White spots in planted tank

[wasabi8888]

Hi all


Need help....

This happened on Monday and I bought Protozin.

I dosed as per bottle instruction: Day 1,2,3 and 6.

I am on my 4th day, and still the spots exist. even worse, it has spread to more fish...

What should I do? DO i need to do a WC.. the worst thing is I am in Australia know and my colleague monitors for me. I will be back on Sunday to dose on Day 6, but I am worried it wont work...

can anyone help?

[benny]

You may need to repeat the dosage.

Also, your office may have air conditioning and the water in the tank could have been too cold for the fishes. Add a heater.

For treatment, raise the water temperature to 30 degrees celcius. This is to speed up the cycle. Don't worry the plants can take it for a few days. Add salt and also conduct a new treatment with Protozin. They should be fine after that.

Cheers,

p.s. For white spots, it normally gets worse before it gets well. Same concept as 'chicken pox'. It must run it course.

[michael lai]

Yup, agree with Benny. The disease will run it's course, it was the same with me when I used Protozin. The spots only started to disappear on the 5th day( visibly lesser ). You might want to get your friend to check, if the medication is working the fish will act normally, darting here and there even if they have white spots.( at least mine did ) If not, something is wrong somewhere. The fishes's fin would be limp and them 'lifeless'. Usually feeding time is a good measure of how they are holding up. If they feed, all is well....if not plan B.

[wasabi8888]

Yup, agree with Benny. The disease will run it's course, it was the same with me when I used Protozin. The spots only started to disappear on the 5th day( visibly lesser ). You might want to get your friend to check, if the medication is working the fish will act normally, darting here and there even if they have white spots.( at least mine did ) If not, something is wrong somewhere. The fishes's fin would be limp and them 'lifeless'. Usually feeding time is a good measure of how they are holding up. If they feed, all is well....if not plan B.

Hi Michael...

extremely good point which i forgot to mention...
the fish is devouring their food....

Since the dosage is for 1,2,3 and 6... (today is day 4)..i suppose i will do the following


1. Do not dose anything until Day 6.
2. On day 6, without water change, dose the last dosage for the 1st course...
3. Start 2nd course on Day 7
4. Add heater (which i forgot to mention I had).


Is the above ok? or should i start 2 nd course after 2-4 days rest?

[michael lai]

Hi Wasabi,
If they are feeding, probably the medication is taking effect. I propose a wait and see solution. I also usually change to a new medication if the first one fails.

[wasabi8888]

Thanks Michael


What is the interval needed between the new and old medicine?

any WC needed?

[michael lai]

I usually wait for a day or two, the spots should subside by then

[wasabi8888]

went back to office last nite and found that some fish has gone to heaven...

tetras have lost their color.....


question..

1. assuming all my fishes go to heaven.. how would i "clean up" the tank to get rid of whatever parasite that's in it? I heard that if i leave the tank fishless for 1 month, the parasites will die on its own... does that mean i need to take out plecos, otos and shrimps?

2. do i need any water change for the above?

[muakmuak]

Bro Wasabi,

My tetras just recovered from whitespots too...Although I suffered 20% casualties, thanks to the bros here who shared their advices, the fishes are on their way to recovery. No casualties for the past 3 days (touch wood!)

You may like to try my dosage: treatment as prescribed (tetra counterwhitespot lotion) + salt + up temp to 30. I did these for 2 cycles and now the fishes are ok.

Hope you find the cure to your fishes soon. Good luck!

[michael lai]

Dear Wasabi,
You said you went back at night, usually fishes are pale at night. Most of the disease would have died in 1 month time but not all. My advise continue to change water, 25% or 50% weekly, add salt. If you have UV, use it. The waters would probably be safe again then. I must stress you cannot fully eradicate them unless of course you intend to boil your water. First thumb of rule, patience. Let your new tank mature, once water is old, fish rearing is as easy as 123. Prevention is always better than cure as the old saying goes. Have fun.

[muakmuak]

hi mike, i hv one question on WC..

if i set my temp to 26. how can i keep my new water close to that temp when doing WC? add ice to it?

[michael lai]

Dear Muakmuak,
usually you change about 25% water every time. I personally feel you do not need to do that,(putting ice in) let the chiller do it for you. If you are still concern, maybe you could control the flow of the water. I suspect there is not much of a temperature spike. Do not be overly concern here, I've been rearing fish for donkey years and I still have ICH attack every year. Sometimes you got to let go, let nature takes its course. But most of all, you got to have fun and enjoy the hobby.

[muakmuak]

Hi Mike, thanks for the many pointers!
Your advice make me more comfortable as I was devastated by the recent whitespot outbreak in my tank that claimed many casualties. Perhaps I over-reacted but I was really comtemplating to add ice to minimise the temp differences. Now I can do the WC without much worrie liao. Thanks bro!

[michael lai]

Dear Muakmuak,
You are welcome , if you read some previous post I posted a while back. You will realise what I lost to ICH the last time round but the thing here is you'll always learn something new. So we share and together maybe we can at least minimise our lost.

[vratenza]

sorry but where to get protozin? Is it the only med to use for planted? or can i use the normal anti-itch?

[Jungle-mania]

Got a querstion too, adding the ointment, salt and upping temp, will all that affect the plants?

[muakmuak]

for my case, there was no adverse effect on my plants. they are still doing fine.

[Jungle-mania]

another thing, did you have to change your fert regime or anything? Did you do a water change after the treatment?

[muakmuak]

didnt change my fert regime... but i did 20% WC after abt 5 days...