White Spot :-(

I am having big problems with white spot at the moment. My female clown is covered in the tiny white barely visible dots the male doesn't seem to be showing any signs and the wrasse is clear too but my goby is starting to get them too.

I was planning on setting up a quarantine tank to take the clowns out and treat them with copper but im worried that by the time its cycled it will be too late.

Also the freshwater dip sounds like a good plan but surely this will only treat the parasites attached to the fish and nothing else causing more stress to the fish and as a consequence more white spot + this would mean destroying the tank every time to catch the goby.

After some research i think i need a way of removing the free floating stage of the parasite as well as destroying the parasites attached to the fish so i am considering buying a uv sterilizer, is this a good idea? with this killing the parasites and preventing the spread, and using a freshwater dip on the female clown will this be enough to hopefully treat the problem?

It was moving the fish in the first place that caused the outbreak so i really don't like the thought of moving them again.

what are your opinions on this video a lot of what the guy is saying seems to make sense although i don't think cleaning shrimp are a good idea in my system with a boxing and a pistol shrimp http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YjZauddsEk

I have had the clownfish for about 4 years now and i hate to see them suffer after never having a marine fish die in my care, i will do anything to make them better again.

I hate to be the barer of bad news but here goes:

You will need to remove all your fish to qt and either dip or use copper - you dont need to cycle the tank as you wont have any live rock in there - just use water changes and an external filter. You could sacrifice some of your live rock, but dont be tempted to put it back in the main tank.

Your tank will have to lay fallow for at least eight weeks

Let us know how you get on, good luck

Bad news or not it needs to be done

can i treat using waterlife's cuprazin or is the seachem's cupramine better? also api copper test kits yay or nay? its all my local has. i can get others but not for a few days.

what size qt tank would i need will around 40-50 liters be enough?

I just use a plastic storage box for this sort of thing - you will need one with a lid as the clowns and wrasse might jump - bung in a heater and powerhead and away you go

And yes, you can use the Cuprazin

just an update.
Set up my QT and waiting for the temperature to rise, also ran out of salt so i cant do anything until tomorrow.



also any hints on stress free goby and wrasse fishing without completely destroying my tank

another quick update. I have spent all day sorting out the hospital tank and catching those tricky fish. I had to completely rip the tank apart but i don't think i squashed anything, fingers crossed...

Pic of the fish in hospital


also i haven't started dosing with cuprazin yet just to let the fish settle in. when should i start dosing? straight away? also any tips on a healthy hospital tank?
Water change frequency and amount?
I assume that using a skimmer is no good.
will frozen garlic enriched brine shrimp be a suitable food?
anyone know of any good links or past threads that may help me?

If you did a 10% water change daily things should be fine, but test the water every three days to double check.

You dont want to use your skimmer as you are using copper and yes, start dosing

Day 3

Stats:
PH 8.2 (API)
Ammonia 0.25 ppm (tetra)
Nitrite 0 ppm (API)
Copper 0 ppm apparently (API)


Dosing daily with Cuprazin seems to be working really well cant see any sighs of ich although it is very hard too see anyway with lighting in the DT.
The ammonia level is worrying it was higher around 1ppm but i have done a 12l change followed by a 22l change on a 50 liter aquarium and might do another 10l later and do a 20l daily water change from now on.

My goby died this morning
I guess the ammonia spike killed him. He also hadn't fed since i introduced him into the qt.

Moby the Goby

well my wrasse died and my clowns are back in the display tank still with whitespot. I will have to abandon the treatment until the QT if fully cycled.
so upset and i cant help but get the feeling if the wrasse was left where he was he would still be alive. he didnt even have white spot...... such a kick in the nuts.

Really sorry to hear that but you really dont need to cycle a qt tank, just need water changes

I don't understand then i was doing 50% daily water changes and the ammonia would just rise back up again. what do i do?