# Please Help! White Spots! Im freaking out!



## skwrl (Dec 2, 2006)

Okay i am seriously freaking out! My fish 6 tiger barbs, 1 Blue groumis and 2 other fish probably daios and my plomesecutus (sucker fish) all have white spots! I live in the US and i dont know the metric system well so can someone help please! like fast because the power went out yesterday and i think this might be fatal! my shark has already died!!!!

Ive also just put some ice cream salt into the fish tank and i also put more PRIME into the fish tank. Is this good?


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

Gonna need lots more info on the tank....how long set up, how much experience you have with fish, and stuff. But if the power went out and temp dropped, it's a good chance they have ich. There are many remodies. raising the temp to like 84, and adding salt is one. I usually remove carbon and use Quick Cure according to the directions on the box. !/2 dose for tetras and scaleless fish.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Prime is good for the ammonia & nitrite surges after a power outage (4X normal is fine), but it won't do a thing for ich. The salt cures are very specific, search the archives and follow exactly. I use quick cure - they sell it at wal-mart in the middle of the night and one drop per gallon is simple enough for the pet-sitters. Its bad news for plants, though and you should take the carbon out of the filter (even if you have to cut open a cartridge). Pick one method and follow the directions exactly, don't stop treatment just because you don't see any more spots.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

I for one am totally against using chemicals to treat ich. They aren't necessary and often cause more deaths and other problems than the ich itself. 

Do a big water change. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of water in the tank. Raise the temp to about 85. Treat for a minimum of 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks, do another big water change and vaccum the gravel really well. If after a few days of treatment you don't notice the ich getting better, you can add an additional 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of water. All of your fish will be fine with this amount of salt. Ice cream (rock) salt is fine to use, just make sure you dissolve it completely in declorinated water before adding it to the tank. Salt crystals will cause gill burn.

This is all presuming you have "white spot" or ich, which looks like tiny grains of salt on the fish. If they have larger white spots, its very likely something else such as a fungal or bacterial infection. In which case you don't need salt and raised temperature, you need Melafix and Pimafix.


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## skwrl (Dec 2, 2006)

they have ich, i found that much out, another fish has died... And im really mad. I think im gonna do dips for them


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

hmm so 2 out of 3 people use Quick Cure


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

Raise the temp. add some salt to help prevent further stress.

I am not one for chemicals in a tank either, but there are some ick treatments that work extremely quick, and effective. But can be harsh in the tank


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## skwrl (Dec 2, 2006)

bad news 5 are dead, 4 tiger barbs and 1 shark. i have only 2 barbs left and 1 blue groumi and 2 daios and 1 sucker


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

Whats the temp. or your tank? Ick are parasites that cannot survive in water that has a temp of or more than 82F.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Change water, then retreat. It doesn't matter which cure you use, but you need to treat quickly. If fish are dying, you need to change water to get the ammonia and nitrite down. One dead fish can wipe out a tank if the tank is overstocked or the biology of the tank is compromised because you took out the carbon to medicate or the power was off for awhile. People always blame the disease, but you can't ever neglect water quality, espcially when fish are stressed. 

Yes, chemical ich treatments are harsh, they can stain your ornaments and kil your plants. But since I had 2 tanks with ich in 10 years, and neither was planted, I won't apologize for using what I know works. I'm pretty sure high temp. alone doesn't kill ich. The reason for raising the temperature is to speed up the parasite's life cycle and get the treatment over faster. Also, it doesn't hurt to add more aeration whenever you raise the temp.


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