treating for "what ifs"

[cheeky_monkey]

Holy cow I am gobsmacked. I just witnessed someone tell a beginner that every time they change their water they should in addition to dechlorinator add "white spot treatment" - the medication for ich.

I asked her why she would suggest that and she claims and I quote "Because any sort of water change especially too many WILL give her fish white spot!!!!!!" Oh gee, please tell me this woman is a one of a kind!

Who in their right mind treats for something that "might" happen? I've tried to explain just how wrong this woman is but I feel I'm talking to a brick wall.

 

[Cynic]

A bloke at my LFS adds malachite green to his tank weekly as a preventative measure. I'm far from an expert so he may be right but that stuck me as unusual.

 

[cheeky_monkey]

Oh dear her response to my advice
" I got that idea beause I've had fish tanks for over 25yrs and have found if you put the correct dose in when doing a major water change it eliminates the chances of getting white spot!!!!! WRONG ich/ick is when the actually coating over the fish scales deminishes and needs replacing mate... White spot you can see the bacteria on the fish you then need to dose and it falls off into the tank then you must keep dosing to kill it from the gravel... Anyway i'm not about to continue arguing with you that was my suggestion for her and i stand by it!!!!"

 

[cheeky_monkey]

It sounds to me like she's leaving her fish tank way too long between water changes so that the drastic change in water quality is stressing her fish causing Ich. Would I be right in saying that? So now she thinks that it happens to everyone?



It's like saying I take paracetamol every day in case I get a headache...