Help Persistant Whitespot and nasties

If it isn't to late, and you're desperately looking for some advice, hopefully someone can help you out.

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Kate
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Help Persistant Whitespot and nasties

Post by Kate »

Hi,

I recently added two new Zebras to my tank, and a few days later, all Zebras are infected with Whitespot. The infection looks quite bad, although fish are behaving normally. I treated with anti whitespot treatment and it seemed to clear up, but has now come back just as bad. I live in the UK, is there anything you can recommend to get rid of this completely and safely. Should I reduce the tank temp to help this, it is currently at 29?

Also is there a good product for clearing other small creatures from tanks, I have tiny string things which are floating around and also some other tiny things which look like 3 balls in a triangle?! I am keeping the tank as clean as possible and do regular water changes, but they keep coming back! The food is sterile so i dont think they are coming from that.

Thanks for your advice!
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TwoTankAmin
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Re: Help Persistant Whitespot and nasties

Post by TwoTankAmin »

You need to treat ich for longer than having the spots disappear. I am not in the UK and can not suggest meds as I have no clue what is allowed there. This info may help.
White spot disease (Ichthyopthirius multifiliis) is caused by a protozoan with a life cycle that includes a free-living stage. Ich grows on a fish --> it falls off and attaches to gravel or tank glass --> it reproduces to MANY parasites --> these swarmers then attach to other fish. If the swarmers do not find a fish host, they die in about 3 days (depending on the water temperature).

Therefore, to treat it, medicine must be added to the display tank to kill free-living parasites. If fish are removed to quarantine, parasites living in the tank will escape the treatment -- unless ALL fish are removed for about a week in freshwater or three weeks in saltwater systems. In a reef tank, where invertebrates are sensitive to ich medications, removing the fish is the only option. Some people think that ich is probably dormant in most tanks. It is most often triggered by temperature fluctuations.

Remedy: For most fish, use a medication with formalin and malachite green. These are the active ingredients in many ich medications at fish shops. Some products are Kordon's Rid Ich and Aquarium Products' Quick Cure. Just read the label and you may find others. Check for temperature fluctuations in the tank and fix them to avoid recurrences. Note that tetras can be a little sensitive to malachite green, so use it at half the dose.

Use these products as directed (usually a daily dose) until all of the fish are spot-free. Then dose every three days for a total of four more doses. This will kill any free-swimming parasites as they hatch out of cysts.

Another remedy is to raise the tank temperature to about 90 deg F and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to the water. Not all fish tolerate this.

Finally, one can treat ich with a ``transfer method.'' Fish are moved daily into a different tank with clean, conditioned, warmed water. Parasites that came off of the fish are left behind in the tank. After moving the fish daily for a week, the fish (presumably cured) can be put back into the main tank. The disadvantage of this method is that it stresses both fish and fishkeeper.
From http://fins.actwin.com/aquariafaq.html

String things sound like worms- usually from excess food that gets trapped under stuff.

No idea on the other "triangle" things. Post some pics maybe?
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saor alba
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Re: Help Persistant Whitespot and nasties

Post by saor alba »

Hi Kate,i had a similiar problem this winter due to power cuts for 5 days in my area and ended up with the same type of class of disease (only).
This is what i done i cranked heater upto 30-32 added extra airstones so water had tons of oxygen threw it as theyll def need it .
I covered tank with a heavy dark blanket as those types of diseases love light to produce more and more .
Hence blank it out and they dont reproduce the same, but uve got to catch the disease in the free floating stage ie in the column of water as it comes of the fish to reproduce more.The heat brings them off fish to reproduce again.
The meds catch them and set about killing them hopfully, but be prepared for maybe some loses of fish as its a bad class of disease and takes no prisoners at times .
I didnt worry about feeding for a day or two during treatment.
I also used King british in half measures as stated on carton this stuff suits my type of water here as its very very soft other type of meds do more harm in my area according to a very good friend.
It took me 3 days before i saw improvement in them.
I then followed up with a 25 percent w/c first day after that and a 50 w/c the next if i thought i had caught it ,
and i kept a very close eye in my fishouse then after luckily i didnt have any problems after that loss.
Good clean fresh water as usual after that sorted them out quickly with good food being fed, to take the edge of there ordeal and give them energy again.
Its the first disease ive ever had and i lost 6 in total before i could say it was a safe tank.

The worms could be down to overfeeding.
Please note im only giving you my side of things how i went about it , under instructions from a very clever man within the fishy circle .

Hope you get it under control, O try and make sure if uve other tanks watch water transfer and adopt good tank keeping practice as its a very contagious disease as it can reek havoc.
Hope it helps you but at the end of the day it you yourself who has to take the best step you think will work for yourself and fishys.
Kate
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Re: Help Persistant Whitespot and nasties

Post by Kate »

Hi,

Thats a big help thankyou, the fish are looking much better today, I will re-dose every 3 days as recommended and keep doing water changes, I think I may have missed this last time which let it come back. I will try to get some photos of the tiny things, and I will keep on top of any leftover food incase this is causing them.

I will let you know how I get on!

Thanks,

Kate
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