white spots on newly added fish

[ridzwan21]

Hi all,

i added a bi-color angel into my tank yest and just found out today that white spots is appearing on it.. is there any medication for this? i have two more fishes in my tank, a clown and a foxface but these two are fine and have been in my tank for quite long. i really need to solve this problem asap cos i heard its very contagious.. Anyone can help? Thanks

[jyoon]

Hi Bro

White spot appear can be cause by stress. Is your B-color been "chased" or "disturb" by your fox-face? If yes, try to separate them if possible. Not sure how big your tank.

If this is cause by disease, then there are a couple of approach you can try:

1. Leave it alone and let the fish flight the disease. Feed it with small amount of food with Garlic can improve its immune system. White spot disease has a life span of up to 8 weeks. Thus patience is a must for this method.

2. Use medication. If you have corals, then you will need to select Medication that is invert. and Coral safe. Had tried Kent Marine RXP and it works for me. There are also those medication used by other reefer that proven works.

3. Lower the sanitity of your tank from 1.02x to 1.01x (try not to be lower then 1.014). Try with care. You may wish to read more on this method before trying.

Just my 2 cents.

[ridzwan21]

Hi Bro

White spot appear can be cause by stress. Is your B-color been "chased" or "disturb" by your fox-face? If yes, try to separate them if possible. Not sure how big your tank.

If this is cause by disease, then there are a couple of approach you can try:

1. Leave it alone and let the fish flight the disease. Feed it with small amount of food with Garlic can improve its immune system. White spot disease has a life span of up to 8 weeks. Thus patience is a must for this method.

2. Use medication. If you have corals, then you will need to select Medication that is invert. and Coral safe. Had tried Kent Marine RXP and it works for me. There are also those medication used by other reefer that proven works.

3. Lower the sanitity of your tank from 1.02x to 1.01x (try not to be lower then 1.014). Try with care. You may wish to read more on this method before trying.

Just my 2 cents.

Thx bro.. will try that.. Btw, will it be contagious to other new fish if its caused by stress?

[jyoon]

Thx bro.. will try that.. Btw, will it be contagious to other new fish if its caused by stress?

Should not spread to old fishes if the white spot on the new fish is due to stress.

[ridzwan21]

Should not spread to old fishes if the white spot on the new fish is due to stress.

ok bro.. thanks a lot.. i think mine is due to stress... Does this mean i can continue adding new fishes?

[beebeefl]

UV will also help

ok bro.. thanks a lot.. i think mine is due to stress... Does this mean i can continue adding new fishes?

[ridzwan21]

UV will also help

UV? where do i get that from? And wat is it exactly? sorry.. i'm not so knowledgeable on these stuffs... Thx bros..

[Solo77]

Is a device which uses UV light to kill bacteria(good and bad) in the water. I will suggest you dont add any more fishes until all yr fishes are stabilised. U also need to observe the procedure in introducing new fishes to minimise the stress level and survive rate. All the best.

(pls try as i know u are overwhelmed by hoping to own nice fishes....think many of us have this problem... hehe....but just think owning them but failed to keep them alive....u will be sadden and money will be wasted and a precious live wasted).

UV? where do i get that from? And wat is it exactly? sorry.. i'm not so knowledgeable on these stuffs... Thx bros..

[ridzwan21]

Is a device which uses UV light to kill bacteria(good and bad) in the water. I will suggest you dont add any more fishes until all yr fishes are stabilised. U also need to observe the procedure in introducing new fishes to minimise the stress level and survive rate. All the best.

(pls try as i know u are overwhelmed by hoping to own nice fishes....think many of us have this problem... hehe....but just think owning them but failed to keep them alive....u will be sadden and money will be wasted and a precious live wasted).

so if it kills the good bacterias also, how do i replace the good bacterias? buy them? any good brands to recommend?

[Solo77]

that is a tough one. If your tank is established...the good bacteria is likely to stick on the rock and multiply.....so as the bad....the UV does help in certain degree but not total elimination. For good bacteria dose, it will be good if you can go to ML to speak to Henry. Me level not up enough....wahahahaha..

so if it kills the good bacterias also, how do i replace the good bacterias? buy them? any good brands to recommend?

[raymus]

hopes these helps bro

Saltwater ich (ick), or "white spot disease" is one of the most common diseases that infect marine fish in home aquariums. It is caused by Cryptocaryon irritans, and is similar to freshwater ich. Infection with Cryptocaryon is often confused with another common saltwater

disease called Amyloodinium (velvet). Therefore, proper identification is necessary for correct treatment and prevention of this disease.

Most wild fish are exposed to low levels of this parasite but are able to effectively fight off the infection without becoming seriously ill. In contrast, due to a relatively small volume of water and a concentrated population of fish, the number of Cryptocaryon has the opportunity to explode in the home aquarium. High levels of stress caused by poor water conditions, improper diet, or aggression from existing tank mates can further aggravate the situation. As a result, even low, non-problematic numbers of Cryptocaryon protozoan can rapidly cause serious infections.

Cryptocaryon is not too difficult to identify because of the characteristic white spots. The white spots are 0.5-2.0 mm in size and have a tendency to appear first on the pectoral fins. As a result, infected fish may swim with folded or clamped fins. As the disease progresses, the spots will become more wide spread and the eyes of the infected fish may become cloudy. A secondary fungal infection may also appear on the skin. If the infection is concentrated in the gills or is in the early stages, the fish may show irritation, respiratory distress, and lethargy without having any visual spots.

Treating Cryptocaryon

The treatment for Cryptocaryon is fairly straightforward provided the cause of the stress is corrected. By far, the most popular and effective treatment is copper. There are a variety of copper products available for use in the home aquarium. These copper-based medications will provide proper treatment, if used at the correct dose. Even at very low amounts, copper is very toxic to invertebrates and can never be used in reef aquariums or aquariums with invertebrates. To ensure proper treatment, move the infected fish to a bare bottomed quarantine or treatment tank. It is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions and use a copper test kit to monitor and maintain therapeutic levels of copper. Other methods that are sometimes used to control both freshwater and marine ich are high wattage UV sterilizers and diatom filters. The very fine diatom filters can help strain Cryptocaryon out of the water during its free-floating stage. A properly sized UV sterilizer will also kill the free-floating Cryptocaryon.

Preventing Cryptocaryon

The old saying that "prevention is the best form of medicine" is very true of all marine disease. It is especially true of Cryptocaryon. All new fish should be placed in a quarantine tank for at least ten days to make sure they are eating, free of disease, and are able to recuperate in a stress-free environment. Properly treat any sick fish before introducing them to the main display aquarium. Keep in mind that the quarantine tank must be clean, appropriately sized with efficient filtration, and have proper water parameters. Provide adequate hiding places to further decrease fish stress.

Remember, stress is the enemy of fish health. Cryptocaryon will target stressed fish with lowered immune systems. Reduce fish stress to decrease disease incidence. Good husbandry practices such as maintaining water quality, correct nutrition, stable temperature, and meeting habitat requirements contribute to the overall health of your aquarium inhabitants