I noticed what I guess is ick on my platy yesterday afternoon. I started the Ick drops in the tank for my female dwarf platy last night (she's in there by herself). She still looks the same as last night. How soon does that medicine start working? She's pregnant too and now I'm worried she won't make it and if she does will the fry be okay? Also after getting home from the store with the ick medicine I noticed some white gunk on her eyeballs that wasn't there before I went to the store. Is that ick too or is that something else like a fungus?
2007-07-02 06:15:19 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
As others have said, ich medicaiton can take several days before you start to see any improvement. In fact, it can appear to get worse before it starts getting better. One way to speed up the cure is to increase the water temperature. Get the temperature in the tank up about 88F and the ich will not be able to properly reproduce and will be killed during a certain part of their life cycle. Using this in combination with the medication can cure the fish days faster. Be sure to treat for at least 5 -7 days after you see the last white spot on any fish.
The white gunk in the fishes eyes could be several different things from ich, to other parasites to fungus, to a bacterial infection. I would suggest you continue the ich treatment as it will take care of the ich possibility, the other parasites and in most cases the fungus as well.
The ich treatment will not harm the fry she is carrying and even if they are born during the treat emtn they will be just fine.
MM
2007-07-02 06:32:11 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rid-ich and products like this take a few days before you start seeing results. They're not a miracle cure and do not work overnight. Even after you start seeing the protozoa (i.e. ick) dissipating, it's best to continue the treatment for a few days after the ick is gone, and change the water frequently (every 2 or 3 days) if able.
Ick can affect the eyes, as well. Fungi look a little different from ick, also. If you see fuzzy-looking white spots around your fish's body, it could be fungus. Ick (as you can probably observe), is white in patches and doesn't have a fuzzy border. Fungus usually affects fish by, what's commonly known as fin-rot or tail-rot.
I'll be completely honest and say I'm not sure how the medicine will affect a pregnant fish. You can probably contact your local pet store and ask their aquatics specialist about this (if another user doesn't give you the information first).
Good luck.
2007-07-02 06:26:49 · answer #2 · answered by Kiyoka 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ich has four life stages that can last anywhere from 2 weeks to a month or more depending on how favorable the environment is for their reproduction. There is a point where the parasite falls to the bottom and reproduces and during that time, the eggs cannot be killed, no matter what you use, so, one, you need to not only treat ich until you see no more white spots, but beyond that point for about two more weeks to make sure to get any of the eggs after they hatched.
That said, ich is white spots. It is not a fuzzy, cottony, filmy, white gunk on the eyeballs (or other parts of the body). I think this sounds like a fungus. If that is the case, you can use all the ich medicine in the world and it won't treat the fungus. You need to get some maracyn or maracyn-2 and use according to directions. You need to be persistent and diligent with treatment to be sure to save your fish. Again, depending on how advanced or persistent a fungus you have, treatment could take 4 to 8 weeks. Patience and persistence is the key when it comes to treating fish diseases.
With regard to her possible pregnancy, it may sound cold, but, at this point, her life is more important than the life of the fry. Don't worry about them. If she dies, they die too anyway. She can always have more babies once she is healthy! Good luck!
2007-07-02 06:28:15 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Are you just doing the ick drops?? or are you giveing her saltwater bath's also??? It does take awhile for it to start working but if you noticed it right away she should be fine. I don't know about the fry though.
2007-07-02 06:20:17 · answer #4 · answered by Kat 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont know what do you think
2007-07-02 06:18:38 · answer #5 · answered by Green Day Fan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋