Whitespot Getting Worse! Help!

[julibob]

I am at a loss now, I have upped the temp, and I am on day 5 of Protozin treatment, but they have more whitespot than on day one, and all fish are affected with the exception of the catfish!! I am also doing a complimentary treatment of Melafix and Pimafix.

I have only been able to give half dose of the Protozin due to the presence of the catfish.

What on earth am I going to do

Julia

 

[blazinloud]

I am at a loss now, I have upped the temp, and I am on day 5 of Protozin treatment, but they have more whitespot than on day one, and all fish are affected with the exception of the catfish!! I am also doing a complimentary treatment of Melafix and Pimafix.

I have only been able to give half dose of the Protozin due to the presence of the catfish.

What on earth am I going to do

Julia

I tried sea salt and it seem'd to clear up pretty fast.......but the catfish cant take it.....

 

[black angel]

Maybe the two treatments are negating each other.

I would stick with just the protozin and daily gravel vacs. Raise the temp to 82f and add extra air

 

[TerraDreamer]

Keep in mind that the parasite (called a trophont), when visible on the fish is immune to any treatment because it lies beneath the fish's slime coating. It is only when the cyst drops off (now called a tomont) and swims for a few hours looking for a place to attach itself (not on a fish at this stage) such as the substrate, plants, decorations, etc. that it's capable of being killed with chemicals. However, once it encysts itself on that new-found surface it is once again protected from chemical attack. After a few days, this cyst will burst, releasing what is now called thermonts, and at this stage they are once again capable of being killed with a chemical. If these thermonts find a fish host, too late, the cycle repeats itself. When you see the cysts on the fish disappear, it's not because the chemical has killed the trophont, it's because it's fallen off and is seeking a place (not on a fish) to reproduce (cell division).

So, the only way they can be killed is during the two free-swimmming stages of their very short lives.

It is widely believed that most strains of Ich cannot reproduce at temperatures above 85 degrees fahrenheit. The life cycle of the parasite is about 4 days at a temperature of 75 degrees fahrenheit and above. The magic number is 86 degrees fahrenheit when treating because thay cannot reproduce. Depending on how heat sensitive your fish are, this is the temperature which should be strived for, and maintained for at least ten days, or for a full three days after the last visible sign on fish (remember the stages; fish host as trophont, drop off and free-swim to non-fish host as a tomont, re-cyst and cell division or reproduction, then burst as thermonts and free-swim for a new fish host -- 3 to 4 days). At these temperatures, and also because the chemical you are using greatly reduces oxygen levels, you'll need to provide a lot of aeration either with additional stones, or by pointing the fin of a powerhead upward so the surface of the water is broken a great deal.

Hope this helps.

Steve