White Spot On My Clown Loach, What To Do?

[tamar]

I have a community tank and one of my loaches has developed what looks like white spot, i'm not sure if increasing the water temp would upset some of my other fish and i'm not sure if medicine would harm the loach.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[thefubar]

I had this with my clowns when i had them.

Firstly, have a think about what might have caused it... new tank mates, no hiding places or larger fish swimming above them.

I seem to remember because of the sensitive nature of the clowns skin i had to use a half dose of the white-spot teatment.

Good luck, how bad is it?

 

[Davo86]

1. Check water stats (with a liquid test kit)
1a. improve water stats if needed (through water changes)

2. increase temp
2a. Also increase aeration to compensate for lack of 0xygen

3. Treat with a rated whitespot treatment (WS3 or Protozin if you are UK based)
3a. Half dose for sensitive or scaleless species (includes clown loach)

4. Monitor water stats throughout treatment and act if required

 

[crazychris]

I've used Protozin at full strength for clowns and it's not harmed them and cleared the white-spot.

 

[tamar]

1. Check water stats (with a liquid test kit)
1a. improve water stats if needed (through water changes)

2. increase temp
2a. Also increase aeration to compensate for lack of 0xygen

3. Treat with a rated whitespot treatment (WS3 or Protozin if you are UK based)
3a. Half dose for sensitive or scaleless species (includes clown loach)

4. Monitor water stats throughout treatment and act if required

Thanks for the quick response, tested the water and all is well apart from the ammonia at 0.50, i did a 10% water change.
Do i wait until the water is ok before raising the temp? and how long do we leave the temp up?
Will a airstone increase aeration?
I did add 2 new fish at weekend, the water was fine then and i didn't notice the white spot until today but i don't think it came from the new fish.
Sorry to be a nuisance!

 

[crazychris]

I'd raise the temperature now. I'd also start with a whitespot treatment too. Yes, an airstone connected to an air-pump is how you usually increase aeration. The new fish probably caused the outbreak of whitespot even if you didn't see any spots on them and still don't! How bad is the white-spot? Has it just started today? The earlier you start treatment the better.

 

[holidayinn]

If you have ammonia present, it could mean there was a spike in the ammonia levels when added fish or your tank isn't fully cycled, any info about duration tanks been running, how you cycled it would be helpful. I would follow Davo's instructions. Keep up the WC's till Ammonia hits 0 and raise temperature, ensure the temperature of the new water coming in is similar to the temp of the water in the tank. Not sure what 0.5 is in the grand scheme of things, which Water Test Kit did you use?

 

[thefubar]

I've had whitespot outbreak after my last two additions of fish. Treated it over 3 days, then replaced the carbon bag for a couple of days (i take it out again because i dose ferts too and it would remove these from the water column) then make sure everyone is fit and well.

I hope all the inmates are still about and the treatment is starting to work.

 

[K-Holed]

If you have ammonia at 0.5 ppm, you want to do at least a 50% water change to get it below 0.25ppm.

 

[tamar]

thanks for all your advice, heres an update and yet more questions. : (

So i raised the temp and started with the protozin, did the water checks (all test were fine with liquid API test kit) and changes.

A day later i realised that all 3 clown loaches had white spot, i completed the treatment as stated on bottle and have since lost 2 clown loaches (the other is on it's way out) and my rubberlipped plec. Now one of my yo yo loaches has it and i'm not sure where to go from here.

Should i start the treatment again?