Whitespot

[HELDY]

I am new to tropical fish keeping and have discovered whitespot.
I have bought medication and turned up heater but wonder how long to leave it turned up.
Just got new tank at xmas for my 9 year old son, but its more of a prezzie for me than him.
I,m from Newcastle upon Tyne. England
Thanks in anticapation for any help i may receive.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi HELDY

Welcome to the forum!

I've moved your thread to the Emergency section where it will be seen by members who know the most about fish with ich.

Do you understand the term "Cycling a new tank?" It's a very important process, so if you don't, why not post a thread in the New to the Hobby section so our members can help you get started right and avoid this kind of thing in the future.

I'll be looking forward to seeing you grow in knowledge of fishkeeping. It's a great family hobby.

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Whitespot looks like the fish has been sprinkled in salt.
Temp has to be at 30.
Remove black carbon from the filter if you use it.
Increase aeration as the high temp and med reduce 02 in the water.
Treat another week and keep temp at 30 once spots have gone.
make sure you can use the full dose of med with the fish you keep.

 

[HELDY]

How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Whitespot looks like the fish has been sprinkled in salt.
Temp has to be at 30.
Remove black carbon from the filter if you use it.
Increase aeration as the high temp and med reduce 02 in the water.
Treat another week and keep temp at 30 once spots have gone.
make sure you can use the full dose of med with the fish you keep.

I have 5 clown loach
10 bronze neon tetras
8 cardinal tetras
5 rummy nose
1 gourami
1molly
1 catfish about 150mm
p.s. i cant up airation anything else i can do?
200 litre tank

 

[WILDER]

Added to many fish to soon.
If you don't have an airstone you will have to lower the water level so the filter hits the water harder.
I would go out and buy some test kits in liquid form and a airstone and pump.

Are the clown loaches still little as they are going to need a larger tank as they grow 90 gallons, so will the catfish if its grows big.

Clown loaches and cat fish are sensitive to whitespot meds so make sure you can use full dose in the instructions.

 

[HELDY]

I already have 2 airstones but no switch to turn it up
My clown loach are about 50mm
I always ask my local pet store before adding any new fish, but obviously thy just want to sell

 

[Athena]

Hi Heldy

It sounds as though you're in the process of doing a fish-in cycle of your tank (i.e. you bought tank and added fish before it was fully cycled - there are notes pinned on the forum re how to fishless cycle btw). But anyway, the thing you will need to be doing now (sorry if you know this already) is regular water changes.

If you can purchase a liquid test kit that would be a great help to you at this stage. It will help you understand the condition of your tank water and how each reading affects your fish.

If your fish get stressed by the toxins in the tank water, this will lower their immune system and then they end up with various diseases - such as this ICH, or bacterial infections etc.

So, if you can do a daily water change of about 15% (let's say a washing up bowl size if that's easier to determine, or one bucket). To reduce further stress, make sure the water is not freezing cold when you add it - try to get it as near the tank temp as poss (if you have a combi boiler that takes water from the cold mains then you can use from the hot water tap, if not you can add a little boiled water to your bucket of cold to get the temp right). Then add your dechlorinator.

By doing these regular water changes you will reduce the amount of dangerous toxins in your tank. Once your filter has built up enough of the good bacteria to convert the dangerous toxins into harmless chemicals, then you won't need to do such regular water changes - they can then be dropped to once per week. And a monthly gravel vac and filter sponge sloosh (in a bowl of tank water) is recommended.

All of this hard work will pay off because your fish will be happier and healthier!

As they say - prevention is better than cure!

Did your LFS tell you that your clown loaches can grow to over a foot long? I think at some point in time you will need to rehome some - that's if they survive to adulthood - they are notorious for getting ICH because they are so sensitive to changes in water chemistry. Not really fish for beginners, to be honest. Never mind - let's hope they all pull through this bout of ICH. They are cute little guys to have in the tank, I know (even though they don't stay little forever LOL).

Sorry if I've rambled a bit but when you are just starting out I think it's good to get as much advice as possible - I know I would have appreciated help at the beginning, rather than learning the hard way

Good luck - Athena

 

[Schmill]

Hate to say it but I think this is going to be a difficult time for you.
Regular water changes are needed if you are going through a fish in cycle, but if you are treating whitespot the last thing you want to be doing is regular water changes as you want to keep the tank temperature nice and high, and most of the meds have to build in strength over a couple of days of regular dosing.
I'm not sure what is correct here, but I would think the lesser of 2 evils will be to do the regular waterchanges, and then to also dose the meds each day. You'll probably have to do it each day (rather than as per the instructions), because you will be diluting it each day with the waterchange.
See what other people have to say on this first though, don't take my word for it please!

 

[Athena]

Yes, I think Heldy will be ok dosing and water changing (obviously not doing a water change directly after dosing - perhaps dose in the morning and water change at night?). Some would even advocate that doing a gravel vac and water change during treatment of ICH can help speed up the process of eradicating it.

I don't think the water temp issue should be a problem enough to prevent water changes - so long as the clean water being added back in the tank is brought to as near to the current temp of the tank as possible, that will be fine.

Trying to treat ICH whilst going through fish-in cycling, with possible ammonia/nitrite spikes, is a bit of a vicious circle because if the toxin problems are just left for the next week or two, this will no doubt lead to more illness, more ICH and possible fish deaths.

Regards - Athena

 

[HELDY]

I did water cycles 3 weeks before i added fish and local shop tested water for me as i,m new. Shop assured me water was fine so added fish a few each week.
I,m using interpet anti white spot No6, shop says just add it and everything should be ok.
I,ve since been confused do i change water which will dilute medicine.
Does anyone know interpet anti white spot No6 and how often do i add medicine, coz some people seem to be suggestion dosing more often.

 

[WILDER]

Should tell you when to redose on the bottle or in the instuction leaflet.
If you have to preform a water change during a med course you just add the correct amount of med
back to the water removed.

 

[HELDY]

THANKS SORTED

 

[HELDY]

My fish had whitespot 2 weeks ago
I did everything i was told ,frequent water changes replacing medicine in proportion.
Water up to 30
Testing everyday, everything ok there.
Rummy nose, cardinal tetra and clown loach had it.
Rummy nose and cardinal cleared within days.
Clown loach still got it or could it be something else.
Could it be scarring from where whitespot was.

 

[WILDER]

Clown loach still got it or could it be something else.

Did you just half dose with the clowns as it can take longer to get rid of the parasite.
What does it look like on the clowns as I don't quite know what you mean.

 

[HELDY]

I used medicine as instructed as 3 types had it
It now looks as it did but less severe.
How come cardinal and rummy nose ok now.
I thought medicine only worked after spots dropped off.