Ok, Over here we simply call it white spot! It is by no means a serious disease, you should test all water parameters to make sure they are good. This disease is usually associated with stress on the fish, which in 95% of cases is caused by water parameters being off the mark. After testing water parameters, if you find anything wrong then do a 50% water change, and leave the tank for atleast three days, remember stress is the leading cause and a watre change is a time of stress for the fish. That is why you dont want to do too many water changes in too short a space of time. If water parameters are good then its time for phase two, medicating the disease. You are right a higher temp does help to get rid of the disease, raise your temp to 28/29 degrees celcius. The higher the temp the easier it is for the fish to fight the disease. Dont worry about a temp like that the other day my silver was in a tank at 32 degrees celcius and it did not mind at all. The best thing for a disease like this is a salt water bath, as it kill all fungus and parisites on the fishes skin (will kill fish to if its left in long enough). If I do a salt water bath then I leave a fish in for about 5 min max. Carefully observe the fish and watch until it starts to get stressed, then remove it. Another very effective treatment is the addition of copper sulphate to the water, but this is not one for novices. It is a very small dose (like 1/10th of a teaspoon for 1500 Liters of water or something like that). Yes I am aware that copper ions in the water kills fish but that is at a much higher concentration, This low dosage will kill plants, paristies, fungus and also bacteria this means no havy feeding as biological filters will take a hammering from this type of treatment. The 2nd last way to treat this disease is to go to a store and buy medication. I find that the best types of medication is a course treatment inwhich you add it to the water everyday at the same time with no water changes done during the treatment. Try to find a treatment like this. Also a multipurpose treatment is good because not only will it knock the ich on the head but may take care of other nasties the fish may have. Finally you could treat the fish by doing nothing (given water parameters are all ok). These fish are usually quite a resilient lot and will take care of the disease themselves given time. I dont recommend this way just wanted to give you all options I know of is all.
Now about the disease. The fish always has this disease within its body and the immune system is allways keeping it in its place. When the fish gets stressed its immune system starts to fail it and then the disease gets a chance to take hold. That is why I cant tell you enough times not to stress your fish, keep the water parameters as good as possible and keep human interference to a minimum, that way the fish will be happy and have strong immune system to deal with any disease.
Of the above methods I recommend a combination of, in the following order:
1. test all water parameters, and if needed fix them.
2. give the fish a salt water bath to kill most of the disease
3. put it back into a holding tank seperate from all other fish and treat it using store bought medication.
4. put your fish in a bigger tank to grow, it will end up deformed if it is forced to grow in such a small tank.
Good luck
