Urgent Help Required

[lizjamie]

My Black moor is v sick.
I went away for the weekend, she was fine before, but is now v ill looking.
She is covered in tiny pinprick white spots and one of her eyes has turned white.
What do I do? This has all come on v suddenly, on friday she had 3 tiny pin prick white spots, I have only just got her so didnt realise it was bad. ALso one of my friends (not a fish lover reckons she was fine yesterday)
I also have an oranda in there, is she at risk of catching whatever it is?
Help!

Editing:I have jsut noticed that actually they both have it. I have bought some protozin from the lfs and have started treatment.

And before I get asked it is a 58 litre tank with a baby oranda and a baby balck moor in it, I have only had them a week. I tried to do a fishless cycle but it didnt work, so current ammonia 0.5ppm, nitrites 0.5ppm nitrates 5ppm. Have been manically water changing, 25to 50% every 1 ro 2 days.

All help is much appreciated.

 

[black angel]

It sounds like whitespot brought on from the stress of cycling or the second fish was introduced recently.
Do you have a heater in the tank as getting the temperature up quickens the cycle.
If you can get a heater then raising the temperature to 28c will help.
As you ahve started the protozin then add extra air and turn off any overhead lights and make sure theres no carbon in the filter.
A much gentler way to get rid of ich is to use salt, but you cant use both together.
Good luck.

 

[LucyHurst]

>black angel

Sandy?

 

[Bec1984]

My Black moor is v sick.
I went away for the weekend, she was fine before, but is now v ill looking.
She is covered in tiny pinprick white spots and one of her eyes has turned white.
What do I do? This has all come on v suddenly, on friday she had 3 tiny pin prick white spots, I have only just got her so didnt realise it was bad. ALso one of my friends (not a fish lover reckons she was fine yesterday)
I also have an oranda in there, is she at risk of catching whatever it is?
Help!

Editing:I have jsut noticed that actually they both have it. I have bought some protozin from the lfs and have started treatment.

And before I get asked it is a 58 litre tank with a baby oranda and a baby balck moor in it, I have only had them a week. I tried to do a fishless cycle but it didnt work, so current ammonia 0.5ppm, nitrites 0.5ppm nitrates 5ppm. Have been manically water changing, 25to 50% every 1 ro 2 days.

All help is much appreciated.

It is white spot and you have done the right thing by acting so quickly by buying the protozin from your lfs as they wouldnt have lasted much longer with the disease as it would have over a couple of days attacked their mouthes and fins and killed your fish.
White spot is caused by Poor water quality and changing the water as often as you have been hasnt helped as everytime you change the water it stresses the fish out and you also destroy the healthy bacteria in the tank which in turn keep the fish healthy.
Blackangel suggested a heater, this is a good suggestion as moors well gold fish in general dont really like temperatures under 16-18 degrees celcius, but 28degrees is too hot for them 22-24degrees celcius they would be happy in,My moors are happy with that temp any hotter and they sit around sulking and wont eat.
Also fish need light and if you have any plants in the tank they need light as well so try to have the light on for at least 6-8 hours a day other wise your plants will loose colour and die and the fish will lose their color.(Do this unless you have a very well lit area in your home to place the tank so they can get as much natural light as possible.


Bec1984

 

[black angel]

>black angel

Sandy?

Took you long enough Lucy

 

[lizjamie]

Right, So I have to take the carbon out my filter so it doesnt take a way the protozin, and replace it once they are better (and chuck the other stuff away)
I now have a dilema, my water is indeed bad, but how can I change it without stressing out the fish? Also with the meds, surely I cant do many water changes but then surely if the ick doesnt get them the ammonia will?

If bad water causes ick but then water changes stresses them how can i win?

What should I do with water changes in the next few days? (last change was last night, but already water qualitity back at ammonia 0.5ppm and nitirites 0.5ppm ).

 

[LucyHurst]

>black angel

Sandy?

Took you long enough Lucy

oh come on! the only things that might link you to you are the link in your siggy and your birthday.. based on that i did pretty well

 

[black angel]

Ok you have only had these fish a week so the stress of moving plus a cycling tank has contributed to the ich.
If you need to do water changes then your best bet would be to stop the protozin and do a 50 % water change and get new carbon and run that for a day to get rid of any meds in the water.
Tahe out any live plants you have and get a heater.
Add aquarium salt at 1 level teaspoon per gallon every 12 hours for three turns. This will give you a salting level of .3%
After you have dont this you can then continue to carry on with water changing as long as you remember how many gallons you take out to replace the salt with.
For instance say you reach the .3% salting which is 3 teaspoons per gallon and you decide you need to change out 5 gallons. You add back into the tank 15 teaspoons of salt. Remember not to add salt if you top up due to condensation.
Now, with the heater the ich cant survive at high temperatures. Get the heater on after the salting is complete and get the temperature up very slowly to 80f.
Another advantage with the salt is that the goldfish will benefit as they go through the nitrite phase, salt helps them to breathe easier.
Add an airstone as well if you can to help oxygen levels with the temperature.
You will need this level of salt for 2 weeks even when the spots look like they have gone.

this is the most natural way of getting rid of ich and wont harm your cycle as meds can.