NEED MORE INFO-LITTLE WHITE DOTS

[Elaine_Bryant]

I moved the 3 discus that (I thought) are well. I put them in my bowfront and was watching them carefully..........(which is all I've been doing since I got them, the house is in shambles and my husband is thinking about taking his laundry somplace to have it done) I noticed that the last one to get well has several what seems to be white dots, I guess what ich would like. The dots are very small and he isn't itching anymore. Could this just be some that havent fallen off??? The one I left in the quarantine tank has them to. I put some coppersafe in but the dosage is only a fourth a teasp. for a 10 gallon. Also started the maracide again. He's pretty bad off so any suggestions on anything I can try are greatly appreciated, should I put the one with the white dots back in quarantine? He sure doesn't act sick.

[ShinShin]

Elaine,

You need to quit stressing your discus. Stress is the number one factor linked to discus disease. You don't let your discus get settled. Moving them, dumping all sorts of medications in their water. Slow down. Buy a book on fish disease. Fish Health , Aquariology - Fish Diseases and Water Chemistry are two suggestions.

If you have a case of Ich, which I have never seen in a discus tank that I have ever had, nor anyone else's that I have seen, malachite green and formalin will take care of it. Luckily for you, it will most likely kill what you have now. Follow through with an entire treatment protocal before you jump to something else.

Mat

[Kingsfan]

yeah ich doesn't survive in high temps, which most discus tanks are normally at anyways, what are your temps set at btw?

[AmberC]

Mat,
I have had my discus get ich twice. Once the very first time I had discus (like in 2004, temps at 82) and the second time (before I took my "break", again temps at 82 and that was before I was really active here.) I was also having a LOT of water issues.

Amber

[Kindredspirit]

I have to agree ~ I have never seen Ich either....My tanks are at 86 tho ~ always have been:)

[ShinShin]

Amber,

I am not saying it never happens. It may, and if it does, it has to be a rare occurance withthe 84+F water temps most people keep their discus. Ich also is not a couple of or a few white dots on a fish. I am suggesting that most ich outbreaks people report here are misdiagnosed. Not all white dot or spots are ich. A fish with ich looks as though he was sprinkled with fine salt. They are loaded with small white dots all over their entire bodies. At least that's been my ich experiences when I kept other tropicals in my youth.

Mat

[FishLover888]

Set your tank temp at 86F and you don't have to worry about lots of things, not just ich.

Most nasty stuff can not take temp over 86F. Your discus will be happy in that temp and you will be happy not to dump lots of med on them. In the end, your wallet will thank you too for the money you save on the meds.

I have mine set at 86F all the time. Even if there is something looks not normal on the discus such as discoloration on the fins or scales, it goes away in few days. Of course, I have an UV unit running 24x7 too. That helps for sure.

[mmorris]

Where, exactly, are the white spots? If they are on the tail, you might want to look at my thread `white spots on tail' or something like that. Can you post a picture? Martha

[Elaine_Bryant]

Hi Martha, the little white dots do look like sprinkles of salt. I have my water at 86 and have always thought that ick couldn't live at this temp, I've never seen it and neither has my friend who also has discus. I added some coppersafe and the spots seem to be dissapearing. I sure hope I haven't stressed them to much, I had to move them to hospital tank and treated with maracide per directions. I have one still in the hospital tank and the maracide doesn't seem to have helped him like the others. I guess I've been feeling to insecure because its been awhile since I've gotten any discus (not to mention the money investment) and asked to many questions because I'm basically just one of those that worry alot. So, deep breath.....o.k. got a grip....I'll quit staring at the little sick guy still in the 10 gallon. Thanks all for the input, I'll keep you posted on how they are doing.

[AmberC]

Amber,

I am not saying it never happens. It may, and if it does, it has to be a rare occurance withthe 84+F water temps most people keep their discus. Ich also is not a couple of or a few white dots on a fish. I am suggesting that most ich outbreaks people report here are misdiagnosed. Not all white dot or spots are ich. A fish with ich looks as though he was sprinkled with fine salt. They are loaded with small white dots all over their entire bodies. At least that's been my ich experiences when I kept other tropicals in my youth.

Mat

Oh I know Mat :) and my tanks were at 82 at the time too so it was a little different. I am just saying that I did have it with my discus. From what I have seen with ich.. when it first starts out it is not all over the body. I have seen it start out with only a few spots, then go full blown like salt all over the body like you are saying. But I am also a stay at home mom and am able to watch my fish like a hawk (and was when I had grouamis and guppies that got ich) So I could see it as a start.

BUT .. I am not saying that this is what is going on here, or that a lot of what is posted here on Simply is ich, but just telling you my experience because you said you didn't know anyone who had it. You have been in the hobby a lot longer than I Mat and I definitely will leave diagnosis for you :)

[Jeckel]

Last summer one of my discus developed white spots. I tried every parasite and protozoan remedy I've ever heard of: high temp, salt, copper, potassium permanganate, metro... The spots diminished but wouldn't go away completely (or if they went away they would come back after I stopped medicating). Finally I got desperate and tried a treatment for bacterial disease (Maracyn I think). This fixed the problem (or at least the spots disappeared at this time). To me, this doesn't make much sense, since I've never heard of a bacterial infection that causes discrete white spots on the fins, but that's what happened.

Jerry

[Elaine_Bryant]

thanks, if they come back I'll try that. I treated with coppersafe and most have dissappeared. He still has 2 (looks like salt) next to one of his gills, I'm hoping these will dissapear also.