LisaLQ
Fish Gatherer
Recently made the huge mistake of buying some new fish and not quarantining them. Please dont slap me around the head, I have already done this myself and learned the hard way, wont be doing it again.
New fish were:
2 red shouldered sev babies (added first - healthy, no signs of illness for few days before others arrived)
2 gold sevs babies
1 flash plec
Flash plec showed first symptoms, woke up the morning after buying him to find him covered from head to foot. On inspection of the initial photos I took, it was evident he came with it - something stupid me missed. Gold sevs (same shop, same supplier) came looking stressed but I assumed it was the taxi journey home with my hubby. Next day (same day as white spot appeared on plec), both gold sevs had furry edges to their fins. We immediately did a water change and gravel vac (despite only doing it the night before) to hopefully help attack the problem - and started Protozin treatment at half dose (tank mates are plecs and clown loaches). On the second morning, one of the gold sevs had died through the night. The other still had furry edges to his fins, but was eating well. The red shouldered never had white spots at this stage, and were just a bit scared by the medication. No change to flash plec. Day three of treatment, there was a huge improvement, nearly all the white spots had gone off the plec, and the three sevs were very active. Obviously day 4 and 5 go without adding any more Protozin, and I think this was the downfall - as the white spot has now come back with a vengeance, and despite their active behaviour and strong appetite, my two red shouldered sevs are now also covered in white spots. Gold sev's furry tail has gone back to as bad as it was at the beginning. Flash plec is 75% covered in white spot again.
Tank is 300l, dosage said 5mls per 75l, so full dose would have been 20ml, I've been adding 10ml. Clown loaches haven't even shown any symptoms, no white spots, just as active as usual. Some minor irritation though as one has been flicking - could be either the meds or the white spot.
This is what we've done from the beginning:
Day before white spot apparent - roughly 40% water change and thorough gravel vac.
Day 1 - another 40% water change, extremely thorough gravel vac. Raised temp. Added Protozin - 10mls
Day 2 - Protozin - 10mls
Day 3 - same
Day 4 and 5 - nothing
Day 6 (today) - Protozin - 10mls.
Tank size: 300l (Rio 300)
pH: 7.0
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: >10 previous to treatment but not been able to do water changes during treatment
tank temp: @ 80F
Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): white spots (like sprinkling of salt - typical white spot), minor flicking, fluffy tail/fin edges
Volume and Frequency of water changes: 40% weekly
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: none other than dechlorinator at water changes prior to treatment, Protozin as medication
Tank inhabitants: 2 x 1.5" red shouldered sevs, 1 x slightly larger (2" max) gold sev, 1 x 5-6" rusty plec, 1 x 4" bristlenose, 1 x 3" flash plec, 5 x clown loaches (ranging from 2" up to about 4-5").
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): sevs and flash plec
Piccie of flash plec on arrival:
http
/i11.photobucket.com/albums/a200/rat...tespotflash.jpg
What can we do now? Do we risk full dose and losing the clown loaches? Or do we plod on with half dose and risk losing them all? Or is Protozin as over-hyped as melafix is, and is there a much better medication to try?
New fish were:
2 red shouldered sev babies (added first - healthy, no signs of illness for few days before others arrived)
2 gold sevs babies
1 flash plec
Flash plec showed first symptoms, woke up the morning after buying him to find him covered from head to foot. On inspection of the initial photos I took, it was evident he came with it - something stupid me missed. Gold sevs (same shop, same supplier) came looking stressed but I assumed it was the taxi journey home with my hubby. Next day (same day as white spot appeared on plec), both gold sevs had furry edges to their fins. We immediately did a water change and gravel vac (despite only doing it the night before) to hopefully help attack the problem - and started Protozin treatment at half dose (tank mates are plecs and clown loaches). On the second morning, one of the gold sevs had died through the night. The other still had furry edges to his fins, but was eating well. The red shouldered never had white spots at this stage, and were just a bit scared by the medication. No change to flash plec. Day three of treatment, there was a huge improvement, nearly all the white spots had gone off the plec, and the three sevs were very active. Obviously day 4 and 5 go without adding any more Protozin, and I think this was the downfall - as the white spot has now come back with a vengeance, and despite their active behaviour and strong appetite, my two red shouldered sevs are now also covered in white spots. Gold sev's furry tail has gone back to as bad as it was at the beginning. Flash plec is 75% covered in white spot again.
Tank is 300l, dosage said 5mls per 75l, so full dose would have been 20ml, I've been adding 10ml. Clown loaches haven't even shown any symptoms, no white spots, just as active as usual. Some minor irritation though as one has been flicking - could be either the meds or the white spot.
This is what we've done from the beginning:
Day before white spot apparent - roughly 40% water change and thorough gravel vac.
Day 1 - another 40% water change, extremely thorough gravel vac. Raised temp. Added Protozin - 10mls
Day 2 - Protozin - 10mls
Day 3 - same
Day 4 and 5 - nothing
Day 6 (today) - Protozin - 10mls.
Tank size: 300l (Rio 300)
pH: 7.0
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: >10 previous to treatment but not been able to do water changes during treatment
tank temp: @ 80F
Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): white spots (like sprinkling of salt - typical white spot), minor flicking, fluffy tail/fin edges
Volume and Frequency of water changes: 40% weekly
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: none other than dechlorinator at water changes prior to treatment, Protozin as medication
Tank inhabitants: 2 x 1.5" red shouldered sevs, 1 x slightly larger (2" max) gold sev, 1 x 5-6" rusty plec, 1 x 4" bristlenose, 1 x 3" flash plec, 5 x clown loaches (ranging from 2" up to about 4-5").
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): sevs and flash plec
Piccie of flash plec on arrival:
http
/i11.photobucket.com/albums/a200/rat...tespotflash.jpgWhat can we do now? Do we risk full dose and losing the clown loaches? Or do we plod on with half dose and risk losing them all? Or is Protozin as over-hyped as melafix is, and is there a much better medication to try?
Temp is now bumped up, added more aeration. Just one question - if I continue and increase the meds, how often do I medicate? Do I wait the couple of days it says on the instructions before I dose again (and do a big water change and gravel vac in between) and do the days 1,2,3 and 6 way again?
