White spot or not?

Hendre

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Came home to a pleasant surprise today. As I fed some mosquito larvae I have noticed some white patches on some of my African knifefish and the snakeskin gourami. Not too pleasant.

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?
I have noticed white spots on my African knifefishes and snakeskin gourami. One knife also has a cloudy eye. I have been feeding mosquito larvae collected from a rainwater bucket since two days ago.


2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).
A cloudy eye with a knife, and white spots on the knives and gourami.


3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.
No treatment used yet.



Tank/Water

4. Tank size and ages, numbers and sizes of fish.
70 Gallon - 48x18x18

4x African knifefish: 1-2 years old
2x Senegal bichirs: 1 year old
1x Featherfin synodontis: 2 years old
1x Snakeskin gourami: 8 months old
2x ropefish: Two weeks

5. Water change regime (What percentage and how often).
50% once every two months. Filter clean bi-weekly


6. How long has tank been running? Is it bare bottom? If you have substrate, what type and how deep is it?
Tank has been running as is now for over a year, black sand substrate 0.5-2cm thick at a gradient.


7. Do you age your water? If you do for how long and what is the pH swing?
None. 8.2 --> 7.6


8. Parameters and water source;

Note: Water Parameters are important in diagnosing problems within a tank. If you don't own test kits for the following information, you can purchase them, test your parameters and post this info as soon as possible.

Kh - 2

Gh - 5
Ph - 7.2
TDS - 172
Temp - 77 f
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5

Tested with API master liquid kit, API Gh and Kh and an electric TDS meter


What type of water or combinations of water sources do you use? If it is an RO/tap/well water mix, please list percentages in the mix.

- well water ____

- municipal water - 100%


- RO water ____


9. Any new fish, plants or inverts added recently?
Two ropefish added two weeks ago. Also added a new (unused) sponge filter today.


10. What are the fish fed? How much and how often?
Pellets 4-6 times weekly, frozen bloodworm weekly and mosquito larvae/earthworms when available.


11. Include any pictures or videos you have which shows the symptoms. If you can't add them to this post, please provide a link to them.




 

kno4te

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Looks like ich. Salt and heat won’t work in ur planted tank. What meds for ich are available in South Africa?
 
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Hendre

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Looks like ich. Salt and heat won’t work in ur planted tank. What meds for ich are available in South Africa?
I have a bottle of Marltons "Anti ick". Contains methylene blue and quinine.
 

tlindsey

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Methylen Blue will kill off beneficial bacteria if you didn't know that already.
 

kno4te

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Can try it as a dip.
 

Hendre

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Methylen Blue will kill off beneficial bacteria if you didn't know that already.
I have used this medication before with no ill effects. Now equipped with an upcoming holiday and API kit I think I can keep the water clean...

Can try it as a dip.
Does ich not have a life cycle in the tank too?
 

kno4te

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I have used this medication before with no ill effects. Now equipped with an upcoming holiday and API kit I think I can keep the water clean...


Does ich not have a life cycle in the tank too?
It does thats why you got to vacuum and perform water changes while treating the fish probably for several weeks. Get rid of as much of the parasite as ur able to.
 

Rocksor

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Personally, I would use the medication in the tank, especially since the OP has experience using it. It would get rid of any swarmers that are in the process of finding a host.
 
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Hendre

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Personally, I would use the medication in the tank, especially since the OP has experience using it. It would get rid of any swarmers that are in the process of finding a host.
If the medication is in long enough it would kill all of the ich eventually?
 

Rocksor

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If the medication is in long enough it would kill all of the ich eventually?
Yes it would. Follow the instructions per the manufacturer of that medication. I know the MB ingredient stains, so if you have a glass tank, it may stain the silicone.
 
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