sewelld Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi We're just starting out. I have the tank setup, with a carbon filter and heater and 2 airstones, in the back left and right corners. The tank is approx 60 litres. Size is 600x300x300mm The tank was filled and left running for about 4 weeks, then I did a partial water change and bought 6 neon tetras, 2 bristlenose plecostamous and 6 guppies. Now about 8 weeks later, we have lost 1 neon tetra and 3 guppies. I think the tetra dies from stress over the last water change, as it was fine before, but dead on the bottom after. The Tetras had Fin Rot, and diesd before I could find out what to do... Still don't know what to do about this (help please!). I have had the water tested, and it is fine apart the amonia being a bit high, but nothing a couple more changes wouldn't fix... Now today, the remaining tetras have whitespot. After reading thru this forum, we can do 3 things. 1. increase the temperature 2. buy a white spot treatment 3. add salt. ( I was told too much can be bad for the Plecos.. but how much would be to much) Can anyone recommend a good all round water testing kit? I only have one at the moment which tests for PH (this at present is neutral) Any help would be good, as I want to add a couple of fish for my girls, but I want the tank healthy first... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichlid7 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 hi welcome to the forum for whitespot you can raise the temp up to about 30*c and it should clear in a few days add a product called tonic it cures about 7 different things including whitespot but you will have to take the carbon out of your filter when adding chemicals as carbon removes chemicals from the water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 No need for the salt. You ran the tank for 4 weeks then did a partial water change. There was no need as nothing would have happened in a tank with nothing in it up to that point. The cycle doesn't start until you add fish or ammonia of some sort. You then added 14 fish which was way too many at once in a new tank (the 4 weeks empty don't count). The ammonia levels etc would have gone skyhigh, resulting in the deaths you experienced. They are obviously still stressed, probably from the ammonia, which is why they have whitespot. I suspect the tetras had ammonia burns, not fin rot. Keep up with the water changes daily until you get a 0 reading for ammonia. Make sure you siphon the substrate well when you do this as you will be sucking up whitespot cysts too. Increase the temperature, as suggested, and use the whitespot treatment as per instructions on the bottle. It takes a while for all the signs of whitespot to disappear so don't disheartened. (Don't panic at the water colour when you add the treatment either!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks. I had plants in it during the 4 weeks, which is why I thought a waterchange was needed. What's the best kit to get to test the ammonia, nitrate etc... My wife has gone out and bought some Methalene Blue based treatment for the whitespot, and we'll start working on this when I get home tonight. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I can't recommend a particular test kit as I don't know many and haven't used one for years :-? They are good when you are cycling a tank though and/or having problems as the results will help determine what the problem is and the way to fix it. 99.9% of problems are caused by poor, or incorrect, water conditions. Watch the meth blue as it stains easily and I think it also says on the bottle (get out the magnifying glass) it is carcinogenic :roll: Handle carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Whatever whitespot treatment you use, it is CRUCIAL that you keep treating the tank for a number of days AFTER the last spot falls. The spot falling off is not a sign that it died. It is falling to the ground to grow and release free-swimming infectious 'spots'. It is only the freeswimmers that can be killed. I have cold water tanks so I am not sure what the lifecycle length is in tropical. A week would be pretty certain. Thing is if you stop early the reinfection is usually MUCH worse than the initial infection. Other than that, you are getting good advice above (methylene alone kills whitespot??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks all. I've done a part water change and added the Meth Blue. When you say to continue the treatment, do you mean doing a water change, and then add the correct amount of meth blue for the amount of water you change? ie: if I remove 10 litres and put in 10 litres of new water, do I add the amount of meth blue for 10 litres or the entire tank? Thanks again Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 ie: if I remove 10 litres and put in 10 litres of new water, do I add the amount of meth blue for 10 litres or the entire tank? I *think* so.... some meds get bound out by organic matter, not sure about meth blue. I use salt on whitespot now. Cheap, you always have it and I feel is easier to use. You always know exactly how much is in there because it doesn't evaporate or change. But anyway, keep using what you started with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 All good advice as usual folks Luckily *knocks on wood* I haven't had the problem with ich in ages. But just to put in my 2 cents worth. I bought the cure for ich that was acutally used specifically for ich. Now I know what you have there is not the exact same product but approximately the same idea as far as treatment goes. I followed the directions exactly as they said and the ich was gone! Good luck and let us know how the fishes made out! Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted February 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Thanks for all the advice. It's great to have found a forum which is good and local! We'll continue with the Meth Blue treatment. One question, the directions on the bottle are lousy, it tells you the quantity to add, but nothing else. Should I continue do to water changes on a daily basis? Ok, two questions! After a couple of days now, I notice that the water slowly clears, does this mean that the chemical is slowly diluting and will need a 'boost'? I know I will have to keep this medication up for a couple of weeks, I'm just unsure of how often I should be adding the Meth Blue(This is made by Wunder), and on what quantities after the initial add. Thanks Again Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't know about methayline blue. Not able to get it here, well unless the new pet store has it. Check with you pet store. I thought, but could be completely wrong, that what you folks have for ich there is called Wonder Tonic, I repeat could be wrong on the name. I went to see if I had an old bottle of what I used but I guess I threw it out long ago. The treatment I had didn't require an increase in temp so I never did do that. All I can remember is retreating again AFTER there were no visible signs on the fish, like was mentioned previously. All I can recall from the directions on what I used was 25% water change to start; remove carbon; treat for X number of days; water change which includes vacuuming the substrate and start the treatment over again. Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Another thing that might help stabilise things in your new tank and will jump start the filter would be to get some squeezings from someone else's filter, sounds revolting but it'll contain good amounts of the bacteria needed for cycling your tank. You might find someone local who is willing to let you have some gunge. It always works a treat when we set up a new tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hi Update. We still have 5 Neon Tetras, 2 Plecos and 2 Guppies. Ich seems to be gone.... Amonium levels look OK, but the tail on the one guppy went ragged and is now very compressed. My investigations would indicate fin rot. What can we give them to deal with this? I have a second tank, but no heater or filters for it, could I use this as a temp hospital tank to treat him? Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 If you can keep the second tank at a heat similar to the first one it would be okay. For one guppy get a 2 litre ice cream container,or something that floats and fill it with water from the existing tank and float it in the top of the tank. I add one gram of rock salt per litre of water and it works wonders. You can water change an icecream container every day with no probs and every time you add new water add another gram of salt per litre of new water until it heals up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Thanks for that tip, we tried it out and it looked like is was working, but I think we caught it too late.... He died on us. At the moment all is well, but, how do you know if you have totally go rid of whitespot from the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Sorry about your loss How do you know you got rid of it all? Hmmm, the only thing I can think of is, you don't see it anymore on the fish. I treated my tank exactly as per the instructions and then no more problems. I would think that if you didn't get rid of the cysts (I think that's what they are called) you would see the ich back on your fish, what do others have to say??? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewelld Posted March 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Hi and Thanks! All been good on the Ich for a while now. All the remaining fish are healthy and happy, so we bought the guppy a couple of friends, and they all seem to be good as well. So far so good. Thanks for all the advice and help. It was a tremendous help in working out what was wrong and the best way to go about treating it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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