Ktttk Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 hi, I have a bunch of clown loaches who have the white spot disease. I'm currently treating them with the blue circle white spot cure.. which appears to be methylene blue. After I have administered the required dosage, the water goes a blue colour then it clears up the next day. Does this mean the medication is gone? Or is the water suppose to stay blue for 3 days? I have a few plants in the tank and no carbon in the filter. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 When my goldfish had white spot...the treatment I used did turn the water blue when I put it in...sorry, but I don't remember how long...but it did not stay blue. Good to see you took the carbon out because that just absorbs the treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 You need to remember that when treating Clown Loaches for White Spot, you should only dose with I think it is half the recommended dose, Clown Loaches are very sensitive to meds, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong with the doseage rate, but I do no it should not be the full dose that is directed on the bottle, yes this treatment will turn the water blue, as far as I remember the water never stayed as blue as it did when you first medicate, I usually turned my filters down abit so it doesnt suck all the medication out. Think you are also meant to turn the temp up to round 29 degrees. You could do a serch on White Spot, this will bring up all the threads bout it, remember serch on the FNZAS serch not the Google one. Good Luck Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 methylene blue is used as a fungicide usually. Does it say on the bottle what the active ingredients are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 It looks like it has a small amount of meth blue in it but it doesn't have anything on the label about whats in it well at least mine doesn't. I used this successfully a few months ago the blue does fade quite rapidly after the first day as long as you dont have carbon in your filter its fine. The advice I was given (which I followed and it worked) were: Up your temp (if you fish can handle it). Do 3 doses directly after each other (following the directions for this on the back of the bottle) I did a water change and added the extra meds with the new water I was adding every 3 days. The white spot was gone at the end of the second dose so I guess I could have stopped then but I wanted to be sure I had killed all the white spot spores that were off the fish. As for treating with clown loaches in the tank I know they are very sensitive to some meds so it would pay to ask someone who knows about that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 scalless fish you have to do half doses on do you have carbon in your filters? maybe thats taking it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktttk Posted February 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Thanks for the replies guys. I did the first dose on saturday, so will wait till monday night to do another one. I have used the recommended dosage (2 drops per litre) in the first dose.. and they seem to be fine, eating as usual. I checked today and there are more white spots appearing on the loaches. I'll halve the dosage anyway in case it might do more harm than good. Fingers cross that the 2nd and possibly 3rd doses will do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Hi Kittk, What you do over the next week or ten days will determine whether you have erradicated the White Spot or not. White Spot has several stages that it must go through, and there is only "one" stage that the parasite is vunerable to medication, which is between the "Tomite" stage and the "Tetrahymina" stage. The First stage the fish gets infected. Second stage the cyst drops from the fish. Stage three the cyst gets ready to multiply. (Tomite Stage) Stage four, becomes free swimming and looks for a new host to re-infect. (Tetrahymina Stage) You say: I checked today and there are more white spots appearing on the loaches It is "very" important that you watch for the SECOND stage... the point where they start to drop from the fish. Depending on the temp of your tank, this could take a day or so.. so keep watch and once you see that all the White Spots are gone from the fish, siphon the bottom carefully to remove as many of the cysts (spots).. that have dropped from the fish. Just because you can't see any more spots does "not mean" that the parasite is gone.. as it is laying on the bottom of your tank waiting to burst open and spread millions more parasites.. if it gets the chance.. but here is where the meds come in... so it is also important to follow the instructions regarding the doses you need to apply. Repeat the siphoning before you re-dose and top up the tank. Make sure the top up water is the same temp. Clown Loach are "very" subseptical to white spot, so avoid stress... draughts.. rapid temp changes.. or anything that will stress them out unduly. Hope they come right. Take care now Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 I've always raised my tank temps to 30 degrees while treating white spot. This speeds up the life cycle and helps get to the stage which the malachite green (primary active ingredient in white spot cures) kills the white spot. By the way, the plants absorb the malachite green. Best of luck and keep up the treatments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 If I recall correctly, don't you have to keep treating for at least a couple of days after the white spots are gone from the fish as well? At least the meds I used that time suggested that, and I am pretty sure I've read it on the net and here too 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kookie Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 the complete cycle for white spot is around 48 hours, if your tanks water is raised. Raising the temp helps to get the cycle going. It is recommended to treat 3 times, once every 2 days, doing a 50% water change each time. DO NOT dose a fourth time without doing a FULL water change. Pegasus is right on the money. Good luck with your loaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 Kookie said: DO NOT dose a fourth time without doing a FULL water change. Pegasus is right on the money. Thanks Kookie.. but ... Sorry... I "didn't" say anything about a "FULL" water change, as the purpose of removing the water via a siphon is to remove the cysts that have dropped from the fish. Additional aeration should be used if the temp is increased, as the additional heat means there will be less disolved oxygen in the water. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kookie Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Thanks Kookie.. but ... Sorry... I "didn't" say anything about a "FULL" water change, as the purpose of removing the water via a siphon is to remove the cysts that have dropped from the fish. Bill. Yup I realise this, and simply meant you were right on the nose with your advice. Perhaps I should have added an extra space between those lines so as not to confuse anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktttk Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I am glad to announce that the white spot is gone and all the clown loaches are back in top condition. Thank you all for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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