White Spot/Ich
What is White
Spot/Ich?
This parasite is
a common fish disease and if left untreated will affect your whole tank and may
result in multiple mortalities.
The first visible
sign will be small white spots on the fish – as if they have been sprinkled
with salt. In the early stages, a fish may be seen to rub up against objects as
the irritation sets in. Other symptoms may include rapid gill movement,
lethargy and settling on the bottom of the tank.
What
causes White Spot/Ich?
Ich is a
protozoan disease, caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Fish get this
disease when their immune systems are not functioning as well as they should,
due to stress.
Water temperature,
water quality, tank inhabitants, improper diet, and a variety of other factors
all contribute to stress, but one of the most severe causes of stress occurs
during shipping and handling of a new fish.
Best preventative
for this disease is to quarantine any new fish for two weeks to ensure they
aren’t carrying the disease.
How
to treat White Spot/Itch:
As this parasitic
disease has a free-swimming stage to its lifecycle, treat your whole tank and
follow these steps:
- Slowly increase
the temperature of your tank over 24 hours to 29C (tropical tanks only) this
speeds up the life cycle of the White Spot parasite. Keep at this temperature
while treatment continues.
- Add StressGuard,
AquaPlus or StressCoat to improve the slime coating and aid in healing.
- Remove carbon
from your filter while treating your tank. Carbon will absorb any medication
that you place into the water.
- Do a 30% to 50%
water change of the affected tank. Make sure the gravel is cleaned well.
- Treat with Wunder
White Spot cure or Furan-2 and follow the instructions on the label.
- Treat for the
recommended amount of time even if you feel the disease has passed, as there
may be free floating parasites in your water.
- After the treatment, another 50% water change must be made to
help clear the medicine and thereafter 10-15% every other day for a week while
monitoring the fish.