Water change during white spot high temperature treatment

[edloh]

Hi! I am new to the hobby and experience a white spot outbreak in my 2.5 ft tank. I have about 10 tetras, 6 plates and 4 cardinals and a crayfish and a couple of hillstream loaches. I am treating them with a combination of high temperature and salt (read it from the sub forum). I am doing a water change tomorrow and was wondering if there is any advise anyone can give on how to do it as the new water will be much colder than the tank temperature causing the fish more stress.

[|squee|]

It shouldn't matter that much imho. Just change as per normal. Fish are hardier than we give them credit for!

[seudzar]

What is your ambient temperature? This is how I did white spot treatment for my rasboras, I put them in a quarantine tank. The reason is to cut down the spread of the disease in the tank. After that I change 75% of the water in the quarantine tank everyday with aged tape water. And I did not add heater and any other medical in the quarantine tank as my aged tap water is at ambient temperature of 30 degree which is enough to treat white spot disease stated in other website. The white spot goes away after 3-4 days and it depends your fishes and water quality.

[VSGenesis]

3ft Planted
Tetras, Rummy and Celestial

My Version
1) Sera costapur added
- just thought i try this brand since it was talked about a few times on the web.
2) Switch off fan
- increase temperature to hasten parasite cycle. Cant cure the fish with the ich but you hasten its cycle, parasite goes back to water, thats where the medication will kill.
3) Water change 30-40% weekly
- this is done not because of the medication actually. More for my overdose of fert.

I dont see the need to remove any fauna from the infected tank. The infected tank is the quarantine tank. Removing fauna that might already be infected to another tank; you now have two tanks to treat.

But i can understand where you are coming from. But above is what i do. Salt is good.

So TS just my suggestion, daily 10percent water change?

[edloh]

Thank you all who responded did the water change last week and to date have 1 casualty (a cardinal tetra, which was the most badly infected one). The temperature shown on my thermometer is 32 degrees...however not sure how accurate it is as I turned off the heater for about 5 hours before water change and the temperature was still showing 32 degrees.

[VSGenesis]

Hmm...I'm not sure is it necessary to do the water change actually. And based on my own experience, once tank temperature goes 32DC and above, thing starts dying. You have a heater? How come? Just curious air con room 24/7? What's your room ambience? In our climate heater is not necessary. And if you are looking to increase the temperature, shut off fan, air con. When I do that, tank temperature will go 30DC. Apologies for the questions but I'm curious about the need for the heater.

And ya out thermometers are not that accurate. It's plus minus. For me, always plus one, just to make myself feel better. Haha. I have a friend who uses a digital and those hang on kind. He takes the average. Hahaha.

PS: May the tetra rest in peace. but what you are trying to do and accomplished is being a responsible hobbyist.

[edloh]

Hi! Was reading the sub forum on white spot treatment and high temperature and salt was recommended as more natural remedy as oppose to medication, plus i have a crayfish inside which does not take well to the white spot meds. So far white spot seemed to be clearing up except for that 1 tetra not sure what my ambient temperature is though. Probably about 29-30?

[seudzar]

From what I read in the internet that the virus/disease from the white spot will leave the host and travel to another host through water, they cannot stay in the water for long without a host (not very sure) therefore in the tank where the infected fishes is in, the virus/disease are floating around in the tank, looking for host. So this is where water changing plays its part, the water removed from the tank and new clean water added in, reducing the concentration of the virus/disease.

[VSGenesis]

Hi seudzar,

Well, the studies conducted shows apparently 3 lifecycles. Trophont, Tormont and Thermont.

Trophont stage is where you can see them on the fish. The white spots. they burrow underneath the mucus. Swells and we see white spots. They feed for a few days and this cyst drops off.

Tormont, the cyst attached itself to plants, substrate etc. Within the cyst they multiply.

Thermont is the stage where it starts finding host. This is where medication will kill them. In other stages such as Trophont, medication won't kill. hence the need to raise the temperature to hasten their lifecycle to a stage of thermont so that the medication will kill.

The water change may or may not help. That apparently even in the medication is debatable as some say yes while others say no.

There are still questions that scientist are trying to figure out such as if a fish have recovered, down the road another ich outbreak occurs, will the mucus of the fish somehow strengthen itself? Will the parasite attached itself to the fish and when introduce to a community tank, thats where the parasite comes alive. Hehe, I don't have the answers, I just treat them and hope that it helps them recover.

Not treating: Possible 100% mortality.
Treating: Some deaths.

I hope I don't get this anymore. Hehe. It's sad to see your fish go that way. They keep scratching themselves against the substrate. If they got hands, perhaps they'll scratch themselves like crazy.

Cheers.

[seudzar]

Hi seudzar,

Well, the studies conducted shows apparently 3 lifecycles. Trophont, Tormont and Thermont.

Trophont stage is where you can see them on the fish. The white spots. they burrow underneath the mucus. Swells and we see white spots. They feed for a few days and this cyst drops off.

Tormont, the cyst attached itself to plants, substrate etc. Within the cyst they multiply.

Thermont is the stage where it starts finding host. This is where medication will kill them. In other stages such as Trophont, medication won't kill. hence the need to raise the temperature to hasten their lifecycle to a stage of thermont so that the medication will kill.

The water change may or may not help. That apparently even in the medication is debatable as some say yes while others say no.

There are still questions that scientist are trying to figure out such as if a fish have recovered, down the road another ich outbreak occurs, will the mucus of the fish somehow strengthen itself? Will the parasite attached itself to the fish and when introduce to a community tank, thats where the parasite comes alive. Hehe, I don't have the answers, I just treat them and hope that it helps them recover.

Not treating: Possible 100% mortality.
Treating: Some deaths.

I hope I don't get this anymore. Hehe. It's sad to see your fish go that way. They keep scratching themselves against the substrate. If they got hands, perhaps they'll scratch themselves like crazy.

Cheers.

Hi VSGenesis, thank you for the detailed explanation. Yes, I also do not want to get this again. Hehe