ich or ick infestation? what should i do?

Question

i have 55 gallon tank w/ bala shark, columbian catfish, 4black skirt tetras, 3sunset Gouramis,1 dwarf gourami,and 2pink gouramis. i mentioned earlier that i have a knife fish which is about 5inches in length. Now, i've seen some couple of white spots on its fin, after that, i made a 25% water change. However, the spots on the fins just rotted. but, now theres more couple of them "tiny white spots" on its fin and body. He's the only with the "spots", others don't have one. I'm thinking it is ich disease. What do you think could it be? i'm not sure if its fungus or something. I'm really worried about it, and i don't have any idea how to treat it. since i only have a 55 gallon, and i don't have a quarantine tank. Most likely, do u think the the whole 55 gallon tank is infested now? what should i do?

Answer 1

I would call a reputable pet store and talk to someone who knows about fish illness. I'm sure they have medication to treat your finned friends. Good luck.

Answer 2

Hi. Yep, this is ich. Some fish are more susceptible than others, but they will all be infected, so there's no point trying to quarantine any of the fish. The ich parasite will also lie dormant in the substrate, so you need to treat the whole tank. Salt is the best and most cost-effective treatment for ich. Table salt is ok to use. You need 1 tablespoon per gallon! This will not harm your fish at this concentration. You need to dissolve the salt in a jug, and then add it gradually over about 1 day. Leave the salt in the water for at least 5 days after the last signs of infestation have gone. If you have to perform a water change, then remember to add salt to the water that you replenish with. It can speed up treatment to increase the temperature in the tank, but I don't know so much about this as I only have a cold-water tank. Good luck!

Answer 3

As I remember knife fish are a little more sensitive to poor water quality. So you may have issue with your nitrate, and ammonia levels. Also does the knife have a place to hide they are very shy, and may be come stressed out if the don't. (Many lfs sell knife tubes for this purpose.) Any of these factors could have depress the fish's immune system and left it vulnerable to disease.

Ich is going to look a lot like grain of salt on the fish. It's easily treatable with ant number of product at your LFS. Just be sure to go the full course of treatment or the ich will still be lurking in the tank. With ich it's important to treat ASAP, or it will spread ike wild fire.

Answer 4

hi, i had the same problem with my tank it is also 55 gallon, they make drops that you can buy at any pet store or wallmart that is called "ick be gone" it is a blue liquid that you put in your tank. you can just put the liquid in the tank and leave it be. more than likely your whole tank is infested and this stuff wii not harm your fish it is very safe and works in about three days. it will turn the water a light blue and by the time it clears up you fish will be cured.

Answer 5

it sounds like ick to me here are some links to help last one you can ask an expert for help someone else wrote this to the expert here is the question and the reply
Dear Chris. I'm desparate! I have an ick infestation that won't go away though I've treated it for two weeks now. Here are the details of what I've done thus far. I have a 20 gallon tank that I set up about a month ago. I let it set for two weeks to ensure no chlorine was present then bought one blue gourami, two black mollies, two miniature sunburst platties, and two silver mollies. Petsmart tested the water and it was fine on pH, ammonia, etc. About three days later, the female silver molly died; I replaced her with another and a couple of days later noted she had a small white spot on her tail. Per Petsmart advise, I began treating the water with melafix (I removed the carbon filter) then noted the male silver had a couple of spots on his tail. Petsmart recommended continuing melafix and adding pimafix, which I did for a few days (treatment says to add 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons for a week then change water). The new female silver died; I replaced her and added two more platties, two hatchet fish and and a pleco. I also bought a book on aquarium fish, determined my fish had ich, then after changing their water and making sure the pH, ammonia, nitrate levels were fine, began a treatment of malachite green which I've been on (two teaspoons a day) for about a week and a half. Over the last two days, a hatchet fish has died along with the female and male silver mollies. The other hatchet is infected as are all four platties who seem very lethargic lying on the bottom of the tank; but they do eat. The gourami, two black mollies, and pleco do not have visible signs (no white spots I can see)and they remain active and eat. Today out of desparation I began research on ick treatments via google and I just read your answer to another question about ick treatment where you said to treat the aquarium with salt for two weeks and raise the temp to 85 degrees. Can you provide some more details? Should I change the water (clean the aquarium, plastic plants, gravel) before beginning salt treatment to get rid of as many of the free-swimming tomites as possible (and remove the ammonia, which I'm sure has built up since the filter's been out for two weeks)? Should it be a total change? When I add the salt, should I do it gradually (say 1 teaspoon ever hour or so) until I have reached 1 teaspoon per my 20 gallons? And if the treatment is for two weeks, do I need to change water after one week then begin the salt treatment again for a week? Or do I just give up on my 9 remaining fish and start over? I'd really hate to have to do this as I've grown attached to my original gourami and mollies, but I hate the idea of never being able to buy additional fish. Please help! Any advise you give me would be greatly appreciated
Answer
Hi Cris;

Oh my, you guys have been through a difficult time. The poor fish were stressed from 'new tank syndrome' so they easily became infected with the parasite. Nasty little critter, that ich. It exists all the time in most water sources. When the fish get stressed, it attacks. I'll try to nail every point in each question for you here, but let me know if I missed anything......

**Should I change the water (clean the aquarium, plastic plants, gravel) before beginning salt treatment to get rid of as many of the free-swimming tomites as possible (and remove the ammonia, which I'm sure has built up since the filter's been out for two weeks)? Should it be a total change?**

Make a 25% to 50% water change to help eliminate toxins. Changing too much at a time will only stress the fish more. Don't do a major cleaning right now. Just the water change. A major cleaning will only disrupt the newly developed beneficial bacteria even further. It lives in the gravel and on tank surfaces like decorations and plants.

**When I add the salt, should I do it gradually (say 1 teaspoon ever hour or so) until I have reached 1 teaspoon per my 20 gallons?**

The best way to add the salt is to fill up a container with water and add the full dose of salt to that. A quart or half gallon pitcher will work, whatever you have. Dissolve the salt fully in the container of water and slowly pour the whole thing in the tank. Don't let the fish get directly into the stream. Stop for a moment to let them get out of the way if needed. I will usually feed the fish at the other end of the tank so they are busy.

**And if the treatment is for two weeks, do I need to change water after one week then begin the salt treatment again for a week? **

You can change 25% to 50% of the water after a week. You can even do a 25% change every day if you want to. Just do it right before you add the day's medicine (it's okay to keep using the malacite green if you want to). Also remember to add more salt, but only for the water you replaced. For instance, if you replace 10 gallons, add back 10 teaspoons for the fresh water using the same method described above.

I really don't think you need to give up. You may lose another one or two, but I think most will make it. It would really help to add additional aeration with an airstone and airpump too. The higher temperature will reduce the dissolved oxygen so more air helps. The agitation of the water helps keep tomites from attaching too.

Keep hanging in there!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Answer 6

I would say that you would have to treat the tank and you can buy the meds. over the counter at pet store.Go to web site at www.petsmart.com and ask them the question to and they will say the same.I have a 100 gallon fish tank and I have done the same for it when my fish had ick.

Answer 7

Ich can be cured with "pills" or drops. Go to your pet store and see what they recommend. It will take a while to get cleared up but you can cure it. The website explains what it is andwhat to look for better than I can.

I had to use it with my fish and they get better fast.

Answer 8

maybe it is a yeast infection?