To Treat Or Not To Treat?

[Benauld]

Tank size:130L
pH:7
ammonia:0ppm
nitrite:0ppm
nitrate:10ppm
kH:Unknown
gH:6[sup]o[/sup]dH
tank temp:80[sup]o[/sup]F/27[sup]o[/sup]C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior)ale spots and Flashing (See below for further explanation.)

Volume and Frequency of water changes:Weekly 20L (15%) With a mix of RO & delchlorinated Tap Water

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:Nutrafin Dechlorinator & Nutrafin Plant Gro

Tank inhabitants: 1 x Peacock Goby (Tateurndina ocellicauda), 7 x Gold Tetras (Hemigrammus rodwayi), 7 x Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi), 2 x German Blue Rams (Microgeophagus ramirezi).

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): 2 German Blue Rams mentioned above, added within last week.

Exposure to chemicals:None other than those mentioned above in Chemical Additives.

Firstly, I know I should have set up a quarantine tank, and will probably be criticized for not doing it, but a really don't have the space, money, or time for maintenance of one, however small, (even though I would really like one!)

I added my two Blue Rams (Rambo and Barbaram) last week and within the first few days noticed a small pale spot behind the dorsal fin of the female. A few days later, this was followed by a similar white spot on the pelvic fin of the male. Yesterday both were flashing against the gravel and rockwork. Today the male has lost the small spot from his fin, but the female retains hers. All flashing has stopped. Both their colours remain good in the most part, the only exception being the female, which is overall slightly paler (although has kept her blushing), and exhibits stress markings (dark vertical & horizontal marks), mostly when escaping the attentions of the male. My first thought was Ich, which I would treat using either Interpet N[sup]o[/sup]6 Anti Whitespot +, or Waterlife Protozin, in combination with Melafix.

Now, I want to treat ASAP if it is whitespot, to nip it in the bud, as only the rams are symptomatic at present. However, if it is not whitespot, I don't want to treat (and have the fish go through the stress of treatment) unnecessarily. So, and this is where I really need your advice, how many of you would treat if this was your tank, based on the evidence above?

PLEASE HELP!!

 

[SouthernCross]

Do the spots look like little grains of salt? If they do, you can be sure its ich! With new additions, it's probably likely too.

If you're still not sure, if you could post a picture that would help others identify the problem for you, especially if it turns out not to be ich.

I've used Protozin before myself too - it worked fabulously. Except I ran two full courses to make sure I got it all.

Good luck!

*Edit* I should add if it is ich, you should turn up the temperature to speed up the parasites life cycle (as it can only be killed in certain stages) and do lots of water changes!

 

[Benauld]

Thanks SouthernCross. Unfortunately, I have no way of taking a photo of the spots at a large enough scale, that would be even close to being useful for diagnosis.

The spots don't appear to be like grains of salt. They look more like the fish version of a pimple! Except white, and quite smooth, slightly raised in the middle. I suppose it may be fungal, but how many fungal infections produce perfectly round spots which subsequently disappear without medication? (As happened with the spot on the males fin.)

 

[Benauld]

Actually, thinking about it, I'm now 90% sure that it is Ich. I remember the LFS had a whole batch of Cardinal Tetras once (NOT where I got mine, I might add) that was covered in whitespot. The spots on my rams look exactly the same, although I still wouldn't say they look like salt...

I think treatment is in order.

Thanks again SouthernCross.


**********EDIT**********
P.S. I read on another forum, a post by somebody doing a degree in Aquaculture or Fish Husbandry (something along those lines), that the optimum temperature (i.e. the temperature at which the protozoan responsible undergoes it's shortest life cycle) is 80[sup]o[/sup]F. Anything above this, and the life cycle actually increases in length again.
**********EDIT**********

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Umm I don't believe it increases in length above that. Everything I have heard is that the higher the temperature, the faster the lifecycle, so the easir to treat. I could be wrong, but this is what i've learned.