HELP!!! My fish have white spot and are dying!!?

Question

I have an outbreak of white spot that has killed one fish already. Any hints or help much appreciated!! Im using a treatment but at a lower dose due to the catfish. I started treatment yesterday and will treat every 3 days. My guppies look worse and so dose my shark HELP ME PLEASE!!! ASAP!!!


TANK CONTAINS:

28L tank, filter(without carbon) 6 guppies, 2 bristle nose catfish,1 goldern catfish, 1 electric yellow and a rainbow shark.

IM ALREADY TREATING THREM!! Any way of helping them quicker other than rising the temp?

I NEED MORE ANSWERS!!! Im treating them with white spot eliminator!! A guppy has since died!! Im using the treatment at half strength because of the catfish but i think i might lose my guppies because of this. I live in Australia temp is on average 25 degrees celcius (SPRING) should i get a heater HELP!! I DONT WANT TO LOSE MY ELECTRIC YELLOW OR SHARK!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!

help my electric yellow looks retarded hEs bouncing of everything i just want to fix him heeeeeeeeeeeeelp!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : (

Answer 1

Raising the temperature will help, as long as you can provide adequate aeration to make up for the higher temperature reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen.

What are you using to treat? There are a number of medications, but from my experience, those that contain both malachite green and formalin is the most effective. I particularly like Quick Cure, since the dose is a drop per gallon - period. If you do a water change, just add the drops for the amount of water removed - no need for repeated dosing. A salt dip can help remove the parasites more quickly, but that will stress your cats also.

If you've been running the tank with just a half dose for now, you might try slowly increasing the dose. Catfish and tetras are sensitive to both meds and salt, but I've started both at 1/2 the normal dose, then slowly increased to the full dose, which is more effective. Just watch to see that they don't become more stressed - if they do, just remove some of the tank water and replace with fresh to lower the dose.Or, if you have a spare tank, separate the sensitive from non-sensitive fish, and get those that aren't sensitive up to the full dose ASAP.

Also, remember to treat your fish for 3-5 days after you no longer see spots on your fish. If you stop treating too early, there's a good chance your fish could be reinfected. The meds and salt don't kill the parasites on your fish - they're protected inside a cyst - but only affect them when they're in the water. Just because you don't see then on your fish, doesn't mean they've all been killed.

Answer 2

Since you are concerned with the treatment's effect on the catfish, I recommend the slow but sure treatment, raising the temperature (with a heater).

Do this slowly until the temp reaches 82 deg Fahrenheit (maybe up to 84, if you live in a warm place). Keep this up for 1-2 weeks. Do not let the temp rise and fall. Temp fluctuations is one of the factors leading to ich infections. (So keep an eye on the room thermostat, too!)

In the meantime, aerate the tank with a bubbler or an air pump and do frequent water changes, about 50%. If so much as one fish begins to lose his spots, do it daily. You can go back to your normal water change schedule when the all the fish are spotless AND behaving normally again.

Unfortunately, not all your fish will survive. You will be lucky if a third will make it. Next time, keep a closer eye on the fish, and quarantine a fish if it so much as shows a single spot.

BTW, your medicine is probably killing your tank's good bacteria. So it will go through another ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle; be prepared with more water changes until the tank builds up its supply of nitrosomas and nitrobacter.

Answer 3

They have ICH~~~~ Go to Walmart or a pet store and buy the necessary medication for it. If you don't have such stores near you, you can do a SALT treatment.
You have to get the heat up in the tank to at least 80 degrees. Then add 1 teaspoon of salt(NO IODINE SALT) for each 2 gallons. Let the tank filter, bubblers and such, run. With-in one day you will see the decease sluff off... After 48 hours you MUST change 1/2 of the water with fresh. Wait another 24 hours then change another 1/2 of the water. Then 24 hours later another 1/2 change must be done. By alrights this will cure the fish.

Answer 4

Your fish have Ich. Its a parasite. Go to the store and get some coppersafe and aqaurium salt. Raise the temperature of you tank by 5 degrees as higher temperatures will shorten the life span of Ich. Ichs life cycle os about 2 weeks. Treat your tank as suggested on bottle of coppersafe, take out carbon filter and add aquarium salt as well. Remember to treat as directed. Meaning if it is every 1st, 3rd and 5th day do it as it states. No more, no less. It is good to do a partial water change before treatment. (1/4 change). Hope this helps you.

Answer 5

they have ICK there is drops you can put in the tank, they might be stressed out do they have lots of hiding places and time when it is dark. the guppies might not make it they are not that hardy, also is your tank too crowded? they say 1 inch of fish for each gallon. how big are the other fish?

Answer 6

Sounds like Ick or a fungus. You can get some stuff to cure and prevent this at your local PetSmart/Petco.

Answer 7

They have Ick. Go to the pet store and get some medicine.

Answer 8

i have found that malachite green cures the white spot fast. you might want to try it. its better than the methylene blue. just follow the instruction on the bottle.