Newbie Help Please

[soybean]

Yep just stick a white sponge in instead. You'll never really need to change these either.

When you've finished treating the tank do as large a water change as you can manage by doing really very thorough gravel vac, as ich goes through its cycle everywhere, including the gravel, not just on the fish.

Water changes will remove the blue.

 

[Akasha72]

Thanks a lot. That clears it up for me. I could always aim for 50% Saturday and do another 50 mid week if the blue doesn't clear the first time.

I've not noticed the platy flicking herself on stuff today so I'm hoping the whitespot is taken care of. I've not really had time to sit and look closely at their fins/tails etc for any signs of the spots but will they have just disapeared? I don't fully undertand it, sorry

 

[soybean]

How sure were you that it was definitely ich?

Here is a tetra with ich: http/bit.ly/vNguZl

Have you read up about ich at all?

In a nutshell: Ich is an infectious parasite. They feed from the fish encased in the 'white spot' on the fish. When the parasite is fully formed it emerges from the white spot, settling on the bottom, where it multiplies, re-enters the water and attaches itself to a fish. And so the cycle continues. This is why it's so important to do a really really thorough gravel vac and water change. You're not trying to get all the waste, you're trying to get the microscopic parasites. This is also why it's pointless to ever isolate a fish with ich as it's in the water anyway.

The blue isn't really an issue as such, many medications or treatments have a tinge to them. It will disappear eventually.

Some fish will just flick at things for no real reason. Are they still doing it?

 

[Akasha72]

I'm not 100% certain - they didn't look like that picture. The platy had a couple of spots on her tail and she had shiny marks behind both eyes. A couple of guppies looked like there was the odd spot on their fins and tails. As I wasn't certain what I was looking for I went by my gut feeling. I knew from childhood my Dad's fish used to rub themselves against the gravel and stones and eventually white spots would appear on their fins and tails. I saw what looked like the odd white spot and wanted to catch it before the fish got really ill.

It may well have been some other kind of parasite but the stuff I got also treated Velvet, costiasis, Trichodiniasis, neon tetra disease and fungus so I hoped if I'd diagnosed wrongly this medication would still serve me right.

Anyway, I'll do as you suggest as I trust the advice you give and see what happens.

Thanks

 

[soybean]

Yes, hopefully whatever it was was nipped in the bud. Doubt the shiny eyes was anything to worry about though, they can look pretty weird

 

[Akasha72]

Hey guys. Quick question to add to this topic. I've just had my filter in bits whilst doing a water change (I had a tiny bit of ammonia in this mornings water checks so I've done a 50% water change) and the sponge has turned blue from the white spot treatment. I've put a new white sponge in the carbon side of the filter as suggested (don't worry I've put the old one back aswell) but what I want to know is ... should I aim to change the old sponge that's gone blue in a couple of weeks once the new one has got established or do I just leave it alone and not worry about it?

Thanks - Akasha

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I think you are fine with that plan.


One thing regarding the putting of the CARBON filter back in to handle cleansing the meds from the tank. It won't. Carbon is completely used up in as little as 2 days up to a month if it is the highest quality stuff. Ultimately, if you think of carbon as lasting for a week, then act accordingly, and you won't go wrong. Basically the role of carbon for the average keeper is just to remove meds when needed. But, just plan that every time you use it, that it is completely useless for future use.

 

[Akasha72]

Just to clear up any confusion. I've not put the carbon back in. I have an interpet PF2 which has two slots - one for a black carbon sponge and one for a standard white sponge. The carbon sponge was taken out and thrown away before I added the treatment. The white sponge was left in as per the instructions. It's this that has gone blue due to the treatment for whitspot. I've put another white sponge in the spot where the black carbon should go so I now have two white sponges gathering bacteria.

My question was, should I take out the old white sponge that has gone blue in a couple of weeks or leave it where it is. Will the fact it's been stained by the whitespot treatment mean it's not working well enough

 

[soybean]

I would leave the blue one in myself, but it's up to you. It's just been stained by the treatment. You've only recently changed the carbon for new white sponge so if you do want to swap the blue one out too I'd wait a good month - 6 weeks.

 

[Akasha72]

Thanks Soybean. That's answered my query perfectly