# I need advice please right away



## ruby716 (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi everyone,

I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 platys and 2 bamboo shrimp. I've had it set up for 5 months, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, tank temp is 77. I feed them flakes and frozen bloodworms. I do use aquarium salt in the water. I noticed that 1 of the male platys had big white marks on him, and is acting really weird. When he swims around, he swims around crazy and darts all over the tank, and today I saw him try to rub the side of himself on the live plant I have. I just want to know how to treat this. I do water changes, but the marks are still there and he's still acting weird. Should I use medicine? Will it affect the bamboo shrimp? What should I do? Here is a pic of the platy & my overall tank


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## alysalouise (Mar 15, 2011)

ruby716 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 platys and 2 bamboo shrimp. I've had it set up for 5 months, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, tank temp is 77. I feed them flakes and frozen bloodworms. I do use aquarium salt in the water. I noticed that 1 of the male platys had big white marks on him, and is acting really weird. When he swims around, he swims around crazy and darts all over the tank, and today I saw him try to rub the side of himself on the live plant I have. I just want to know how to treat this. I do water changes, but the marks are still there and he's still acting weird. Should I use medicine? Will it affect the bamboo shrimp? What should I do? Here is a pic of the platy & my overall tank


 
It looks like Ich
When my fish get it i increase my tank temp to 80-82 and add aquarium salt to the tank like you already do, and in about a week sometimes maybe a few days longer its gone, other people may suggest medications


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Do you notice him swim into your rock area at all? Looks as if he may have the markings of hitting himself on the rocks.


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

Ich will look like the fish has been sprinkled with salt. If you can fill out the following form will help. Some of the information you have already provided, but some additional information will help. Just copy and paste and fill in the additional information. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/tropical-fish-diseases/diagnosis-form-read-before-you-post-61135/ Also the spots on the fish, do the appear to look fuzzy?


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## ruby716 (Feb 24, 2011)

BarbH said:


> Ich will look like the fish has been sprinkled with salt. If you can fill out the following form will help. Some of the information you have already provided, but some additional information will help. Just copy and paste and fill in the additional information. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/tropical-fish-diseases/diagnosis-form-read-before-you-post-61135/ Also the spots on the fish, do the appear to look fuzzy?


1. Size of tank? 10 gallons

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? 0
b. Nitrite? 0
c. Nitrate? 0
d. pH, KH and GH? P.H. is 7.5 .. Don't know the KH & GH
e. Test kit? API Master Test Kit

3. Temperature? 77

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? freshwater but i also add aquarium salt to the tank. 2 tablespoons/10 gallons

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? 5 months

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them? 3 platys, 2 bamboo shrimp

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? no

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? 3 fake plants, 1 live plant
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? gravel
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? hollow rock

9. a. Filtration? aqueon up to 20 gallon quiet flow filter
b. Heater? yes

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? i keep lights on for 10 hours a day
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? no

11. a. Water change schedule? twice a week
b. Volume of water changed? 2 gsllons each time
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? tap water 
d. Water conditioner used? prime
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? once a week

12. Foods? tetra flakes, aqueon flakes, frozen bloodworms
How often are they fed? twice a day

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? big white marks on fish, swimming weird, darting around the tank like crazy, hiding inside of the rock in the corner, takes a while for him to come out to eat, rubbing himself sideways on plant
b. Appearance of poop? color of food, normal
c. Appearance of gills? normal

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? no
b. What meds were used? haven't used anything yet

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary. 
Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...orm-read-before-you-post-61135/#ixzz1Wf8ssJJ1
​


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## ruby716 (Feb 24, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Do you notice him swim into your rock area at all? Looks as if he may have the markings of hitting himself on the rocks.




no i dont notice that, but he did somehow get stuck inside of the rock about a month ago, he must have swam inside of it i dont know how, but he was in there for like 15 hours but didn't have any marks on him... a month later the marks started showing up..


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

From what you have described and from the look of the fish, looking at the thread on diseases I am thinking the possibility of two different things. Does he have any white patches around the mouth area? Here is some following info from the thread. I am thinking possibly the first with the fact that he was stuck in the rock a month ago. It is possible while in there he may have caused some damage which could not be seen and secondary infection has set in? If you notice any white cottony patches around the mouth then I would lean towards the second. With either one you will want to keep the water pristine.

Body Fungus (Saprolegnia spp.)Symptoms:White cottony patches on the skin with long filaments that stand awaySymptoms must be differentiated from the false mouth fungus, Columnaris.Causes:Fungi are decomposing organisms that exist in every aquarium. The wound must always be treated immediately. If left untreated, fungal spores can attach themselves on the wounds and eventually harm the fish. They serve as a secondary infection to the wounds and open sores.Treatment:Methylene Blue, Jungle Fungus Guard, Mardel MaroxyRead more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...-diseases-8179/page3/#ixzz1WfhsZS6zColumnaris 

(Flexibacter columnaris)Synonyms:Cotton-wool, Mouth Fungus, FlexibacterSymptoms:White mouth with tiny filaments, white areas near edge of scales, clamped fins, fins start to rot in the later stage, fish struggles and sways near the surfaceCauses:This is bacterial infection which is very common in the aquaria and is very contagious. Immediate action is needed to contain it before it spreads to other fish.Treatment:Broad spectrum antibiotics, Sera Baktopur, Binox, Maracyn I & II, Kanacyn, Terramycin, Acriflavine, Furan, Copper SulfateFlexibacter columnaris thrives very well in warm waters therefore it is necessary to gradually lower the temperature to prevent it from progressing.Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...twater-diseases-8179/page2/#ixzz1Wfi7AiGsHope this may help in trying to figure out more with what is going on with him. Also if you do a treatment if possible I would consider placing him in a qt/hospital tank, a 5 gallon bucket would work as well for a temporary hospital tank.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

I'm sticking with Boo-Boos.


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

a quick comment on your tank perimeters: it seems odd that you have 0 nitrates with only one plant in there. would it be possible for you to take a water sample to a LFS and have them test it and give you numbers? just to make sure your kit is good. i can't help it, i get suspicious when i see those reading.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

KendraMc said:


> a quick comment on your tank perimeters: it seems odd that you have 0 nitrates with only one plant in there. would it be possible for you to take a water sample to a LFS and have them test it and give you numbers? just to make sure your kit is good. i can't help it, i get suspicious when i see those reading.


:shock: Your not supposed to have a Trate reading...Why would you be suspicious? He must be doing wild crazy water changes.

:doh!:


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## Beaches (May 28, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> :shock: Your not supposed to have a Trate reading...Why would you be suspicious? He must be doing wild crazy water changes.
> 
> :doh!:


UMM....Actually I would be suspicious also (think I mentioned I was concerned why the readings were 0 across the board in one of ruby716's other threads on the subject). It has always been my understanding that you should have some reading of Nitrates, unless it may be a heavily planted tank where the plants are absorbing the Nitrates.


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> :shock: Your not supposed to have a Trate reading...Why would you be suspicious? He must be doing wild crazy water changes.


a nitrate reading of less than 40 ppm is normal. it would take a lot of water changes to not have any. and 2 gallons twice a week for a total of 40% a week doesn't seem like it would be enough to get rid of all of the nitrates.


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Beaches said:


> UMM....Actually I would be suspicious also (think I mentioned I was concerned why the readings were 0 across the board in one of ruby716's other threads on the subject). It has always been my understanding that you should have some reading of Nitrates, unless it may be a heavily planted tank where the plants are absorbing the Nitrates.


I have a 240g Salt Tank. No plants. No Trates, no Trites no Ammonia. And??? Wouldn't make me suspicious in the least seeing that posted. Unless you are not doing correct water changes and feeding the fish like mad, why would you have a reading other than 0?


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

sorry, i was confused. you posted this under freshwater.


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## Beaches (May 28, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> I have a 240g Salt Tank. No plants. No Trates, no Trites no Ammonia. And??? Wouldn't make me suspicious in the least seeing that posted. Unless you are not doing correct water changes and feeding the fish like mad, why would you have a reading other than 0?


We are talking about a freshwater tank here Reefing Madness and I know I don't need to tell you any of this ;-). Admittedly I know very little about saltwater tanks, although I realise it is better to have very low or even immeasurable amounts of NO3 in saltwater setups, but in freshwater ones it is more the "norm" to have readings, obviously you don't want levels to be through the roof and you need to keep them in check, but around 5-10ppm is usually what is aimed for/acceptable/common place. There is usually some presence of nitrates at least.

Having some NO3 readings is also indicative of a stable tank, especially for a beginner, it is a good way to keep track of the water quality, if readings are 0 it can be a sign of a stalled cycle or the tank never cycled in the first place. I do understand your point though and that it may not be any cause for alarm since the ammonia/nitrite is still staying at 0, so obviously something is keeping the levels down and of course the OP may be reading the test colour chart as 0 but it is actually a bit above that. In this case, Yes! I am suspicious & confused, since 1. Just reiterating, it is very uncommon to have 0 readings across the board in your basic freshwater tank; 2. The OP mentioned in one of the other threads, getting NH3 & NO2 readings when cycling, but no mention of NO3; and 3. The % of water changes she was doing, were not enough to keep NO3 at 0 imo. 
I :dunno:


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

ruby716 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 platys and 2 bamboo shrimp. I've had it set up for 5 months, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, tank temp is 77. I feed them flakes and frozen bloodworms. I do use aquarium salt in the water. I noticed that 1 of the male platys had big white marks on him, and is acting really weird. When he swims around, he swims around crazy and darts all over the tank, and today I saw him try to rub the side of himself on the live plant I have. I just want to know how to treat this. I do water changes, but the marks are still there and he's still acting weird. Should I use medicine? Will it affect the bamboo shrimp? What should I do? Here is a pic of the platy & my overall tank


 The original question was, what are these white spots........


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Beaches said:


> We are talking about a freshwater tank here Reefing Madness and I know I don't need to tell you any of this ;-). Admittedly I know very little about saltwater tanks, although I realise it is better to have very low or even immeasurable amounts of NO3 in saltwater setups, but in freshwater ones it is more the "norm" to have readings, obviously you don't want levels to be through the roof and you need to keep them in check, but around 5-10ppm is usually what is aimed for/acceptable/common place. There is usually some presence of nitrates at least.
> 
> Having some NO3 readings is also indicative of a stable tank, especially for a beginner, it is a good way to keep track of the water quality, if readings are 0 it can be a sign of a stalled cycle or the tank never cycled in the first place. I do understand your point though and that it may not be any cause for alarm since the ammonia/nitrite is still staying at 0, so obviously something is keeping the levels down and of course the OP may be reading the test colour chart as 0 but it is actually a bit above that. In this case, Yes! I am suspicious & confused, since 1. Just reiterating, it is very uncommon to have 0 readings across the board in your basic freshwater tank; 2. The OP mentioned in one of the other threads, getting NH3 & NO2 readings when cycling, but no mention of NO3; and 3. The % of water changes she was doing, were not enough to keep NO3 at 0 imo.
> I :dunno:


I am aware of the water situation. But no matter if Reef or Fresh, you should not have a Nitrate reading. If you do, then you are not doing proper maintenance on the aquarium. I was just curious why you thought a 0 Trate reading was suspicious. His post was original in Disease, and stress on the fish is part of the water quality, realizing that fresh water fish are much easier to keep than salt fish, but if they are used to 0 trates and you introduce high trates to them, it will not bode well for them.


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## Beaches (May 28, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> I am aware of the water situation. But no matter if Reef or Fresh, you should not have a Nitrate reading. If you do, then you are not doing proper maintenance on the aquarium. I was just curious why you thought a 0 Trate reading was suspicious. His post was original in Disease, and stress on the fish is part of the water quality, realizing that fresh water fish are much easier to keep than salt fish, but if they are used to 0 trates and you introduce high trates to them, it will not bode well for them.


I think I just explained (or tried to) why I thought it was suspicious and I respectfully have to disagree with your statement "that you should not have a Nitrate reading or else you are not doing proper maintenance". I thought I explained that also.

I don't understand your last line....nobody mentioned anything about introducing high nitrates! Only that they weren't showing any at all, which again is very uncommon.


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

I agree with what has been said about trates being in the fresh water aquarium. From all the research that I have done and from what I have seen from other members on this forum who have been keeping fish a lot longer than me, in the freshwater aquarium it is expected that you will see a reading on nitrates. Definitly the aim to to keep them as low as possible, which with live plants that does help. But to have zero nitrates in a freshwater system would make me question if the tank had actually cycled or not. Most of the fish that are kept in tropical tanks have been tank raised and are usually able to tolerate a wider range of parameters than their wild caught counterparts would be able to.


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## Beaches (May 28, 2011)

Thanks for commenting Barb  I was beginning to think I was the only one! LOL!


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## GwenInNM (Feb 2, 2011)

I second Barb and Beaches. . . yes low levels are normal. Okay, but what about this persons first question? Are these white spots "ick"? Has it gotten worse? Salt and higher temp to even 86 degrees is a good start perhaps.

Gwen


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## KendraMc (Jul 20, 2011)

thank you Barb, that was the point i was trying to make.


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