Hi,
I have some feeder fish in a 75 gal tank to cycle the tank. I noticed that some of the fish were just sitting around at the bottom of the tank and have many small white spots on their bodies and fins. The size of the spots are very tiny, but there are many of them all over a couple of the fish.
Anyone have any idea on what it could be and how to treat it?
The tank is still cycling, so all the Nitrogen levels are slightly elevated, pH is constant at 7.0 and Temp is at 78. I upped the temperature to 80 this morning, but I dont knwo what medication to use. I am also scheduled for a bigwater change for this afternoon to bring down the Nitrogen levels in the tank.
I have a 50 gal rated HOB filter and a 50 gal rated internal filter. Both have sponge and charcoal, and the HOB has bioballs aswell. I have a 100 gallon rated canninster filter in the mail still. There are also a few ramshorn snails in the tank that I did put in very recently, and could have brought in the infection.
It kinda looks like this, my first guess is ich.
http://www.solveich.com/files/main/fish-03.jpg
Cheers
Infection Treatment
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Infection Treatment
PIYUSH
Are the feeder fish you got guppies? There has been a particularly virulent strain of Columnaris going around in guppy stock. I actually had a HUGE die off a little while back. It only seemed to go away when I treated the fish with Marycyn-two for 3 cycles. That seems to have gotten rid of it. Fortunately, the illness didn't bother my loaches (yoyo, zebra and black kuhlis) or my dwarf oto cats at all.
Rae
Little white specks sounds more like Ich.
Salt, heat and LOTS of water changes is the way to go.
1) Water change, emphasizing gravel vac. Ich falls to the floor of the tank to reproduce and you are removing a lot of them this way. Do daily water changes if at all possible, every other day, at least.
2) Add 1 teaspoon salt (sodium chloride) per 5 gallons of water every day for 3 days until the total salt is 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.
(metric: 5 ml per 20 liters daily for 3 days. Total salt level is 15 ml per 20 liters)
3) Raise the temperature (I see you already have) and monitor the fish. If they are gasping at the surface they need more oxygen in the water. Move the filters until there is more rippling or even minor splashing at the surface of the tank. Add a bubbler for more surface movement, lower the water level to help the filters create more water movement at the top. Lower the temperature a degree or two.
Continue the treatment for about 2 weeks. Keep up the salt level with every water change. For example if you remove 10 gallons add back 2 tablespoons of salt to the new water. Continue the water changes. This is removing a lot of the Ich as well as keeping the ammonia and nitrite low for cycling.
When you are pretty sure you have not seen any spots on the fish for 3 days you can stop the treatment.
Lower the temperature SLOWLY, about 1-2*F (1*C) per day. Allow regular water changes to remove the salt.
If your tests are still showing nitrite then the salt is helpful. It protects the fish from brown blood disease. The dose for this is 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons.
Other than this...
I have serious problems with cycling with fish. This is exposing the fish to toxic conditions when it is not needed. The fishless cycle has been around for a long time. Nitrospiros bacteria (The actual nitrifying bacteria) is available in many places, at least via mail order.
Cycling with feeders is a very bad idea, both from the harming the fish angle, and because feeders are poorly cared for and introduce disease and parasites into your tank.
Actually I would return the feeders, sterilize the tank (What else did they bring in besides Ich? Who knows?) and do a fishless cycle. This would take about 3 weeks, the bacteria population would grow so large you could fully stock the tank, and the 3 weeks without a host would kill whatever had made it through the sterilizing procedure.
Salt, heat and LOTS of water changes is the way to go.
1) Water change, emphasizing gravel vac. Ich falls to the floor of the tank to reproduce and you are removing a lot of them this way. Do daily water changes if at all possible, every other day, at least.
2) Add 1 teaspoon salt (sodium chloride) per 5 gallons of water every day for 3 days until the total salt is 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.
(metric: 5 ml per 20 liters daily for 3 days. Total salt level is 15 ml per 20 liters)
3) Raise the temperature (I see you already have) and monitor the fish. If they are gasping at the surface they need more oxygen in the water. Move the filters until there is more rippling or even minor splashing at the surface of the tank. Add a bubbler for more surface movement, lower the water level to help the filters create more water movement at the top. Lower the temperature a degree or two.
Continue the treatment for about 2 weeks. Keep up the salt level with every water change. For example if you remove 10 gallons add back 2 tablespoons of salt to the new water. Continue the water changes. This is removing a lot of the Ich as well as keeping the ammonia and nitrite low for cycling.
When you are pretty sure you have not seen any spots on the fish for 3 days you can stop the treatment.
Lower the temperature SLOWLY, about 1-2*F (1*C) per day. Allow regular water changes to remove the salt.
If your tests are still showing nitrite then the salt is helpful. It protects the fish from brown blood disease. The dose for this is 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons.
Other than this...
I have serious problems with cycling with fish. This is exposing the fish to toxic conditions when it is not needed. The fishless cycle has been around for a long time. Nitrospiros bacteria (The actual nitrifying bacteria) is available in many places, at least via mail order.
Cycling with feeders is a very bad idea, both from the harming the fish angle, and because feeders are poorly cared for and introduce disease and parasites into your tank.
Actually I would return the feeders, sterilize the tank (What else did they bring in besides Ich? Who knows?) and do a fishless cycle. This would take about 3 weeks, the bacteria population would grow so large you could fully stock the tank, and the 3 weeks without a host would kill whatever had made it through the sterilizing procedure.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
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