White spots

Question
Hi Gerry,
thanks for your reply,

ive been treating the tank for couple of weeks now! and i think yesterday was the fifth time i put the medicine called "Trisulsa" where there were few white spots on the domino damsel but tonight when i checked its back all over the body again?

Tomorrow is the time for me to clean the tank and i will use the seperate bucket as u said to treat the damsel but i was told that the whole tank should be treated and not the fish only?

also can you tell me what could be the causes of white spots?
well i will give it a go and will inform you

thank you again
kind regards
charles
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi gerry,
my name is Charles, ive read some of the questions and answers  you provide and i hope you can help me.
ive just set up salt water aquarium for at my girl friend's house, its a small tank 1ft long *1tall left water running for 3 weeks with live rocks did test all good

so now there are few fishes in there for 4 weeks now 2 clowns, 2 damsels, 1 starfish, 1 shrimp and another one i forgot the name its like a snake that cleans the sand!

one clown just got fungus

The domino damsel keep getting white spots!! after putting medicine in the tank the white spots goes a bit but after couple of days it comes bak it now 3 times that ive put the tables and thinking of changing to something else!

i feed the them twice a day morning and night, with flakes or shrimps or prawns, i put little by little until they look full.

i change about 10% of the water every 2 weeks.  

well all the other fishes are good, only that domino damsel which keep getting whitespots and one the clown just got fungus

i need to ask you about amenomies as well and corals, which one is best for clowns? and do they really need it?

well thats about it

hope to hear from you very soon

thank you

kind regards

charles
     

-----Answer-----
Make a separate "hospital tank" using a bucket, large pitcher, etc. Use fresh water treated with stress coat and aquarisol, and put the clown and the damsel in this bath for 3 to 10 minutes. Make sure water is same temp as tank water. This should kill the 'ick' like spots on the dasmsel. It may or may not help with the clown. You would probably have to treat him with an antibiotic. Sometimes without good results. If he doesn't improve you could spend lots on meds and still have the problem. Try the freshwater bath and get back to me. Gerry.

Answer
Hi charles, Sorry I couldn't get back to you till now. The white spots could be marine ich. They come and go beacuse it is their life cycle to infect the fish, fall off and then be reborn to reinfect the fish again. Usually the fish has a weak immune system and is susceptible to disease. The treatment is either coppersafe by Mardel, or fomulin and malachite green which you will find in the meds section of the fish dept. The problem is the meds mat cause damage to the inverebrates in your tank. Its a tough decision but I would probably get rid of the damsel as long as your other fish are healthy. Gerry.