White Spot????

Question

Woke up this morning and my fish has rubbed off heaps of his scales. I am treating my tank with salt, temp at 27-29 degrees, and also have bactonex treatment in. Why is this not working? Should i take him out and give him a salt bath? How much salt do i need to put in to do this? Should i take him out and put him in a separte tank? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HATE SEEING MY FISH GO THRU THIS.

Answer 1

If you have white spots the size of salt, especially on your pets fins, your fish has ich (Ichthyophthirius multifilis), if the fish has a white film over it it is either fungus or coumnaris bacteria.

A methylene blue bath at double the recommended dose as per the methylen blues vender is a good first step for ALL three problems

As for salt, one tablespoon per 5 gallons is the recommended dose for aiding in ich treatment and for electrolytes. Unfortunately salt is often not effective for seroius ich infestations and will do little for columnaris.

Also important are water parameters, ammonia and nitrites should be 0, and VERY important for ich treatment and prevention; kH should be 80 ppm or higher.

Here is a little more about ich from one of my articles:

Ich, also called white spot disease, is one of the most common protozoan infections affecting aquarium and pond fishes. The scientific name for freshwater ich is “Ichthyophthirius multifilis. The marine protozoan causing ich is Cryptocaryon irritans. Both organisms cause whitish spots, called “cysts”, to appear on the bodies and fins of the infested fishes.

Diagnosis:
The usual way of diagnosing ich is by close observation of the infected fishes. The presence of small, (.5 to 1.0 mm) white dots (kind of like salt) scattered about on the fishes' skin. This is most easily observed around the tail or fins (especially if the fins normally clear). You can check this out by removing one of the spots and observing it under a microscope. Ich has a small micronucleus and a prominent crescent-shaped macronucleus.
Fish behavior: The fish will often hide in corners near the top of the aquarium to get oxygen. Sometimes bobbing up and down with their head above the service again trying to get extra oxygen as ich infestations often start in the gills and this robs the fish of the ability to properly respirate. Darting and scratching is also sometimes exhibited (although this is more a symptom of velvet in Fresh water or oodinium infestations in salt water). As the he infestation progresses, the fish become more listless, loose color, and often develop secondary fungal and/or bacterial infections.

Treatment:
There are many ways to treat ich infestations in freshwater, less in saltwater, but not all treatments are equal or can be used for all types of fish or all aquatic environments. I will discuss the options I prefer to use in my maintenance business or in my personal aquariums first.
For freshwater a Malachite Green/ Formalin combination has generally been the most effective for moderate to severe infestations. “Quick Cure” is good product with this combination of medications. Malachite Green by itself as in “Nox Ich” is also effective in moderate infestations. Other treatments of note are copper sulfate and Quinine Sulfate or Hydrochloride. For scale-less or delicate fish use Malachite Green at half dose. The safest treatment for scale-less fish is Quinine Hydrochloride, but this is less effective than other treatments, although it can be combined with half strength Malachite Green for more effectiveness.
For mild to moderate infestations (even some severe) I also use “Medicated Wonder Shells” as these products have Malachite Green (lower levels safe for most delicate fish), acriflavin, and small amounts of methylene blue (not enough to affect bio filtration) and copper. What is best about these “Medicated Wonder Shells” is that they also add electrolytes, calcium and maintain a proper KH, which is very important for treatment with Malachite Green as this medication is more toxic at lower pH and KH (Best used at a pH of 7.2 or higher and a kH of 80 ppm or higher).

For much more information about this, PLEASE read this article:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Ich.html

For more aquarium information, including information about Columnaris, please read this article:
http://americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Information.html

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Your fish has something called "ick." I know it sounds silly but it's a real condition, go to your local pet store for ick treatments, it's usually an effervescent tab that you pop right into the tank. It's not guaranteed to work, especially depending on the condition of your little guy but it's worth a shot.

Answer 4

I think your fish might have ICK. You can get treatment for this at any pet store.

Answer 5

i think its getting sick and once that happened to one of my fish. i think u did enuf or if u think u didnt, go to the aquarium store and buy the like, blueish medicine. the liquid one.

Answer 6

it might have ICK or dont but salt in it

Answer 7

MAYBE IT IS FUNGUS