# And now I have white spot...*sigh*



## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

I noticed last night that my two platies which I got in the last week have tiny white dots all over their bodies and tails. I checked out my other fish and my femlae betta in the same tank also has this. The other fish look fine. I assume this is white spot and I need to get some specific treatment for it? I will be going to the LFS to return my broken filter from a different tank later anyway so I'll pick some up then if this is white spot? 
I also found my biggest female guppy dead this morning  she was absolutely huge and I thought she would give birth last night so I think she probably died during/just before giving birth. She was one of the first fish I got and though she was very plain she was kinda my favourite. Not having much luck with my fish recently!


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

You can SLOWLY dial the temperature up to 80-82 degrees in your tank. This speeds up the Ich (white spot) process. If you would like to medicate, I had huge success with RidIch. I battled Ich successfully with no fishy losses. I treated at half dose because I have scaleless fish and it worked fine. Be sure to treat with medication for several days after the last sign of white spot. I'd suggest searching this site to understand the process of Ich, or simply do a google search.


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Thanks Lisa I will see if I can find it!


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Okay I got something called Anti White Spot by Interpet. It says to remove all carbon and zeolite sponges from my filter before using it. Only problem is, I'm not sure what zeolite is and if I have it lol. I have a carbon sponge which I will remove. Anyone know what zeolite is so I can remove it if I have it, and add my treatment asap?


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

Dial up your Temp a degree or 2 every few hrs till you reach 80-82F. And start the meds right away, that'll make for best success together.
Zeolite comes usually in lil mesh bags looks sorta like fine driveway gravel, kinda like carbon pebbles just more grayish (doubt you have it in your filter).


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Brilliant, thank you! I'll go do it now.


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## marzipanquinn (Jan 18, 2010)

My Rummy Nose Tetras have white spot too :-( I had 6 and now I'm down to 3 and I'm not hopeful that they'll survive, they look pretty terrible. I'm very new to keeping fish am not sure what I'm doing half the time! Did not think fish keeping was going to be this hard. 
I'm using the same stuff as you for the white spot "Interpet, Anti White Spot". Started the treatment a couple of hours ago. I would love to save my poor fish.
Any idea how quick it's meant to work?


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Aww I'm sorry to hear that, I hope your fish pull through! Don't give up though, it's such a great hobby to have. 
I don't know how fast the treatment is meant to work. I just added it now, did not realise it turns your water blue!!
Angel, my guppy fry are in the tank with the ich outbreak, will they be okay with the treatment do you think, with them being so small?
Also, does anyone know if the treatment will effect any readings when I test the water? And shoud I not do water changes whilst the I am treating the fish?


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

marzipanquinn said:


> My Rummy Nose Tetras have white spot too :-( I had 6 and now I'm down to 3 and I'm not hopeful that they'll survive, they look pretty terrible. I'm very new to keeping fish am not sure what I'm doing half the time! Did not think fish keeping was going to be this hard.
> I'm using the same stuff as you for the white spot "Interpet, Anti White Spot". Started the treatment a couple of hours ago. I would love to save my poor fish.
> Any idea how quick it's meant to work?


I treated a gang of Rummy's successfully, so there is hope for ya :-D
First step by step a few degrees every few hours, dial your temp up to 80-81F not more then that for Tetra.
Then cross check the exact dosage, I wanna say all available ick meds gotta be added half dose for Tetra's (at least all I ever seen).
Then good water changes/ water maintenance.
You should see the spots getting fewer in the first week.
Good luck, pm me if you need further help any time :-D


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

1stAquarium said:


> I don't know how fast the treatment is meant to work. I just added it now, did not realise it turns your water blue!!
> Angel, my guppy fry are in the tank with the ich outbreak, will they be okay with the treatment do you think, with them being so small?
> Also, does anyone know if the treatment will effect any readings when I test the water? And shoud I not do water changes whilst the I am treating the fish?


Yes part of what's in the meds will indeed stain your water for a lil while (and your fingers and cloth if not careful) :-D
Dang that's a tough one, using the meds OR moving the fry out is both VERY risky if they're super small, like just born. Do you have a small other non-used tank they could go to? Do you have 1 extra heater by chance? 
To say up front, I have plenty exp with the fry matter itself and the ick matter itself, but not the combo...However what I'd pers do if they were super young, move them to a clean bucket water with a heater in it; if they're already several weeks old I'd leave them in the tank; chances also may be they're already infected too.
No the meds won't effect your readings.
Stick to your normal weekly water changes while treating.
Once all visible signs are gone, I treat mine for 4-5 more days. Then do a super gravel vac with about 60% water change and then add carbon to your filter (to remove remaining meds).


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Agree with everything Angel said. Be sure to vacuum your gravel really well during your pwc. You see, there are 3 steps to the Ich process. First little cysts attack the fish. This is the white spots you are seeing. Second, the white spots fall off the fish as little sacs and land in the gravel. The more you vacuumthe gravel during your pwc the more sacs you remove from the tank. The third stage is where the sac bursts and becoming free-swimming. This is the only stage where the Ich can be killed. This is why it is IMPERATIVE to treat for Ich for 5 days after the last trace of white spots are gone from your fish. As Angel said, I would only treat at half dose with your tetras. I treated at half dose with huge success.


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Brilliant thank you both!!! I really don't know what I'd do without this site!
Ok, I think a water change and gravel vac is in order tonight then, and probably water testing as well. I will leave the fry in the breeding box then, as even the youngest are a few weeks old now. Some of my fry are pregnant, as are my female guppies, needless to say! So they will just have to take their chances if they are born in the next few days, I don't have a spare heater and equipment unfortunately.
I only added the treatment last night and the 3 fish which were visibly showing white spots now have considerably less spots, though I guess that could be because they were ready to fall off anyway. No other fish are showing any signs though so fingers crossed!
Thanks again


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Great, just hang in there and continue with the treatment. If you dialed up the temperature to 80-82 degrees, I'd suggest you putting in an airstone if you don't already have one. The decreaded white spots doesn't really have anything to do with treatment. They would fall off naturally and land in the gravel. It's once they are free-swimming where the treatment will nip it in the butt ;-) The reason you dial up the temperature is because the free-swimming parasites are intolerant of heat.


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Oh I see! I actually bought an air pump and stones from ebay a couple of days ago, it should be here soon. I bumped the temperature up to 80.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

I'd hook up the air pump and stone when you get it. It just oxygenates the water for the fish at the slightly higher temperature. They should be fine in the meantime though. Do you have live plants in this tank?


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

I'll do it as soon as I get the pump. Yes I have about 20 live plants, planning on getting more. While I'm on the subject of plants, is there a general fertiliser or something I can get to help my plants grow? This will be my first planted tank and I really have a lot to learn about aquatic plants! Some are going brown already.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

With the live plants, don't put the air stone in. With live plants there will be enough oxygenation from them. I just bought Flourish due to recommendations from people on this forum. I haven't used it yet, but I am confident it will work well for my plants. If Angel chimes in again, iIm sure she can certainly tell you more regarding your plants..


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## marzipanquinn (Jan 18, 2010)

2 of my rummy nose died last night :-( One left. My other neon tetras and my glow lights have either no or very few spots so I'm hopeful for them. I know very little about fish, wish I did so I could help advise!
I do know that stuff could discolour ornaments so should be removed before dosing.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

That's a GREAT sign to see less spots already. If left untreated you'd see the spots increase till your whole fish are pretty much covered white. So less spots is awesome news! Keep up the treatment!!!
No air stone needed if you have live plants.

There's 3 things your plants will require one of the most common 'mistakes' 
LIGHTs, they need appropriate light and not too high end wattage (~1watt per gallon will do) and then a full spectrum, these lights that work very well for plants can be found at your home store from GE, Phillips, Bright effects they'll be labeled with names such as "daylight or Ultimate daylight" and are rated around 5-6500 Kelvin, which is exactly what you'd want.
Then plants need nutrition to feed off of. Some of which are in your water, some of which are introduced via foods and the last bit would be what fish leave behind after they ate. Now some water sources are awesome just like that for live plants; many in the US however are not and you'd see that as slow growth in the tanks or discolored leaf's on plants. If that then was the case, I'd suggest 1x week all in one comprehensive liquid fertilizer (such as Saechems Flourish) - Only exception being Sword plants they'd like to feed off the roots and pref root sticks / tablets (like from nutrafin or API).
The last bit would be your substrate. Plants don't need no fancy yaddy ya substrate as advertised in the fish store; but they do prefer finer gravel over these large pea or peanut sizes gravels to root down well. So ensure you either have fine gravel or sand.
The next to last step then would be: Select plants LOL; here's where I get mine due to lack of resource locally Sweet Aquatics
Feel free to look around my aquarium log here to the left the 2nd tap for some ideas, I hadn't gone in and labeled all plants in all tanks, so feel free to shoot any questions you may have reg this to my PM inbox  

And now I'll quit hijacking the ick thread for a plant thread - But YOU asked lol


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Lol, thank you Angel, any info on plants is appreciated as I say I have a lot to learn! Houseplants I'm good with, not aquatic plants though! I'll get some fertiliser soon.
Can I still use the air pump and stone for decorative purposes? It came today.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

No. Unfortunely air stones cannot be used with live plants. Angel can explain further as to why ;-)


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

1stAquarium said:


> Lol, thank you Angel, any info on plants is appreciated as I say I have a lot to learn! Houseplants I'm good with, not aquatic plants though! I'll get some fertiliser soon.
> Can I still use the air pump and stone for decorative purposes? It came today.


As Lisa said don't use the Air stone with the plant combo.
The problem is, amongst other things plants need CO2 to thrive, which they get from your fish. Now if you add a air stone and it bubbles "all nice" it bubbles all your CO2 right out of the tank. Also in planted tanks to achieve a balance for the O2 need of fish the CO2 needs of plants - these bubbles just toss all that right out of your tank.

I pers keep one as a back up if I needed to medicate, but otherwise you ain't gonna see no air stone in non my set ups.;-)


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

Okay I will take the remaining couple of plants out of my smaller tank and use it in that then.
I came home from work today to find another of my large female guppies dead  I found one dead a couple of days ago as well. Neither had shown signs of ich, though they are in the tank with the ich breakout. Do you think this is why they died? I can't see any other reason why they might. 
Also, my 30 litre now has ich too. Argh!! Probably because my male fighter had been in the original ich tank (in a breeding net) temporarily and I moved him over to the 30 litre with my neons, before I knew anything about the ich. I have treated that tank, and also my 64 litre for good measure!


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## marzipanquinn (Jan 18, 2010)

How's the ICH going? Mine's not going great. I started the treatment same day as you. Have done a 20% water change since, treated the new water too. Today I lost my last rummy nose. The other fish have one or two spots now too which is disappointing but I'm still hoping they'll survive it. I decided to add aquarium salt today as I've gotten desperate. The neons can tolerate low levels according to an article I read online (really hope that's true). I added less than half the recommended dose for a normal tank so we'll see if that speeds up things.


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

I've lost 2 guppies but my other fish seem ok and the spots have gone. I hope your other fish are okay!


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## marzipanquinn (Jan 18, 2010)

Since losing the rummy nose I have had no more losses and hoping it stays that way! The fish still have some spots but they don't seem too bothered about them. I'm still treating the water but it doesn't seem to have helped at all! I'll keep up with it and will probably do so for at least a week after the spots go away (if that ever happens). Glad ur fish are doing ok!!


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Ich is a process. You will probably see spots on them for about 5 days if I remember correctly. Just be sure to continue treatement AFTER no more spots appear. Ich can ONLY be killed in the free-swimming stage. Dial up your temperature SLOWLY to about 82-83 desgrees if you haven't already done that. SLOWLY is the key.


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## 1stAquarium (Jan 4, 2010)

My treatment says treat on the 1st and 4th days then it says something about doing it again if you want? Is it advisable to dose again, and if so, when? 
Also, going back to the issue of air pumps and live plants, would it be very detrimental to aquatic plants to just put the air pump and stone on occassionally? All I have in that tank is java moss.


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