*** Quoting Denis Bernier from a message to all ***
DB> I have gold fish, one of them is starting to have small white dots all
DB> over them, I immediately added some salt to the water, but after a wee
DB> the dots still remain on the fish...
DB> What is this and how can I get rid of it.?
Sounds like ICK but could be something else.  Adding salt to the water is a 
pretty well established 'cure' for ICK.  It could be you didnt add enough, or 
it could be it is something else.
It should be about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water (NON-Iodized salt 
please!) and you can either spend lots for the fancy type at the petstore or 
use regular non-iodized salt from the grocery (Kosher salt will work also I 
am told).  I myself always use less than 1 tablespoon per gallon.  I use 
about 1/2 that and a week later change out 1/2 the water.
If you have other fish/snails in the tank (Something other than goldfish) it 
may be best to use one of the petstore remedies safe for tropical fish of 
many varieties.  It also wouldnt be a bad idea to add a little copper-safe 
treatment to the tank.
I presume since you havent mentioned it, you have not isolated the sick fish 
from the others.  If you dont have a 'sick tank' it is a good investment.  
Its probably too late for this occurance since it's been a week already.  You 
now need to treat the entire population as if all were infected.
For the future, a 'sick tank' is actually quite simple.  With Goldfish, 
keeping live plants can be quite a trial so a 'plant tank' is a perfect 
accompanyment.  Situate this 'plant tank' infront of a window where it will 
get dayly sunlight.  Stock heavily with plants and use for the occasional 
'sick fish' as well.  Use it also to isolate new fish for a 2 week treatment 
time before adding to the regular tank.  Run a fairly heavy salt/copper 
treatment in this tank (Up to specified direction levels but not above) and 
change out 1/2 the water every month when no fish present, and every week 
when fish present and healing from some ill.
As another mentioned here recently, 'an expert is one who seldom looses fish 
anymore'.  I probably qualify for that but only with goldfish.  My success 
level with other types is mostly untested.
I have a 70 gallon tank with what was 19 goldfish, now down to 12.  Loss was 
due to a poweroutage which killed the airpumps for 2 days, and I had too many 
for the tank (actually, not too many if they were small ones but these 
suckers are BIG goldfish.  Half thought I had a coi in there for a bit but it 
isnt.  Its just a bunch of the ones that grow to 12 inches, and 7 of them are 
near 10 inches now).  I also have 2 LARGE well-fed plecos in there and a tiny 
catfish.  Used to have a snail but it was a tiny snail and I think one of the 
goldfish ate him by mistake because I havent seen him for sometime now.
I now have the perfect level of fish for the tank and am more careful on the 
size expected from the goldfish.  I can safely shut off the airpumps and they 
are ok.  (The tank is a tad oddshaped, being not so tall as normally seen in 
this size, but wider bodied so there is a larger air/water interface than you 
would think).
My 'plant tank' is happily burrbling away with it's own air filter and a 
stray guppy I dont quite know what to do with just yet.  Its pretty bare of 
plants because I am not good yet at 'plant tanks' and am trying now a new 
method with some plant-soil stuff from the pet store.  Its in a good location 
though and the plants do grow, just not as fast as the goldfish tank uses 
them up (g).
                                       xxcarol
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