Cannot Shift White Spot No Matter What I Do! Help Please.

[marieukxx]

It started when I bought some snails from Pets at Home and now Ican't shift it and it's been over a month!
 
The tank is a 21.6L with a Betta and 5 neon tetras, they've all been living there for ages with no problems at all and the tank is planted, filtered and heated fully cycled as it's been up and running for years now.
 
The Betta is powder blue so I really cann't tell if he's affected but the neons are. There are white spots on their fins and one has them on fins and body.
 
So I've been treating with Interpet White Spot treatment which requires a dose then again on day 5. So I've been dosing Monday after I've cleaned the tank then thursday then repeating again Monday and thursday. It's not shifted. It disappears but then by the time the second dose is due on day 5 their spots are back in a different place. They do drop off but come back!
 
I've just this week raised the temp of the tank to 28c hoping to speed up the cycle. Dosed again today and can see white spots on their fins in a different place to last time. Mainly on their tails this time.
 
What on earth is going on? I've  never had trouble like this before. I've had white spot in my other tank worse than this, their whole bodies were covered and two doses sorted that out. This is the first time I've had it in this tank and it's getting frustrating not being able to get rid of it. I've read about the cycle and them only beinf vulnerable to thhe meds once they drop off. Is the med in the water still effective on days 3  and 4? I notice they drop off because the spots are gone but one fish usually has one or two on it  still while the rest are clear. Like now one has no spots and the others do.
 
I did consider it not being white spot but it looks like it and they disappear then come back. Could they be immune to the Interpet Anti White Spot? Which is the  best most effective to use? I've read good reviews for King British White Spot Treatment on Amaon. Should I gravel vac daily to get them?
 
Any suggestions on what I can do? Give the second dose a day earlier maybe to catch them  before they attach again?
 
Any help would be appreciated. The fish are lively and active as normal.
 
Best picture I could get, if you look closely you can see the spots on the tail fin on one neon

 

[AshleyNZ]

21L is not enough for Neons, they need at least 40 (or more, not sure) because they are highly active. 

 

[marieukxx]

21L is not enough for Neons, they need at least 40 (or more, not sure) because they are highly active. 

Thanks I can move them to  the big tank but I need to get rid of the white spot first otherwise I'm going to infect that tank

 

[LilyRose Tank]

Hi Marie, white spot treatments that I have used in the past have been useless. Try increasing the temp to 86f and adding sea salt or aquarium salt. It should be eradicated in ten days or so. Increasing the temp to that degree kills the parasite as it drops off and it therefore can't reinfect a fish. I have used this method many times and it's been eradicated each time successfully. I have also tried the interpet treatments and found they don't work...lost several tanks full of fish because of that method. Try the temp increase and salt. Good luck

 

[marieukxx]

Hi Marie, white spot treatments that I have used in the past have been useless. Try increasing the temp to 86f and adding sea salt or aquarium salt. It should be eradicated in ten days or so. Increasing the temp to that degree kills the parasite as it drops off and it therefore can't reinfect a fish. I have used this method many times and it's been eradicated each time successfully. I have also tried the interpet treatments and found they don't work...lost several tanks full of fish because of that method. Try the temp increase and salt. Good luck

Thanks very much, I'll give that a go.

 

[LilyRose Tank]

You are very welcome x

 

[marieukxx]

Just increased the temp by 1 degree to 29 will put it up to 30 tomorrow.  Is that gonna be ok with the fish?
 
Also turned the filter up to increase aeration

 

[attibones]

That should be fine. you'll also want to make sure you are doing very thorough substrate cleanings. Part of the ich life cycle requires the parasite to drop into the substrate where it will thrive for a while (I'm not sure if this is where they breed or if this is where the larvae or whatever are born) before going back into the water column. 

 

[marieukxx]

Thanks very much for the help. I'm up to 30 temp wise now and am going to clean the substrate daily, just about to do it in a minute. I'm also going to transfer the neons to the big tank when they're better (if this works lol)

 

[ShinySideUp]

Just a quick question...and I don't mean to teach your gran to suck eggs, but...you don't have carbon in your filter do you? Carbon will remove the medication.
 
I see you have many posts so this question is probably a bit of an insult to you but I have to ask.

 

[marieukxx]

Just a quick question...and I don't mean to teach your gran to suck eggs, but...you don't have carbon in your filter do you? Carbon will remove the medication.
 
I see you have many posts so this question is probably a bit of an insult to you but I have to ask.

No but good question. I meant to put in my post I have no carbon in the filter but forgot lol

 

[marieukxx]

I didn''t wanna go the salt  route as I read it can damage my plants so I've gone ahead and bought the King British white spot control. It's got fantastic reviews and a lot of people say when other treatements have failed this has worked. Still keeping the temp at 30, I was tempted to takke t to 32 after reading that temp will kill the ich but I'm scared it will stress my fish a that temp. Any ideas if it would be ok for them at that temp? I'm also cleaning the tank each day.

 

[marieukxx]

Hardly any spots today, just hope it stays that way

 

[marieukxx]

No spots today!

 

[DoubleDutch]

Keep the temp high for two weeks !!! The invisible parasites (not the spots) have to be killed during that time !!!