Newbie - white spots

[panathinaikos55]

I added some more fish to my tank yesterday afternoon (around 3PM), and when I got home from work today a bunch of the fish in my tank have white spots on them. I called the LFS, and the guy I spoke to said it sounds like ich.

I had 6 Platies, 2 Angels, & a gourami in the tank for a little over a week. Tank is a 60g, recently cycled. Just measured all parameters with my test kit, and got 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, and 5ppm nitrate. Everyone has been doing great.

Yesterday I added 2 pairs (4 fish) of rams and 3 Rhombo Barbs. It looks as though one of the barbs has white spots on it, and now 4 of my platies do as well. So far, the rest of the fish seem fine.

I'm kind of new at this, and read a few threads about this trying to figure out what it is. After speaking to the lfs, I have raised the tank temp. to 82 degrees, and the guy at the lfs told me to get some paraguard?? (medicine) to add to the tank daily (after a daily 25% pwc).

Does this sound correct, or is he steering me wrong?

 

[panathinaikos55]

Update - Went to the lfs and they didn't have any Paraguard. They gave me a bottle of Kordon Rid-Ich.

They told me to do daily 25% water changes, remove the carbon from my filter media, and dose 1tsp per gallon after the daily water changes.

When I came home, I cut open the filter on my HOB cartridges and dumped out all the carbon. I put the filter media back into the holsters, did a 25% pwc, and dosed 6tsp's for my 60 gallon tank.

Am I on the right track?

 

[Hholly]

Is it Ich Attack you are using? If so, you should still try to raise the temp to 86 degrees. You need to increase aeration with an airstone, since there is less oxygen in warmer water. Good luck!

 

[panathinaikos55]

Is it Ich Attack you are using? If so, you should still try to raise the temp to 86 degrees. You need to increase aeration with an airstone, since there is less oxygen in warmer water. Good luck!

Thanks for the info, i started raising the temp yesterday. It's currently at 84. I have a sponge filter in there along with an 18" airstone which are both turned up to the max setting on my air pump.

I will do another 25% pwc tonight when i get home from work, and re-dose the medicine I was given when i fill the tank back up.

My plan is to keep doing this for a few days if after the spots have cleared.

Another question I have is about a pleco that I special ordered last week. He should be in on Friday. How long should I wait to add him into the tank?

 

[Hholly]

If you have another tank, wait 2 weeks after spots are gone.

 

[bob mccoy]

great advice holly