aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I just noticed today one of my guppies has spots all over him... on further inspection of all the fish in the tank I can see spots on all the guppies, but not on the minnows or the fantail goldfish. I've put salt in the tank. I read online to dissolve it first in some of the tank water before adding it to the tank and to put it into the water in an area that has lots of water movement so I put it in where the filter is. It says to do 1/3 of the dosage first and then another 1/3 in 12 hours and the other 1/3 in another 12 hours, from memory. And also to vacuum the tank every day. So I've put 4 1/3 tablespoons of salt into the tank (64L) and will do the same again in the morning. Should I do the gravel vacuum before I add the salt or after? I really don't want to lose my fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Test the water if you can for ammonia/nitrite etc. Do a waterchange first and then add the salt. Won't hurt to gravel vac first, will help clean up the tank. What temp is your tank at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 It's a coldwater tank and I don't have a thermometer so no idea... :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Guppies are not true coldwater fish, and really do best over 20 degrees. Its quite possible that overnight your temp is dropping below that (my tank water will drop to 16 or less without a heater in my house overnight) and they are getting stressed. Change the water and add salt tho, better to have clean water. I would take the chill off a little tho doing a water change at night the water will be very cold coming out of the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I wonder if you could put a blanket over the tank at night to prevent it from dropping in temp too much. I do that with one of my tanks because the glass is thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 Bikbok they're not guppies. But since I don't know what they are and the pet shop calls them cold water guppies, that is all I can call them. :dunno: I've done the salt treatment without cleaning the tank/vacuuming or anything. In the morning I will do a gravel vacuum and water change. And I have to add salt to the new water I put in there too. I have to do it daily ... not sure how long for. I think for 7 days from when I think the ich is eradicated.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Bikbok they're not guppies. But since I don't know what they are and the pet shop calls them cold water guppies, that is all I can call them. :dunno: I've done the salt treatment without cleaning the tank/vacuuming or anything. In the morning I will do a gravel vacuum and water change. And I have to add salt to the new water I put in there too. I have to do it daily ... not sure how long for. I think for 7 days from when I think the ich is eradicated.... oh, i wonder what they are if not guppies.. can you get a photo, someone on here will surely know. Hope they are not gambusia!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 I was told they are wild guppies... but they are coldwater. I'll have to find my post about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=53890 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 They are guppies, there is no such thing as a cold water guppy they can live in temperate water (generally best kept over 18-20) but that doesn't make them a true cold water fish, regardless of what a petshop sells them as. As someone suggested this is probably why they got white spot with the lower temps over winter they have probably been subjected to lower temps and more stress than usual. What other fish are in the tank? The amount of salt you are adding is tiny, I would add at least one big handful to a 2ft tank, and maybe another in a few days if there was no improvement. Obviously this would depend on if you have any fish sensitive to salt in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Just minnows and one fantail goldfish. I added the amount of salt it says to add on the internet. From memory it was 3 tsp per gallon of water. My tank is about 19 gallons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueether Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 I believe the salt ratio for ich. is 3g per litre of water (1/2 teaspoon per litre) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Oh well it seems to be working well anyway. Once I can't see any more spots and I've done the salt treatment for 7 days after that, then I'm going to get some chemical treatment from the LFS just to be extra careful. It does seem to be doing the job though, as the spots are disappearing fast and I haven't got any casualties and no fish are lying on the bottom of the tank waiting for the end to come :thup: They're all happily swimming around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Be aware that just because you can no longer see the spots on the fish it doesn't mean the ich has gone. It has just dropped off the fish. Google for the full life cycle of white spot and you will see what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Oh well it seems to be working well anyway. Once I can't see any more spots and I've done the salt treatment for 7 days after that, then I'm going to get some chemical treatment from the LFS just to be extra careful. It does seem to be doing the job though, as the spots are disappearing fast and I haven't got any casualties and no fish are lying on the bottom of the tank waiting for the end to come :thup: They're all happily swimming around. No point in buying a chemical treatment if the salt has worked, I would just leave it as is and gradually get rid of the salt with your water changes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I know Caryl. That's the reason for the water changes daily. I've read about it. That's why you're supposed to keep using the salt for 7 days afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I'm going to get a heater hopefully on Saturday and have it at 21C. I would have it higher but I have minnows in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 The minnows are actually happy in either cold or tropical. I have seen them living happily in both an unheated tank and in one at 25 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Ok well on the net it says that if the tank is at 25C the lifecycle of Ich is over in one week.... so if that's true I will slowly raise the temp to 25C. What about the goldfish? Will it be ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I thought most people raised it further than that as 25C is standard for a tropical tank anyway. The goldfish will cope. You may need to add an airstone if it starts gasping at the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I don't have a pump though, just a filter. You can't use airstones without a pump right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Correct. You may not need it anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Well I went to Animates on Saturday and got myself a Fluval heater, Bubbilo pump and a starfish airstone and two thermometers. One is a stick on strip one and the other is a normal type thermometer that goes in the water. I'm a bit stumped... I have the heater and the pump going and I set the heater on 20C at first but the water was still cold so I kept turning it up slowly but it was still cold and I think it's on about 25C now yet the normal type thermometer is saying the water is 22C and the stick on one says it's 21C I think. :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquariumbeginner32 Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Ok so I just turned my heater up to 30C and the thermometer only says 23C :dunno: How long does it take for the heater to warm the water up to the right temp? It's been about half an hour or more. The heater is a Fluval M100 submersible one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaLife Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Take it easy on raising the temperature. Heaters other than heating are also meant to keep the water temp from fluctuation. Small fishes are more sensitive to fluctuation of any kind. An airstone just below the heater help to disperse the heat thru out more evenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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