white spot or not

Question
QUESTION: hi nathan.i have a juwel vision 450litre.juwel powerhead with internal foam filters & a fluval 405 media filter.tank temp is 76f.the water chemistry is as it should be.we do a 20-25% water change every 2weeks,most of this water is removed while vacuuming the gravel.tank is well planted & includes bogwood & a few plastic plants.th community consists of 5 x-ray tetras,1 mollie,2 large moonlight gouramis,2 striped headstanders,2 large silver dollars,3 clown loach,4 tuxedo platies,5 golden barbs,2 fireglow barbs,2 denison barbs,1 parrot fish,1 green phantom plec,5 zebra danios,2 angelfish,1 gold sucking loach,1 red finned shark & 1 black ghost knifefish.the community all get on really well with no problems or aggrevation.today(19.5.09)we noticed white spots on the nose of the 2 fireglow barbs.we have immediatly removed them from the main tank & put them in our quarantine tank.i have added a dose of esha exit & gently raising the temperature of both tanks gradually.have i done the right thing & how do i treat the main tank if needed.all advice with this problem will be gratefully recieved

ANSWER: Hi Simon,

The treatment for the main tank is most likely needed, because Ich (the salt grain parasite) is highly contagious. However, you may need to cut the dosage in half. This will lessen the effect, but your bottom feeders (loaches, plecos) are rather sensitive to the Ich medication, so it is necessary.

The best way to treat Ich would be to use a medication available at your fish store, in conjunction with a temperature rise (the temperature will speed up the life cycle of Ich, meaning it gets killed faster)

Raise the temperature gradually by a degree or two per hour. The ideal temperature is 86F, because the Ich parasite dies at this temperature. However, some fish may not be able to stand it, so be careful and watch for signs of stress. It is important to add an EXTRA (so if you have two, put three) airstone to the tank during treatment, because the high temperatures will reduce oxygen. Positioning the filter so that the water output breaks the surface will also help.

You are doing the right thing so far. You maintenance routine is great! You would be surprised how many people have never heard of gravel vacuuming!

Good Luck, I hope your fish recover!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


fireglow barb sick   QUESTION: we are treating the 2 barbs with a course of esha exit.wehave finished the course & one of the barbs is on its way to a full recovery,how soon can we put it back in the main tank.unfortunatly the other barb is not so good.it is almost at deaths door and wondering if there is anthing  else we can do.we have put it in a breeding tank in the hopital tank because it kept getting attacked by the other barb.it is still breathing but is just laying on its side hardly moving.it now has what looks like ulcers or red sores on its body maybe caused by the other barb attacking it.we have put a small dose of melafix in the tank.do you think there is much hope of survival for the poor fish or should we euthanise it.we have another 40L tank just set up 2 days ago that could be used as another hospital tank,but how long before the tank will be ready for this considering cycling,chemical& bacterial levels.

Answer
Hi Simon,

I am unfamiliar with your brand of medication, but I'm assuming that it is a parasite medication. In response to your first question, "When can I put the recovered fish back?", you can put the recovered fish in right away. Make sure the temperature is the same in both tanks to avoid shock. If the medication is copper-based, even a tiny trace of it can kill any snails and invertebrates in your tank; if you have snails, then dip the fish in a bucket of fresh warm water for 10 minutes, then introduce him into the main tank, to wash off any medicine residue.

As for your other fish, it seems that it is suffering from a mixed infection. Unfortunately, I'm sorry to day that it will probably not make it. You might want to but a stronger anti-bacterial medicine, such as Maracyn, by Mardel Labs in there. Also, placing it in the bare new tank would actually be better, as long as you have a heater and filter. Don't worry about the ammonia, one fish will not produce much. Change 20% of the water daily, to dilute any ammonia and toxic compounds.

If you feel that he should be put out of his misery, the best way would be to put him in a zippie bag, and put it into the freezer. It will go into a 'dormant' state, and die peacefully in its sleep. In my opinion, it is the most humane way.

Good luck, and happy fishkeeping!