Salt Water Fish Has White Spots "Ich Disease"

Infected Tang

White Spots On My Fish

White spots can normally only mean one thing, yes ich. If you do not know what ich is then you came to the right place. Ich is an infestation of Cryptocaryon irritans which is just a parasite that comes in overwhelming numbers. Ich has 3 stages to its life cycle. First stage is the trophont which is the white dot you see on your fish. Stage 2 is the protomont which is after it falls off the fish and attaches to a surface and multiples before entering stage 3 which is the tomites. Tomites is the noninfectious stage where it lies await for a host.

Mardel CopperSafe

Mardel CopperSafe Fish Treatment (Freshwater/Saltwater), 16-Ounce

Amazon Price: $11.69
List Price: $12.99

Saltwater Aquarium Advice
I have not been keeping salt water aquariums nearly as long as fresh water aquariums but I still have a fair share of knowledge in them. Many people say it takes a lot of money to be in the salt water hobby.
Freshwater Aquarium Advice
have been keeping fresh water tanks for 6 years now and 14 years if you count my turtles. I am very knowledgeable in both fresh and salt water although keeping my fresh water aquariums is still one of my favorite hobbies.
My Aquarium is Starting To Crash What Should I Do
Many new aquarium hobbyists experiences what we call new tank syndrome which is where they get their tank full of water and get bored with seeing no fish so they go buy a bunch of fish and toss them in.

What To Do About The White Dots On My Fish?

Steps for killing the parasite

1. Put all the fish that are not sensitive to copper into your quarantine tank (QT). This is assuming it has been tested and is is very close to the temperature in your main aquarium.

2. Get a product called CopperSafe produced by Mardel which is a very trusted name in fish keeping. If you already have is perfect if you need to order some of this product it is in the amazon link to the right. It is best for the fishes life to have it before the break out occurs, time is vital.

3. If you have any activated carbon in your filter make sure you remove it before dosing. The carbon will absorb all the medicine.

4. Add 5 mL per U.S. gallon of water in your QT after the carbon is removed.

5. Make sure your QT has a good amount of circulation and filtration.

6. Leave the fish in the QT for 35 days to make sure all stages of life are dead.

7. Now in your main aquarium you can leave any copper sensitive fish in here. To my knowledge no salt water fish that is sensitive to copper can actually get Ich. I have never seen a shark, ray, eel, or snail get ich in a salt water tank. If yours dose have the same white dots your going to look further past what I know, sorry.

8. Do not add any fish to your aquarium for at least 35 days of removing the hosts. After the 35 days add one fish to your main aquarium and let him be in there for a bout a week if he shows no signs go a head and add the rest of your fish back into the main aquarium.

9. Make sure to do a 100% water change on your QT and readjust all the water parameters for the next use.

10. You beat ich, congratulations!

Conclusion

It is always best to be prepared for any situation. If you want to assure yourself you are not going to lose that $500 fish you just bought I recommend reading my article on "salt water advice". I have saved many fish from dying although it had to take me many dollars and many lost lives to get to were I am today. I am just trying to save the newer hobbyists the money so they do not jump out of the hobby so quickly. Only one in ten fish keepers make it over 2 years most of them quick or give up very quickly.