Small white Particles in the water! Help! White spot!

[Dan 6192]

hi all,

I have a South American cichlid tank.
Iv noticed I have white spot so I am currently treating that. Has anyone had the same thing with loads of tiny white particles going around in the water (not on the surface) is this something to do with whit spot or another problem? Iv never noticed before in my previous tank/setup.

My filtration is a fluval 306 external with foam pads (white) foam sponge (black) bio noodles and then polishing pads with fluval zeo carb 120g bags on top of them.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[deeda]

White particles floating around in the tank could be multiple things but doubtful if related to Ich. Some examples would be debris getting through the filter media, sand particles if you have sand substrate and possibly even erosion of your hot water tank anode tube (not as common).

 

[Dan 6192]

Thanks for your response, so would particles manage to get through all that filter media then? When you say hot water tank can I ask what you mean by that? Do you mean the heater? Also, is the order I have my filter media in the correct way? And do I need to keep the zeo carb in all the time?

Thanks again

 

[Drstrangelove]

Agreed.

The size of the tomont (the capsule stage it becomes after it falls off and multiplies) is smaller than the size of a period.

. <-------

That is after it's stopped moving and typically began growing in the substrate.

The size of the theront, when it's a flagellating parasite and actually moving in the water, is up to 22 microns, so half as small as the human eye can see.

The size that is typically seen is when it's physically encased (trophozoite) and has been developing for a while on the aquatic animal.

 

[Dan 6192]

Agreed.

The size of the tomont (the capsule stage it becomes after it falls off and multiplies) is smaller than the size of a period.

. <-------

That is after it's stopped moving and typically began growing in the substrate.

The size of the theront, when it's a flagellating parasite and actually moving in the water, is up to 22 microns, so half as small as the human eye can see.

The size that is typically seen is when it's physically encased (trophozoite) and has been developing for a while on the aquatic animal.

Thanks for info, is there any chance then that my fish don't actually have white spot and it can be these particles in the water just getting stuck on the scales and fins? They are currently showing no signs of illness. They are eating,swimming fine and not going pale in colour

 

[Drstrangelove]

Idk what's floating in your water or what's getting stuck on the scales. If you can see the stuff, you can scoop it out and take a photo. Also, you can take a photo of your fish.

I'm just suggesting it's not ich because people don't ever report seeing ich floating or swimming in their tanks primarily because the size is too small except when it's attached to a fish and well-advanced.

I agree with Deeda that it could be multiple things.

You haven't posted enough information to do anything but make a guess. You can post some of this or a picture it would help more.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ealth-diagnostics-read-before-posting.210102/

 

[Dan 6192]

This is the best photos I could get. It's the same size particles swimming in the water. The leopard bush fish is approx 3inches to give you an idea of size

 

[Dan 6192]

I do have a sand substrate also FYI

 

[Drstrangelove]

Ich resembles small white sand. The differences are the following:

1) fish go from having no white spots to gradually having more and more
2) the white spots grow in size
3) the white spots don't move for days
4) fish swimming behavior changes to flashing
5) a new fish (or fish or live plant) was added to the tank recently, especially in the last 3-4 weeks

You can answer address those 5 things, but you haven't posted any information for anyone else.

You might have ich while also have white particles (very light weight sand or something else) floating around. If the answer is affirmative for the 5 things above plus the pic, I'd bet ich on the fish. But that isn't what's floating.

The pic alone makes me think ich, but if the spots come and go every day and you've had them for months or more, and you have a light white sand substrate that blows around, I'd guess it's sand. Only because while I think it's odd to see sand on a fish, if it's been in the tank for months, it's not ich.

Why is this an issue? Are you unsure if you have ich or are you just asking about sand floating in the tank?

 

[Dan 6192]

It's only the first day I have noticed it so I will update in a day or 2. I have added a couple new fish recently...