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From: jason@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Jason Rosenberg)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.pets
Subject: Re: Ick or what
Message-ID: <11933@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 4 May 88 08:05:14 GMT
References: <3049@alvin.mcnc.org>
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Reply-To: jason@lanai.UUCP (Jason Rosenberg)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 39
Keywords: white spots/Butterfly

In article <3049@alvin.mcnc.org> bing@mcnc.org (Carter E. Bing) writes:
>
>         Greetings,  
>           I just added a Long Nose Butterfly fish to my salt tank.
>It seemed to be doing okay until yesterday. I noticed small white 
>spots (just three of them so far) on his tail. I started treating
>the tank with QuiK Cure. Is this the correct thing to use or should
>I try something else?

Sounds to me like you have a case of lymphosystis.  It is a fungus that is
often found on fish recently brought in from the wild.  It is not serious and
really doesn't need treatment.  Lympho usually goes away on its own given good
water conditions.  Consult your books and dealer before just dropping lots 'o
chemicals into your tank.  If it isn't lympho, it could be oodinium, although
not likely.  However, if is a parasite, it can be treated by giving your fish
a freshwater bath.  Simply prepare some ffreshwater in a bucket at the same
temperature as your tank.  Put the fish in there for 3 to 6 minutes.  If it is
a parasite, it will explode due to osmotic pressure.  This is a good way to 
find out what it is you have, as well as relieve the fish.  Freshwater baths
must be given in conjunction with antibiotics to your tank.  I am not familiar
with QuiK Cure, what is it, what's in it?

>          I also seem to be having problems finding a healthy clown
>fish. I have purchased 3 so far, they all do fine for two weeks
>and then they start having a white string-like growth. They rub up
>against anything in the tank and then die. Has anyone experienced 
>this problem and what did you do to solve it?
>                         Thanks,
>                            Carter
>

Clown fish are not that hard to take care of.  Sounds like something is either
wrong in your system, or the store where you get them is a faulty source.  


Jason Rosenberg                      Mira Hershey Hall
                                     801 Hilgard Avenue
jason@cs.ucla.edu                    Los Angeles, CA  90024
{ihnp4,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!jason         (213) 209-1806