white spots - how do i diagnose?

[jenna rienne]

I just noticed that my tang, butterflies, and angel are totally covered with spots(clown, mandarin, and royal gramma have none) - they were fine yesterday! Water quality is awesome, no known causes of stress...we did order from another site, and received the WORST order ever - two hrs later over half of the order was dead. Is this the cause, and how do I treat(with inverts/corals)?

 

[kris walker]

Sounds like the cause, based on what you said. Your tank is now the prowd owner of a good ich population. Yea! You should thank those who sent you that shipment.
Seriously, ich is a huge hassle. Some people have tried "reef-safe" products like "Kick-Ich", and there have only been a few who have said it works. I tried "greenex" and it did not work for me.
What works is copper and hyposalinity/garlic, but neither with inverts or corals--must quarantine infected fish. I would do a search on any of them to learn more.
good luck,
sam

 

[fishy all the time]

I agree with Surfin Sam and th Kick Ick. You need to get some right away. I live in MN and know where you can get some. Where do you live?

 

[jenna rienne]

Originally posted by fishy all the time:
<strong>I agree with Surfin Sam and th Kick Ick. You need to get some right away. I live in MN and know where you can get some. Where do you live?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I live in Blaine. I think I know pretty much all of the stores who have saltwater supplies - I go a lot! But I want to resolve this ASAP because I love my fish. Will I still need to quarantine? Don't the parasites produce in the ls too? Is the treatment the same for ich and marine velvet? Sorry, I might sound like a moron(I'm not!), but I am worried. Appreciate all help.

 

[kris walker]

If you go with Kick-Ich, I believe you do not have to quarantine because it is considered "reef-safe".
Good luck with whatever approach you take.
sam

 

[jenna rienne]

Now that I have looked even closer, I'm thinking it's probably not ich - it does look a lot like snow/powder. From what I understand, they are pretty much doomed. Could this have come from that bad order also? Those @#$%&! I have been fighting them already because the order arrived decaying! All I have to say is stick with swf!!!! I have learned my lesson. Okay though, my other fish are spotless - why? Should I still take them all out? What a crappy day - my tank was looking sooo cool too.

 

[biggdriver]

First of all what size tank and how many fish do you have...It sounds like you have too many fish...IF your other fish were already stressed out..Territorial etc adding more could have pushed the limit..Do you have a quarrantine tank??
all fish should be quarrantined at least 2 wks prior to being introduced to the main tank. that will keep diseased and stressed fish that need to be treated out of the main tank. And it is easier to treat them in a quarrrantine tank... A few more details will be helpful

 

[biggdriver]

By the way White tufts that look like cotton are the sign of a bacterial infection..Look closely at the spots

 

[kris walker]

if its cottony, it could also be fungus.
About your question, if you can take them all out, I would. Odds are that you have a parasitic disease attacking at least one of your fish. And it takes about 3 weeks of *no fish* for the parasite to die in the main tank (it can only live without a fish host for 3 weeks). But you might get lucky and remove the parasites with the infected fish completely IF the parsites have not gone into the swimming stage yet.
sam

 

[jenna rienne]

I have 1 coral beauty,2 longnose butterfly, 1 hippo tang, 2 percula clowns, 1 mandarin goby, and 1 royal gramma. I know that this many fish requires a large tank - I have them in a 55 gal, with a 120 gal being set up now. The thing is, they've been fine for a year together - I have never had a single problem with anything. The only fish I had in that order was a six line wrasse and a naso tang (I had to, because due to a delay in home improvement, I couldn't start adding to the 120 yet) - the rest of the order consisted of a rotten starfish, a anemone/pile-of-mush, and a dead nudibranch. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

 

[jenna rienne]

No white tufts, not cottony - small white spots sprinkled on entire body...no noticeable gasping for air either. hey fishy all the time, where can I get that stuff? I'm going to do what I can first thing tomorrow. Would it be wise to try medication first and wait, or quarantine right away and use the copper? Or try the UV sterilizer? I'll do whatever. Thanks guys

 

[fishy all the time]

The place I know that has kick ich is called amazing fish. It is on Minnetonka Blvd right off off hwy 100. It is a fairly new place I have never seen it in the phone book. I work right near there at Park Nicollet Clinic that is how I found the place. The also have good deals on live rock. I told the lady that I had never been in her store before and asked how much base rock was. She sold it to me for 1.99 per pound. It was some really good stuff. I think she normally sells it for 5.99 per pound. By the way, I live in Fridley. Weird or what!?!?