White spot disease / ICH
Symptoms
White spots or mucous is over secretion on skin or fin.
At first, white spots are scattered, but in severe case, white spots will cover the entire body. Moreover, you can see if the fish rubs their body, the breath speeds up (the movement of gill opercle), or sinks at the bottom of aquarium tank.
Cause
It is caused by parasitism of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.
It mostly happens to bring in new fish or water plants.
Although it can apparently be seen Ichthyophthirius multifiliis attach onto the fish body, actually it parasitizes into their transparent skin and then intake their cells and body fluid.
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis grow up by intaking fish’s nutrition from their body and then leave them.
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis which seen in the surface of the water will form a gelatinous membrane called cyst on the gravels, glasses, or soils, and cell division repeat in cyst, then produce hundreds to thousands of larvae.
The produced larvae leave from cyst to the surface of the water, and then parasitize fish again.
The whole lifecycle for necessary date and number of larvae produced vary depending on the water temperatures.
Generally speaking, the lifecycle becomes shorter, and more larvae produced once the water temperatures rise.
For example, it needs a week to run a cycle at the water temperatures around of 20℃.
For Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, it is amazing that it only takes short time to leave the fish body, grow up, form cyst, and then release.
In other words, an imago can produce hundreds to thousands time of larvae within 24 hours.
Countermeasure
The treatment for white spot disease aims to eradicate mature parasites detached from infected fish before they form trophonts and cysts.
The treatment is to replace about half to one-third of the water and take a medical bath with appropriate medicine.
There are some medicines contain pigment agent which make water blue or green. (except for F clear)
But the color disappears when the effectiveness of the medication diminishes.
If this is still not workable on treating, please replace about half to one-third of the water and take a medical bath again.
Although the white spots disappear from body, it’s possible parasitizing larvae can’t be seen by eye, please don’t be careless and observe for a period of dates.
Also, rise the water temperatures to 26～28℃ is effective.
Their lifecycle will be shorter, and then the effectiveness of the medication increases.
However, fish feel stress when the water temperatures change drastically,
please use heater to gradually rise the water temperatures.
If the disease is severe, the treatment will be difficult, so please prioritize early detection and early treatment.
Medical treatment
Green F、 Green F Liquid、 Green F Clear、 Agten、 Agten powder、 Methylene blue aqueous solution
| 薬品名 | 薬効期間 | Green F | 5～7日 |
|---|---|
| Green F Liquid | |
| Methylene blue aqueous solution | |
| Green F Clear | 10～14日 |
| Agten | 2～3日 |
| Agten powder |
