# Effective whitespot treatment



## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

Hi guys and girls - I just wanted some confirmation (of sorts) - is turning the temperature in your tank up to 30 degrees Celsius an effective way to clear whitespot from your tank? 


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## Dylan (15 Nov 2015)

well if you cant get to a pet shop you can lower the water temperature if you have a heater or take out about half and fill it will fairly cold water it should kill the parasite if not clean the tank well


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## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

I did not want to put medication into a newly planted tank.  I read that turning up the heat can kill the parasite on its own.


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## BigTom (15 Nov 2015)

Raising the temperature that high is going to be pretty hard on the plants and any livestock. I've had good results with Protozin in planted tanks, doesn't seem to do any harm and very effective at clearing whitespot.


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## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

Thanks - i only have cardinal and neon tetras and 5 ottos.  I have no shrimp atm. I dont think my lfs stocks protozin. I would be worried about the plants - mainly java fern, crypts and dwarf sag.


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## alto (15 Nov 2015)

You might check with local shops (chemists or veterinary or livestock) if anyone has
- formalin - extremely effective against white spot
(when used in combination with malachite green, there is synergy of action, so one of most effective external parasite remedies, but has potentially more side effects than formalin alone) 
 - metronidazole - not ideal for whitespot but decent if it's not an "infestation"

Note that neither (& most) medications should be combined with heat re lowered oxygen levels (& other possibles)

The 30C is quite hard on plants, it is also rather hard on fish that are already struggling to breathe (ich parasites generally lodge in gill structure before being observed externally).
Note that if ich spots are large & raised, this is a very aggressive strain (ich parasite can complete life cycle on fish which leads to the amorphous spreading spots) & should not be treated with heat.
When doing the heat treatment, water changes should be done every 12 - 24 hours with thorough vacuuming of substrate to remove ich lifecycle stages


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## Greenfinger2 (15 Nov 2015)

Hi Halley, I found this info. Hope it helps.

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_88/white-spot.htm


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## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

Thanks for the responses - it is funny that there is not a set standard treatment for this common disease. In my case there is any a couple of visible spots on about 4 fish.  It is a new tank (about 5 weeks old) loaded with plants.


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## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

*only


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## alto (15 Nov 2015)

Halley said:


> funny that there is not a set standard treatment for this common disease


There is more so in scientific literature, not so much in articles & of course every manufacturer/retailer wants to sell you their own special remedy (that is better than anyone else's - some of which are completely unfounded in terms of actual known science  )

Like the common cold, there are many localized strains & some that have spread worldwide ... with only a couple spots you may be able to treat with just increased temperature & water changes
(science on this one actually as well BUT fish were kept in bare tanks etc, I don't recall the details, researcher was just proving that it was possible ... & of course, fish species & ich strain come into play ...)
Of course there are also now resistant strains of ich - temperature & drug

Watch fish closely for activity, behavior, food response, respiration rate as these seldom lie


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## Tim Harrison (15 Nov 2015)

Like Tom said I think you're better off using a generic or brand cure. I've used eSHa products in the past and they've all been effective and efficient, without any impact on critters or plants. http://www.eshalabs.eu/europe/products/esha-exit.html
IMO, the alternatives are all a bit hit and miss and risk increasing stress on already ailing fish which can leave them vulnerable to secondary infection and ultimately death...why prolong the agony if it's not necessary? 
However, thought also needs to be given to the initial cause and what can be done to prevent disease from reoccurring...thus avoiding the need for similar treatments in the future.


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## Halley (15 Nov 2015)

Thanks again for the replies.  I tried heat and salt before and that worked so I thought I could use heat again.  I might try esha exit.  It is a new setup but was very heavily planted so I think i got infected fish from my lfs. 


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## dw1305 (15 Nov 2015)

Hi all, 





Troi said:


> I've used eSHa products in the past and they've all been effective and efficient, without any impact on critters or plants. http://www.eshalabs.eu/europe/products/esha-exit.html


I've used eSHa Exit successfully as well.

cheers Darrel


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## Halley (16 Nov 2015)

I just bought some esha exit - so hopefully that will do the trick


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## Tim Harrison (16 Nov 2015)

I'm sure it will, don't forget to take in to account the volume of your filter and take out any absorbent filter material e.g. activated charcoal, purigen etc


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## Halley (16 Nov 2015)

Cheers thanks Troi


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## PARAGUAY (16 Nov 2015)

As I recall salt treatment and raising temperature ,so the parasite becomes free swimming was the way to go, with Esha you can use it and it will treat all parasitic skin parasites so you cant sort of misdiagnose better still you can combine the Esha range to cover secondary bacterial inf.etc unlike similar products


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## Halley (19 Nov 2015)

I finished 3 days treatment of esha exit - however i found some old juwel carbon pads in the internal filter - the fish still have whitespot - should i take out the carbon pads and do the full dosage treatment again?


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## Tim Harrison (19 Nov 2015)

Yes, I think the carbon will have pretty much removed the treatments active ingredients. Make sure you follow the instructions and do the requisite water changes first though.


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## Halley (19 Nov 2015)

It says you dont need to do any water changes on the instructions


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## Tim Harrison (19 Nov 2015)

OK, great, good to go. I've obviously confused it with another treatment.


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## Halley (19 Nov 2015)

Cheers thanks 


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