[Cook.MN]

Ok, I picked up 2 Acei tonight from Petsmart to finish off my tank. I sat there and watched them in their tank for a good 10 minutes and didn't notice anything unusual on sight. However when I got them home and started to float them I noticed that there were white spots on their fins. If it were on their bodies as well I would think ick because that's what it looks like however it's just on their fins.

Without having an extra tank for quarantine I slapped something together...I have a large bucket (holds about 10-15 gallons of water) that I put a spare heater in and an air stone. I let the heater sit in there to hold the bucket at a stable 82F (just incase it is ick but hasn't spread to the bodies yet).

So few questions pertaining to this...

1. I figure I'll be able to keep the two Acei in the bucket for a few days, I mean people ship fish all the time that takes 2-4 days of them just sitting in a plastic bag with no heater or water movement. Am I correct in thinking this?

2. What should I be treating the bucket for? Fin fungus? Ick? something else?

I can't get a picture because every time I turn my camera on it turns off right away. I have been a bit too over cautious when it comes to my fish as this is my first tank and I want it to be an enjoyable experience, thus why I just didn't throw them in with the rest of my fish and hope for the best.

 

[JDman]

it could be ich, could be fungus. i would try a treatment for ich first and wait a few days. if there is no change in spots. try treating it for fungus. try upping the temperature to like 84-85 deg F.
just be patient and they will most likely be fine. i think you are doing all you can by making a hospital... bucket. lol. and that is a pretty good idea since you dont have an extra tank. :thumb:
Good Luck! keep us/me posted.

 

[Cook.MN]

Yeah well I had to come up with something fast so the bucket seemed like it would do the trick

Ok, for treating ich first, would you recommend just a temp raise + salt? I believe I read that adding salt would help with the fin fungus/rot as well so maybe I'd be killing two birds with one stone that route.

And if you would go the salt route what kind of salt is suppose to be used? And how much of it?

Thanks.

 

[Jasoncham2003]

In my opinion you dont have enough water movement in your bucket to use salt.

 

[Cook.MN]

Do I have enough water movement to put medication in there then?

 

[Cook.MN]

Could something like this be caused by stress & poor water conditions? This morning when I quickly looked into my home made quarantine tank I didn't notice any white on the fins. Granted I didn't get a close look as I was running out the door.

 

[cichlidaholic]

I agree that the bucket isn't going to be sufficient for salt or meds. (It might work for a salt bath, but not to leave the fish in it.) A QT is really the only way to go, especially when you need to use meds.

The fish need filtered water.

If you don't see the white spots today, it's likely ich - the parasites fall off and multiply, which is going to require heat and salt or meds.

Unless you return the fish to the store, it sounds like you may wind up treating your main tank.

Kim

 

[Cook.MN]

If it was ich, I'm not so sure...

All the pictures of ich I see there are white spots all over the body, there was one white spot on one fish on one of the side fins. The top fins on both looked tattered with white edges...that's why I thought it was more bacterial of a fin rot or something.

 

[cichlidaholic]

Ah, you didn't say the fins were tattered with white edges! I just focused on the white spot!

I thought (since you just got them) it might be beginning ich or getting over ich...

I would do daily water changes and see if that makes a difference. You can try keeping them in the bucket this way...Might even add a tiny bit of Melafix, but I wouldn't go crazy with it.

Should you see any cottony fuzzy looking stuff on the fins, or should they deteriorate more, you may need antibiotics, at which point you'll need that hospital tank!

Kim

 

[Cook.MN]

Sorry Kim thought I mentioned that

Going to buy some Melafix tonight and add a tiny bit and see how things are in the morning. And I'm working on that hospital tank...if my stupid top frame would come in I could put them in my 38 gallon that I have just sitting around right now. But don't get me started on how long I've been waiting to get this stupid top frame :x

 

[dtress3]

If it were me, I would just take those two fish back and wait until you set up a small QT for new purchases. It's noble that you plan to go through the ordeal of trying to treat the fish you just bought, but you are taking a chance of being able to treat them successfully and introduce them to your tank safely. If you try to treat, but they end up getting sicker or dying, you could very well be beyond your gaurantee return days at the store.

A ten gallon tank, sponge filter and heater is all you need for a QT tank. It is well worth the expense! FYI: Use aquarium salt (or sea salt) to treat ich. Usually, the dose is 2-3 tablespoons per 5 gallons of water. Read the article in the library section, or found under Kim's signature. You need to add salt slowly though.

 

[Cook.MN]

Update 4/21:

I decided to keep the fish and add them to my main tank for lack of a quarantine tank. I decided to do this based on two factors (1) The fish store is about an hour away (2) I read up on fin rot and noticed that it was sited many times that it wouldn't spread to a healthy fish and the common causes were stressed fish with poor water conditions

Since then I've been doing daily 10-15% water changes keeping the nitrates below 5 with salt baths. The one fish that wasn't too torn up is completely free, the worst one of the two has grown all his fins back and the fungus is receding...admittedly still visible but vast improvement.