White dots on my Mandarin

[TimmyTang]

I have a seperate 20 gal tank that has a blue mandarin and a pair of kuda male and female seahorses.
Both mandarin and seahorses have been in tank for over a year.
I just noticed a week ago a white speck about the size of the pods that I have growing on the sides of my tank on the mouth of the mandarin.
I began treating the tank with "stop ich" medication. The tank is on the 2nd dose.
This morning I noticed a 2nd white speck on the mandarin.
Is this ICH or something else?
I do have a 20 gallon isolation tank but I'm not sure at this point what
those white specks are.
The seahorses are fine and the mandarin is in good health otherwise.
I change 15% of the water weekly and the tank is 2 years old with live rocks. SG is 1.24
Thanks
TimmyTang

 

[Anonymous]

Hard to tell, is there anyway you can post a picture?

 

[bergamer]

NEVER EVER TREAT A MANDARIN WITH ANY MEDICATION!!!

Mandarins produce oils that covers them and protects them from ich 100%.

if it is ich, it means your mandarin is not producing the oils, which is most likely very bad news.

otherwise it is something else, which sounds equally as bad.

but by treating the mandarin with any medication, the side effects are completely unknown. They are not the same as other fish.

Also, does your mandarin eat frozen food?
as a 20 gallon is very small
how much live rock do you have?
do you have live sand in your tank?

 

[Anonymous]

In over 25 years of keeping Mandarin Dragonettes I have never seen one with Ick.

Look closer. Their feeding behavior often shoots sand through their gill to land on their slime coating. If the spots appear and disappear often then it's just sand.

 

[bergamer]

bang guy?????

 

[Sub-Mariner]

Mine gets sand from combing the bottom of the tank...They dissappear in a day. always happens. One thing I've learned in my short tenure in marine fish and reef keeping. Never over react to a sick fish. Always try and let nature turn its course. I've had clownfish that look really bad and within a few days look incredible again. I almost never treat fish. Usually you can't even diagnose whats wrong with them correct in the first place.

 

[MitchMc]

In my opinion

Get a UV unit 25 wats min 8)

 

[Anonymous]

In my opinion

Get a UV unit 25 wats min 8)

To kill the Mandarins food supply?

 

[Anonymous]

In my opinion

Get a UV unit 25 wats min 8)

To kill the Mandarins food supply?

:lol: That was my thought also.

 

[Anonymous]

In my opinion

Get a UV unit 25 wats min 8)

To kill the Mandarins food supply?

:lol: That was my thought also.

It probably would work to remove the white dots. No food means the Mandarin can't eat and get that pesky sand on its skin.

 

[Anonymous]

It probably would work to remove the white dots. No food means the Mandarin can't eat and get that pesky sand on its skin.

(((giggle))) That would solve the problem eventually.

 

[MitchMc]

In over 25 years of keeping Mandarin Dragonettes I have never seen one with Ick.

Look closer. Their feeding behavior often shoots sand through their gill to land on their slime coating. If the spots appear and disappear often then it's just sand.

I am so glad that your omnipresent powers have diagnosed the probem without even seeing a picture, I am impressesed.

You are providing a good example to the new Reefer on how to check out things fully and make a decision based on adequate information without jumping to conclusions. We are all aware that white dots could only be Ick, no other parasites could be involved. All based on a Timmies brief description. While it is true that Dragonets are not prone bio infections Who knows.

Bob Fenner ( who is almost as famous in the reefing world as “Guy” and “Lawdawg”) received a pic of a mandarin with white spots and posted the following on 'Wet web"

Mandarin Sick or Starving?
Hi,
First of all thanks a lot for your help on Cyanobacteria. When I
opened my mail and saw your reply I felt as if I had won the lottery,
you really made my day!
I'm sending the picture of my mandarin to check if he's starving.
[Image]
<A nice pic, and your animal looks healthy, full-bodied to me>
and also because, as you can see in the picture, he has a white thing
hanging from his first dorsal fin (FDF),
and some white spots around the fins, and sometimes on his back too,
you can see one of those behind his eye.
[Image]
<Yes... does look like the size, indication of ich/Cryptocaryon... I would NOT do anything in the way of chemical treatment here... maybe bolster the animals immune system with added vitamins... soaked on its foods... and hope whatever it is "goes away" on its own, becomes less virulent………… Bob Fenner>

Mr Fenner does not make the same type of blanket statements
as you do, nor does he rule out the possibility of infection or parasite

In terms of UV I think that tanks with fish should have them. In closed environments
A few bugs can multiply out sight. New reefers are less likely to spot an infection right of the bat and more likely to make silly mistakes ( like pouring the water from the fish bag into the aquarium ect.we all made dumb mistakes)


Oh and by the way “Guy” after 25 years of keeping Callionymoidei one would think you would learn to spell “Dragonete” it is spelt with one "t" not two :twisted:

Timmy ignore the egos get a UV it can only help

It will not make Any difference if it is simply sand not an infection but it will only help keep bacterial forces in check which will only be good for your tanks health long run

 

[Anonymous]

Bob Fenner ( who is almost as famous in the reefing world as “Guy” and “Lawdawg”) received a pic of a mandarin with white spots and posted the following on 'Wet web"

If you'd check my first response to the poster, I said it would be difficult to ID Ich without a picture. Secondly, If you'd read all of Fenner's quotes on WWB, not just the ones you like and are pertinent to your POV, you'll see he does indeed say that the Mandarins are less likely to develop Ich due to their "oily" slime coat. I would even suggest reading the balance of the quote you yourself posted where he states he'd give pallative care rather than medicate.

Other experts, perhaps even respected by yourself say much the same. Ever hear of Marc Levenson aka Melev?

http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_care.html

These fish don't get Ich as they secrete an oily substance on their bodies. Their skin type and the oils secreted make them extremely sensitive to many medications. What may heal one species will more than likely kill a mandarin. So if your other fish develop ich, the mandarin is not to be put in to quarantine. Which is fortunate because it would starve to death if you did, assuming the medication didn't kill it first.

Which brings me to your post about a UV sterilizer. Until he figures out what he has or even if the fish has Ich, a UV sterilizer would only help kill off links in the Mandarin's food chain.

 

[Anonymous]

In over 25 years of keeping Mandarin Dragonettes I have never seen one with Ick.

Look closer. Their feeding behavior often shoots sand through their gill to land on their slime coating. If the spots appear and disappear often then it's just sand.

I am so glad that your omnipresent powers have diagnosed the probem without even seeing a picture, I am impressesed.

You should be. If you read my post without venom you will notice that I have advised the poster how to tell the difference between sand grains and Ick. Ick will stay put for a few days, sand grains will move around in the slime.

How long has Mr. Fenner been keeping Mandarins?

We are all aware that white dots could only be Ick

Or just sand...

Mr Fenner does not make the same type of blanket statements
as you do, nor does he rule out the possibility of infection or parasite

What blanket statement did I make? I stated a fact. I have never seen a Mandarin with Ick. This is a fact.

In terms of UV I think that tanks with fish should have them. In closed environments

I strongly disagree. You are entitled to your opinion. It will definately decrease the food supply and probably won't make any difference with Ick.

New reefers are less likely to spot an infection right of the bat

What does this mean? Is there something left of the bat? What bat?

Oh and by the way “Guy” after 25 years of keeping Callionymoidei one would think you would learn to spell “Dragonete” it is spelt with one "t" not two :twisted:

spelt?? What does this have to do with European wheat? oh, you mean spelled... :roll:

Dragonet
Dragonete
Dragonette
Potato
Potatoe

It will obviously surprise you that common names often have multiple spellings. While my preferred spelling is archaic it is still quite valid.

Guy

 

[bergamer]

AWSOME, I LOVE FIGHTS!!!! :twisted:

 

[ChrisRD]

OK folks, I think everyone has made their point and the question has been answered.

Let's not turn Tim's first thread at RDO into a flame fest. :wink:

BTW Tim, :welcome: