor neons to suffer any more then they are with the white spot and I really don't want them to die. This is my first tank and I think that maybe I didnt cycle it properly or something.

My tank (which is 54 litres) currently has - 5 neons, 6 harlequin rasboras, 3 assorted corys, 3 female guppies (they are moving out tomorrow), 1 male guppy and 1 bristlenose plec.

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

Thanks

 

[*Fishkies*]

Have you tried raising the temperature? This often helps shutdown the life cycle of ich.

 

[CaraC]

It almost sounds like you may have added more fish than needed to after tank had cycled. Only a few at a time is a good idea. How many did you add after cycle was complete?

ick is the easiest disease to treat. no need to worry too much about levels. But good idea to test during treatment and if levels get too high i would do water changes. After water change i would add more meds to compensate for water change.
The fish most likely got ick from LFS so dont beat yourself up, it happens to all of us.
Turning temp up plus treatment is too much for a neon. Very fragile fish . Pick one method or the other.
One method is to raise temps to 82-85F, add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5gallons and do water changes daily. After ick is gone you do one last Huge water change to reduce salinity and then another one after a few days. Also raising temps in tanks causes reduction in oxygen. if you want to try it (i dont reccomend) try to add a bubbler and lower the water level on your tank
so that it causes a little splash to help get oxygen exchange on surface. By raising temp you suffocate the parasite but you also do same to fish.
The other method is buy the ick guard or ick cure and treat as per directions. Sometimes you can use both methods if ick is very bad, however neons arent going to like it. the are already stressed form ick and meds, raising temps will probably kill them.
Just treat for the ick and check levels daily for amm. nitrites and nitrates. You will see the differnce in a day. Continue to treat for full term as per direction otherwise the parasite will become immune to treatment and you will have one giant headahce.
Good luck!

 

[oldoak66]

Yes I did add too many after the cycle - I waited a week between each addition but too many at a time - I know that now I got some Interpet White Spot Plus treatment and have treated the tank with that - read about the neons not liking too high a temperature so have left it the same, and have got my air stone running so that they will be able to breathe. The neons all seem lively enough, apart from one little chap and he doesn't have any spots on him at all - but I know that they can still have it in their gills, can't they? They are all eating and the other fish in the tank seem to be okay so I'll just continue with the treatment, check the levels (which I did this morning and they are down slightly, thankfully!) and hope that it all works out well.

Thanks for the advice and responses!