White spot woes

[CattyV]

I can see why the two are mistaken for one another. I’m guessing the fish would still try get the parasite off by the flicking I’ve seen?

It’s hard to say to be honest. I’ll have another proper look when I’m home tonight and lights are back on. It seems on the fins. I’m assuming you mean spots on the lines of the fins themselves rather than in between?

Can it only affect one fish? No other seems spotty at all. I’ve seen maybe two catfish flick on the sand but no spots whatsoever anywhere. Just my embers and green neons with them.

I shall order a bottle of Myxazin in the meantime. Thank you for the advice.

[black ghost]

It will only be on the fish that have a bacterial infection (if it is epistylis). Myxazin will treat the infection. If there’s damaged tissue the epistylis might remain, in which case you’ll need a long term salt bath. Usually though it will leave the fish when it’s food (bacteria) is gone, and remain as a harmless background presence in the tank.

Flicking just means they have an itch. It could be the epistylis or the bacteria… or if it’s a one-off, just an itch. Catfish doing it regularly can mean a dirty substrate.

Epistylis doesn’t always look like “fluffy tufts” but from your description I’m not certain it is. The spots are different shapes and sizes, yes? We can rule out protozoa and fungi because of the Protozin, so a bacterial cause is usually the next one to treat for anyway.

[CattyV]

The spots are quite uniform to be honest. It’s hard to see on photos as they just move about so fast they blur when the shutter goes ha! I would describe it as salt like flecks. Which is why was sticking with it being white spot. Some can’T be seen as they’re on the body and very fleck like. Blur on movement

The substrate is cleaned weekly but it is always filthy. Not sure if that’s the catfish making a mess (I have 8 corys). But it is cleaned honest! I mean would a daily clean help? I have a Fluval Provac.

Just absolutely fed up of it. Been going on since 3rd April to no end.

[black ghost]

Weird
What temp is the tank at Val?
You also have to remember that ich has a 14 day life cycle, when the white spots fall off the spore falls and will find a new host. Have you kept up one of the meds over a full 14 days?…

Just for the sake of pedantry, at 75F the whitespot life cycle is 6 days.

[CattyV]

Ok so I had another look and the spots don’t seem to be on the fin rays. They are concentrated on tail and dorsal fins. With the odd one on body. Would it help to do a gravel vac daily for you think?

[black ghost]

Do you clean the substrate fully with a gravel cleaner or do you just hoover the top?

Have a look at this site. If you tick ALL the symptoms you see and then click at the bottom for a diagnosis….

http://www.fishyportal.com/diag/

[CattyV]

To be honest I try not to clean it fully, as in fully immerse the vac, and with the sand I have to hover. It might agitate the top layer. If i deep clean I tend to only do a section, say a third. Then another following water change and hover the rest.

It’s still telling me ich from symptoms but that’s a good link, thank you! I’ve never seen this before. The spots are definitely white not grey/white. If I ticked grey/white it comes up bacterial. White, ich. Only symptoms are white sand like spots and very very occasional scratching and flicking against the plants.

Is there a particular food that could help? I boost the opened pellets with JBL multivits and do use garlic as well as I know can be anti parasitic

[CattyV]

Sorry also forgot to mention that when this all started, back in April, all of the fish in the tank were itching. I noticed it with my honey gourami most and the rasboras. They now seem totally fine. Never saw spots on them though.

[black ghost]

Sorry also forgot to mention that when this all started, back in April, all of the fish in the tank were itching. I noticed it with my honey gourami most and the rasboras. They now seem totally fine. Never saw spots on them though.

Had you just added fish?

I agree it’s sounding less like epistylis. The spots look big and non-uniform but I guess that’s because of the movement of the fish in the photos.

If you have gravel you should really be keeping it all “deep-cleaned”. Otherwise it fills up with muck, and can be a breeding ground for some of the non-friendly disease organisms. Also whitespot spores form a sticky coating when they drop off the fish, and a gravel clean will remove many of them…

[CattyV]

Ok I will try to deep clean from now on. I’ll do it daily whilst treating. Might help to suck up any spores/eggs or whatever is lurking. Just never thought it was good to do I guess for potential ammonia spikes but the tank is now 7 years mature.

Just can’t understand how it’s not going with the treatment.

I’m not sure there’s a way to attach a video? I could show the spots better then. It’s so difficult to get photos as they just move so quick.