# white spot disease - Help



## le9569

I just noticed that all three of my fish got white spot disease. The symtoms are: white spots on fish's body, fish strech against the live rock, sand rock, fish eat much less. I did a research on net and most people recommend https://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=RR1111

My fish are getting weaker, and they are stressed. They hide behind the rock. I rushed to the LFS and could not find the right one. I bought Prevent ich ( http://www.edkins.com/kordon_prevent_ich.htm ). 

My concern are: 
1. How did the disease occur? What is the main cause?
2. How bad is the fish with the white spot disease? Percentage of being dead is high? How soon is it?
3. Does this Prevent-ich affect the coral?
4. Is Kick-ich truly good medication?

I feel sorry for the fish. All of your advice is truly appreciated.

Thanks.

le9569


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## joeshmoe

wite spot starts from stress of the fish and when the fish get stress he loses hes slime coating with prevents stuff like to come in. my fish had wite spot (ich) too but they didnt make it i didnt now what my fish had at the time and didnt do anything about it but u have rid ick witch is good. (ps. ick is like a cold to a fish comes and goes but might bring more stuff in to the fish)


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## Lupin

le9569 said:


> 1. How did the disease occur? What is the main cause?


Stress will induce marine ich and so will the fall down of their immune system. Parasites are generally introduced when you buy a new fish. Healthy fish don't show symptoms but gradually they will once their immune system weakens due to stress and other factors


> 2. How bad is the fish with the white spot disease? Percentage of being dead is high? How soon is it?


Depending on how your fish is doing in the tank. Health conditions will indicate when they die fast. If they're getting too sluggish, then it could be a sign that the fish is severely affected.


> 3. Does this Prevent-ich affect the coral?


As long as meds don't contain copper, they should be ok in reefs but it is often advisable to treat the fish in a separate tank as meds tend to kill even corals. Marine ich is a pain when you are keeping a reef system. Luckily, if the tank has no fish for several days, the ich disappears as it has no host to feed on.


> 4. Is Kick-ich truly good medication?


Same as no.3.:wink2:


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## usmc121581

Many people also don't reliaze that fish subseptical to ick during the changes in the season (summer to fall and winter to spring) I have this problam during this time of the year ever year. Since I have a reef system I have to rely on my UV sterilizer whichs helps out alot, and my cleaner shrimp and cleaner wrasse. All of these have yet to let me down. One thing you don't want to do is start dumping different chemicals into your tank. The Kick-Ich I heard is a very good medication to use. Sorry to hear about it.


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## le9569

Thank you all.
I don't have a quarantine tank to treat the fish. Hopefully they are doing ok. I just now sit and watch  

le9569


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## usmc121581

To control the ick problam you most know the life cycle. For a saltwater: lower the saltinity, and raise the temp to make the cycle progress faster. The only way to kill the ick itself is to get it in the last stage:









That is when it is in a free floating stage. When it is on the fish it is encrusted in a shell that can not be penitrated. Hope this will help you out. Also buy a garlic addative that you can soak fish food in to boost there immune system to fight it off. Hope this was enough info for you.


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## le9569

Thank you USMC.


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## usmc121581

Since you metioned Ick. My powder blue tang as been acting funny so closer examination of my fish I noticed I have black ick. I'm currently using garlic additive. As anyone tried this method. Because this is the only rate that I have.


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## caferacermike

USMC, are you keeping a reef or a fish only? Raising temps above 84F as is suggested for ridding Ich is a death sentence for many of the life forms in a reef tank. You are right that it is way more dificult treating Ich in a reef tank as there are so many other factors involved. Q tanks are always the best if possible as you can directly treat the animal. I've done dips before using Lugol's solution but you must have a fish that you can capture each day. I've found that using garlic as an appetite stimulator does help. It's not so much that the garlic raises the immune system as it inspires the fish to eat more thus making it healthier. Lowering the salinity can be a bad idea if you keep inverts and corals in the tank. The average life cycle of the parasite can take several weeks and that would wipe out many critters. One note is that I've read and been told many times that saltwater ich is not a death sentence like it can be in freshwater. I had a long horn cowfish (darn Tunze powerhead suctin tube) that seemed to have ich for a week and then clear for a month. Then ich again. Not much to do but feed the fish. The theory is if possible feed the fish tiny amounts of food several times a day instead of once or twice. This raises the metabolism of the fish therby increasing the immune system. As you have already said, cleaner shrimps can help tremendously. Multiple small water changes have been known to help as well. Water changes help lower bad elements in the tank and keeping those parameters low will keep the fish happier.


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## Lupin

caferacermike said:


> USMC, are you keeping a reef or a fish only?


Reef, of course.:wink2: :redoh:

I know him.:tongue:


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## usmc121581

Sad to say that I lost my powder blue tang last night. As soon as my actinics turned off he went belly up. I tried everything you could to save him with a reef system but it didn't work. The garlic add. worked with making him eat but it was to late. I find it strange that the powder blue got ick real bad but my purple tang hasn't had ick yet.


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## Michael

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, usmc


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## usmc121581

It kinda sucks because that was a $80 fish but I see it as he enjoyed is time while he was here. And that it can happen no matter how good you are.


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## Michael

How long did you have him for?


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## usmc121581

About a month. When I got him he was fine, then about a week ago he would hide all the time, never eat. So 2 days ago I got a garlic additive for the sea weed I was feeding my tangs. He would eat it, but then yesterday after I got out of work he wouldn't eat but would follow me around the tank, then when the lights went out he died.


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## Michael

Well, it sounds like you did everything you could. At least you got to see him that last night.

I have been using garlic also to try to boost their immune systems. How much do you use with each feeding?


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## usmc121581

This is my first time using it the would soak sea weed in it till the sea weed was wet then just put it in there. For the frozen food I soak it with a cap full and water then I drain as much as I can so I don't get that much garlic in the tank.


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## caferacermike

Powder blues and browns have always been the worst from what I've seen. Nasos are tricky as well. Every powder I've ever seen introduced into a tank seems to come down with ich. For only having it for a month I'd say the damage was done before you got it. It was probably wasting away until you brought it home. I'm sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds as though you gave it a nice try.


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