White Spot, Exact Treatment?

[Betta5]

Well my 2 clowns defo have whitespot now. Im just going to stick them in a QT tank and treat them with a copper med.

Now What should I do with the main tank? Strip it down and start it from scratch (fresh sand, water)? Only thing is, How am I going to treat the filter media without killing it, because I think I read the whitespot can live in the media. I can keep the snails in a bucket while I do.

Will a 24 hour soak in cold freshwater kill any whitespot virus on the ocean rock and general equipment?

 

[ben1987]

best to leave the tank completely fishless for 8 weeks. This will mean the parasite has died off with no host (fish)
treat the fish in a sperate tank with copper. put a pic up so we are 100% it is whitespot first.

 

[Betta5]

I will see if I can get a decent pic in a sec. They swim so funny they always come out blury lol Im pretty sure its whitespot, im not sure if its any different to FW whitespot in apperance, but I have seen and treated that successfully.

Should I change all of the water and the sand, and soak the rocks anyways? and still leave it for 8 weeks just to make sure everything really gets killed.

 

[Betta5]

Also, will filter media absorb copper? (bio balls and ceramic ringy things)

I was wondering if I could just hook up my external filter to the QT tank, then before I put it back on the main tank (after its been refilled and cleaned) and the fish and been treated, just run it though some fresh saltwater to get any of the copper water off and then put it on the tank.

I only ask as this would keep the filter alive more easy.

Or would copper kill the filter?

 

[ben1987]

you would need a filter or teh fish would be living in their own waste, there got to be something there to get rid of the ammonia. so the external will be great, especially if its been on your main tank so is already cycled.

theres no need to get rid of all the sand, without a host the parasite will die off...this is why you have to leave it so long

 

[Betta5]

Cool. Will the media not absorb the copper, and then when I put it back on the tank, release it in the water and kill the snails?

I just got new aragonite sand, I want to switch anyways because ATM im using play sand which is just annoying now.

 

[ben1987]

you would have to chuck the media in the filter, give it a right good clean after and start from scratch

you have to get a copper test kit and make sure it stays in the acceptable range

 

[5teady_2012]

It would be easier to treat the main tank with the fish in it, a good whitespot med will clear it up, i reccomend using protozin. (although protozin cant be used with shrimps and snails.

 

[ben1987]

It would be easier to treat the main tank with the fish in it, a good whitespot med will clear it up, i reccomend using protozin. (although protozin cant be used with shrimps and snails.

But then he wouldnt be able to keep a reef, inverts, anenomes etc after! It would be easieri agree, but would seriously limit long term stocking possibilities in his tank. in an ideal world, every marine keeper should have QT tank ready, but its just not always possible.

 

[saltwaterfanatic]

Use herbtana it is ok for reef tank use and invert safe same with kick ich

 

[Betta5]

Well I never want corals or shrimp. Its a fish only tank, I just got 10 turbo snails to help with the diatoms and they are what im worried about. But its getting to the point where im either going to set them their own tank up, or get rid of them so its easier to treat any future breakouts, with copper straight in the main tank.

Although, I like the idea of using a QT tank as its easier to moniter the fish close up.

Could I treat the fish with copper in the QT tank (use SOME mature media in an internal power filter), and then put all new sand and water in the main tank and the use something like kick ich in there to make sure the filter media is free of white spot. That way I wont have to re-cycle the tank.

Also is "kordon prevent-ich" any good?

 

[Betta5]

It would be easier to treat the main tank with the fish in it, a good whitespot med will clear it up, i reccomend using protozin. (although protozin cant be used with shrimps and snails.

My clowns took a turn for the worse and were covered in whitespot and look bad. So I quickly looked up using protozin and found someone having success with it on SW fish. So I gave them a bath in a bucket with some protozin for a few hours like it said and TBH they did look alot better, so I put them back in the main tank and left them.

The worse of the 2 died over night but I was expecting it. So I have put the other in the QT tank and am treating with copper because it came today so shall see how it goes. He looks Ok though. Not like death or anything.

Im just going to see how it goes. Fingers crossed he recovers.

 

[Betta5]

OK so over night the clown is looking alot better, just looks more bright in general, eating well etc

have a question

Someone I know has a royal gramma that has whitespot, would it be OK for me to put it in my QT tank with my clown to treat it?

 

[Betta5]

Ahhhh #40##! My other clown died today. Im not sure if it died and then got caught in the filter, or got caught in the fliter and died because it was up in there.

My own fish are all dead now, but im treating a friends royal gramma and firefish and they will go back.

Now im just going to strip everything down, clean it and start almost from scratch.

Im not even sure what fish I will even stock in it now, I don't know if I would get clowns again.

*Sigh*

Thanks for everyones help though.

 

[-Nemo-]

Ahhhh #40##! My other clown died today. Im not sure if it died and then got caught in the filter, or got caught in the fliter and died because it was up in there.

My own fish are all dead now, but im treating a friends royal gramma and firefish and they will go back.

Now im just going to strip everything down, clean it and start almost from scratch.

Im not even sure what fish I will even stock in it now, I don't know if I would get clowns again.

*Sigh*

Thanks for everyones help though.

I'm sorry to hear.
I would try some clownies again, they're worth it I think you just had a bad streak.