Hi, I'm New

[miss_pixie]

QUOTE
and the last time (in October) it was perfect, no hint of ammonia (0mg/l), nitrate(0.1mg/l), nitrite(1mg/l)!

Exactly, not perfect. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0, nitrate, a bit above whatever your tap water tests at.

i was refereing to the ammonia.
2ft tank's in cupboard at my mum and dad's house#
under gravel filters are good enough for me, easy to maintian, and don't mess about with irregular water flow

I'd imagine all the fish you buy cost lots too, and when they keep dying its worth spending £15or so on a master test kit, isn't it?

£15 is my allowance each week for food! other wise i can't pay student tuition prices, utility bills, or rent!

any way there's no point trying to split the stock cos there ain't nothing left, well three tetra the cory and the loach.

 

[andywg]

The thing you need to remember is that whitespot is present in most tanks and there is always a contributing factor to your fish breaking out in the parasite.

This actually one of the old myths about Ich. It's lifecycle is at the very most (in the cooler waters) 72 hours. Therefore, once you actually break the cycle (after an outbreak say) there is no malicious colony of Ich waiting in the plants until something happens.

I used to have a great link on Ich but lost it when I upgraded my computer. If I find it in the next couple of days I'll repost it. I think I got it off an oooold post on here...

Andy

 

[miss_pixie]

yey pie!
great thet would be excelent. last time any of my fish had white spot/ ich was years ago, and it was the goldfish.

 

[bunjiweb]

The thing you need to remember is that whitespot is present in most tanks and there is always a contributing factor to your fish breaking out in the parasite.

This actually one of the old myths about Ich. It's lifecycle is at the very most (in the cooler waters) 72 hours. Therefore, once you actually break the cycle (after an outbreak say) there is no malicious colony of Ich waiting in the plants until something happens.

I used to have a great link on Ich but lost it when I upgraded my computer. If I find it in the next couple of days I'll repost it. I think I got it off an oooold post on here...

Andy

I disagree, i have read about it being found in tap water. I also read it can lay dormant in the gravel for a while until there is a stressed fish to latch onto and spread. I would agree that if you have had whitespot and have managed to control and eradicate it from the fish completely then you are unlikely to have it again very soon. Having said this I can't trust everything I read and unless a scientist who specialises in aquatic parasites wants to explain it to me im not sure i will ever believe everything i read about diseases and parasites as there is always conflicting information on the net.

Going back to tank miss_pixie, as said an extra 15L is nothing when you look back at your stocking list.

I suggest you leave the tank how it is, 35L is little more than 6 gallons and I would personally not attempt to keep more than 10 fish in it of neon-tetra size. Things like corys need plenty to scavange and prefer friends. With 3 tetras, a cory and a loach left I would consider getting 1 or 2 more corys and MAYBE a couple more tetra, but this really depends what kind of loach you actually have.
PLEASE don't buy any plecs, and don't hesitate to ask on here if you aren't sure about a fish you have seen. Don't impulse buy, and don't always trust the shopkeepers opinon, no matter how many years of fishkeeping he tells you he has.

Ben

 

[andywg]

There is no chance of it lurking in the substrate. The only time the parasite can feed is when attached to a fish (trophont). It would have no way to sustain itself while unattached (this is the tomont stage, when the parasite divides and reproduces, ending with hundreds of new organisms emerging). It would remain at the most for 4 or 5 days. Maybe even 6 in an extremely cold pond. The free swimming stage - thermont - must find a host within a few days or it will die.

It can appear to always be present for if a new fish is lightly infected (infections usually begin on the insides of the gills) then it could take a long time for a fishkeeper to notice.

A good article is here (hope mods don't mind)

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

and he directly addresses the Ich in every tank myth.

HIH

Andy

 

[dave_m13]

I have had Ich only once and that was when i added new clown loaches, I started adding medication, it did not do much for 1-2 weeks, I then went onto another forum to ask for advice and the the way that I got rid of Ich in the tank was to raise the temp very slowly to 31-32C as well as dosing with white spot control.

I believe the reason for raising the temp, was that the parasite cannot survive this temp and will speed up the cycle of Ich. I had no problems with any of my fish at this temp, I suppose it took at least a week to get to the temp, raising 1 degree every 12-24 hours. I kept it at this temp for at least another week and monitored, all the white spots went and I then slowly reduced the temp back down to 26C.

I added a new polka dot loach last week and noticed the clown loaches rubbing against some bogwood, only closer inspection saw white spot, so I am going to try the above again to see if it works again.

 

[lavapeanut]

Hi, I am a newbie in fish keeping. My newly arrived fish seem caught Ich/White spots. I did and still seperating the sick zebra danio in a very small hospital tank. But at least it's getting over white sopts with treatment I've done in past 36 hours.

Though soon after I take that fish out in hospital tank, I realised there is another zebra danio having a white dot on its tail.

The tomont may swim for several hours before settling on and attaching to the substrate, a plant, or some other surface. During that time it is susceptible to chemicals and medication will be effective. Once attached, it begins its reproductive stage. It encysts and begins rapidly dividing. At this point, it is again immune to chemicals. Within a few days, hundreds of new organisms burst from the cyst, sprout cilia and start swimming in search of a host.

I still haven't put that into hospital tank since the tank is too small for 2 zebra danio & I was told it's good to treat the whole tank with white spots treatment as soon as possible

(Going to put first medicines/Chemicals EVER in my first tank soon)....

I have learnt a lot from what's had been said about white spots/Ich myth here Thanks

 

[andywg]

I have had Ich only once and that was when i added new clown loaches, I started adding medication, it did not do much for 1-2 weeks, I then went onto another forum to ask for advice and the the way that I got rid of Ich in the tank was to raise the temp very slowly to 31-32C as well as dosing with white spot control.

I believe the reason for raising the temp, was that the parasite cannot survive this temp and will speed up the cycle of Ich.

You are correct that the life cycles of ich is speeded up at these temperatures, but it is the medication that is killing them still.

The increased speed of the life cycle means the times when the parasite is immune to medication (tomont and trophont) is not as prolonged and so you increase the frequency the organism is subject to lethal medication. The higher tempmakes other methods quicker. If you just raised the temp all you would do is speed up the process and have the white spot take over quicker.

 

[miss_pixie]

thanx, that article was really interesting, i was already increasing the temperature which is around 29 degrees.

 

[Ptarmigan]

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