Ich?

[neil9999]

hi all.
This obviously looks like ich but I have been treating for a week with Interpet white spot and haven’t seen any improvement.
Does anyone know how long it takes to see improvement?

 

[Ichthys]

It obviously doesn’t look like Ich. Ich cysts are all the same size (supported by the fact that the Ich med hasn’t worked).

This looks more like epistylis, which is a protozoan feeding on a bacterial skin infection. I would treat with a bactericide.

 

[Colin_T]

How long have the fish had the white dots?
Have the number of white dots increased during that time?
What fish have the dots?
Have you introduced anything to the tank in the two weeks before this started?

What are the ingredients in the medication you used to treat them?
What is the expiry date on the medication?
How much medication did you add to the aquarium?
What are the aquarium dimensions (length x width x height)?
Do you have carbon in the filter?

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Under normal conditions, white spot will clear up after 4 or 5 days of treatment at 24C. It can take longer in cooler water and a day or two less in warmer water, but you should see a major improvement after about 3 or 4 days if the medication is working and you dosed the correct amount.

Having said this, you should keep treating the tank for a week to make sure any of the parasites reproducing on the bottom hatch and are killed in their free swimming stage.

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Epistylis is a protozoan parasite and antibacterial medication won't affect it. Salt can be used to treat it but I need the questions above answered before I would add anything else.

 

[Ichthys]

Epistylis is a protozoan parasite and antibacterial medication won't affect it

Antibacterial medications are the usual way to treat epistylis. You can use a protozoacide to kill it but a bactericide is required to cure the bacterial skin infection. Cure that and the epistylis leaves the fish.

 

[neil9999]

How long have the fish had the white dots?
Have the number of white dots increased during that time?
What fish have the dots?
Have you introduced anything to the tank in the two weeks before this started?

What are the ingredients in the medication you used to treat them?
What is the expiry date on the medication?
How much medication did you add to the aquarium?
What are the aquarium dimensions (length x width x height)?
Do you have carbon in the filter?

---------------------

Under normal conditions, white spot will clear up after 4 or 5 days of treatment at 24C. It can take longer in cooler water and a day or two less in warmer water, but you should see a major improvement after about 3 or 4 days if the medication is working and you dosed the correct amount.

Having said this, you should keep treating the tank for a week to make sure any of the parasites reproducing on the bottom hatch and are killed in their free swimming stage.

---------------------

Epistylis is a protozoan parasite and antibacterial medication won't affect it. Salt can be used to treat it but I need the questions above answered before I would add anything else.

Hi Colin

the tank is over two years old. I noticed the spots about a day or two after adding some Cory catfish. I know you should Quarantine them but I took the chance a is don't have an extra tank and this time I got stung.
First I noticed the corys flashing, the next day there were white spots everywhere. I ordered insterpet white spot which I added the following day. I increased the temp to 26 degrees. I have also added aquarium salt. The white spots probably doubled the next day after adding the med. I think they are looking better today, I'll post some pics tomorrow.
The interpret treatment (Formaldehyde & Malachite green) has now been in the tank 4 days now. I started treating with cloverleaf absolute parasite plus but removed it after with carbon after a week as didn't seem to be doing anything.
I only just brought the medication all dosing is correct using the manufactures dosing calculator.
I use purigen which I removed before starting the treatment

 

[neil9999]

just thinking, I have a microscope.
do you think it would be possible to scrap and identify under the microscope?

 

[Ichthys]

just thinking, I have a microscope.
do you think it would be possible to scrap and identify under the microscope?

Here’s what they look like under the microscope…

 

[neil9999]

Here’s what they look like under the microscope…

thanks , I'll give it a go tomorrow

 

[neil9999]

looks like ich? There is no improvement in the fish today.
what to do now? just continue and wait?

 

[Colin_T]

Are there more or less spots today compared to yesterday?

If you have enough medication in the tank and the medication hasn't expired, then keep treating. However, if there are more spots since you started treatment, the medication probably isn't working.

Have you removed the carbon from your filter?
Carbon will remove the medication and the fish won't get treated.

 

[MaloK]

You need to persist from 10 to 14 days... The parasites should be falling from their host between 3-7 days.

 

[neil9999]

Are there more or less spots today compared to yesterday?

If you have enough medication in the tank and the medication hasn't expired, then keep treating. However, if there are more spots since you started treatment, the medication probably isn't working.

Have you removed the carbon from your filter?
Carbon will remove the medication and the fish won't get treated.

I would say the same.
I don't use carbon all the time I only use purigen chemical filtration which I have removed

 

[MaloK]

You might have the impression that it worsen a bit in the beginning, before it starts to kick in.

 

[neil9999]

Thanks all, now all cleared up. The waterlife protozin did a great job