"White Stars" Fallen in the Aquarium. The Identity of White Spot Disease and the Quiet Siege.
One morning, you may find something like small white sand grains on the fins or body of a goldfish.That is "White Spot Disease", the most well - known sign in the goldfish world, but one that should never be taken lightly.Hello, I'm Juane*.
Today, I would like to talk about the true identity of the "White Stars" that suddenly appeared in the aquarium and how to face them.
Knowing the Enemy and Letting Go of Impatience
The identity of the white dots appearing on the goldfish's body is actually a tiny parasite called "Ichthyophthirius multifiliis". When we hear the word "disease", we feel like something bad came from somewhere, but the eggs of this parasite may actually be lurking in even the cleanest aquarium.
When the goldfish's barrier (immunity) weakens a little due to the change of seasons or water temperature changes. They come to the goldfish's body taking advantage of that gap.The important thing is not to blame yourself saying "my way of raising was bad" the moment you find it.First, calm down and let's start by understanding their "ecology".
Logical Response Not Threatening Life
The parasite of white spot disease has an interesting(though it might be misleading to say so) characteristic.That is the property that "growth accelerates and leaves the goldfish's body when the temperature rises".Here comes the turn of the first aid kit I talked about in the preparation edition.
Using a heater, raise the water temperature slowly to around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius over a few days.Raising the temperature is not to torment the goldfish, but to make the parasites "graduate" from the goldfish's body and make it easier for medicine and salt to work. At the same time, by combining a 0.5% salt bath, we help the goldfish repair the barrier with its own power.
Protecting Life with a Quiet Siege
During treatment, goldfish are consuming a lot of physical strength.Avoid strong light, do not make loud noises, just watch quietly.It is a work to maximize the "power to become healthy" that goldfish originally possess by the environment rather than fighting invisible parasites.
When the white dots disappear one by one and the original beautiful scale color returns.There should be a new bond of trust between the goldfish that became a little stronger than before and us who calmly supported their lives.
Fresh Brilliance After the Stars Disappear
The swimming of the goldfish after overcoming white spot disease makes us feel a powerfulness as if something has been blown off.Difficulties are also opportunities to reaffirm the wisdom to overcome them and the preciousness of life.
Life Cycle of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis : This parasite repeats the cycle of "trophozoite" growing on the fish's body surface, "cyst" multiplying away from the body, and "theront" looking for a new host. While on the fish's body surface, it is protected by mucus and medicine is hard to work, so it is effective to accelerate the cycle by high water temperature and make it leave the body.
Metabolism Improvement and Growth Suppression by High Water Temperature : Many freshwater white spot disease bacteria are suppressed in growth at 25 degrees or higher and are easy to die near 30 degrees.At the same time, it aims to activate the immune response by raising the metabolism of the goldfish itself.
Synergistic Effect of Salt Bath : 0.5 % salt bath has physiological benefits of helping osmotic pressure adjustment of skin damaged by parasites and preventing secondary infection(bacterial infection, etc.).
