feeding and white spot? could there be a connection.

[thepirate]

Hi,

i awoke this morning to find my three tangs (sailfin, goldrim and regal) all have white spot. i am aware that these fish are all suseptible to white spot but i just don't know what triggered it.

at the moment i am feeding about half a cube of frozen food (mysis, brine and mix) every day, i have also started adding a small amount of nori sheets each day, all of the food is eaten within a couple of minutes.

the tangs appear to be starving, going mad looking for food......am i starving them to death???

i would be really intrested to hear what you all feed your fish (amount and type of food).

i would also be intrested to hear any of your views on getting rid of white spot without chemicals ( i already run a UV)

regards

Mark

 

[MT79]

i have also started adding a small amount of nori sheets each day, all of the food is eaten within a couple of minutes.

I would recommend you add a LARGE piece of nori everyday. Tangs are herbivores/grazers, so while they will eat some meaty foods "greens" are best.

would be really intrested to hear what you all feed your fish (amount and type of food).

I feed about 1/2 cube frozen 3x a week and provide atleast a 2x2 inch piece of nori everyday for my yellow tang. Concerning what to do next re: the ich, someone else here that is more knowledgable in this subject should help.HTH

 

[Phyl]

I always know my tangs are hungry if they look like somebody squished playdough between their fingers (right under their belly). Normally that area is nice and smooth and rounded. When they're hungry it shows.

My baby is more susceptible to ich than my yellow (who's never shown symptoms). I do know that he's more likely to be symptomatic when he's hungry. I've been using garlic and selcon to help him through it and it seems to work pretty well.

 

[thepirate]

how do you add garlic? in what form and how much?

thanks

mark

 

[Phyl]

Garlic is merely a dietary additive that helps the feeding response of the fish and aids their immune system. I bought a bottle of Kent Garlic additive though you could press garlic yourself and add that to the food instead. I put a few drops of the Garlic extract in with the food while it defrosts. I also put in a couple of drops of selcon (vitamin). He always clears up by the next day and then holds his own for a while after that. Hopefully his immune system is getting stronger as he grows. Another thing that the purveyors of natural remedies recommend is fresh ground ginger root (found in the produce isle of your grocer). Ground really fine with a grater. Neither of these things will remove ich from your system and if my fish remained symptomatic for more than a day at a clip I'd pull them and QT them to rid both the fish and my system of the parasite.

 

[dianeww]

How about crushed garlic in a jar at the grocery store?

 

[kwan]

The problem with garlic in a jar you buy at the grocery is that there might be preservative and other additives. I also use Kent's Garlic Xtreme together with Selcon and Zoe and I have not had a problem with ich on my yellow tang since. My fishs seems to have a better immune system and looking healthier.

 

[Phyl]

That crushed garlic in a jar is usually in some sort of oil (plus as Kwan mentioned there's the preservatives, additives, etc). I'd stick to home made or Kent's.

 

[dianeww]

Good enough, all logical.

 

[thepirate]

thanks for the advice, i'll be off o the LFS tommorrow to hand over some more money........He's had about £2000 so far.......oh well, only money!!

cheers

Mark

 

[badfish]

Is "Garlic Guard" by Seachem the same thing?

http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/shopay00.aspx