I dont know if this one fish that i have has ick or not. only one has it and it is all over her. but im not sure because last time they had it the white spots were bigger, rounder, and whiter. its smaller this time and it almost look like her scales are shedding or something. she is not eating and swims around really fast and then settles somewhere and kind of just floats there, sinking a bit... she doesnt come up for air (which i know is a sign for ick). i have ick removal stuff that i bought but is it safe for the baby fish i have in the tank? help?!
2007-11-28 10:04:32 · 5 answers · asked by </3 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
i can not sperate her, i hav eno other tank and i just read the warnings and it says not to use on small fish...what should i do?!
2007-11-28 10:28:24 · update #1
A photo might help to diagnose this definitely. It sounds as though you might be dealing with velvet instead of ich. Both are parasites that appear as white spots, but in velvet, the individual spots are smaller, looking more like a dusting of powder. If you shine a bright light on the fish and the dots appear gold/rust instead of white, that would confirm velvet. The treatment for velvet is similar to ich - malachite green and formalin in combination is the best, also raising the temperature helps, but unlike ich, you need to turn off any lights on the tank. This parasite can use photosynthesis to make food for itself, so it can survive for a longer while without a fish for a host. It's also more difficult to treat. The last case I dealt with (on a betta) took 4 weeks to clear. The first time I treated her for 3 weeks, then removed the medication, but it came back, so the next time I treated for the full 4.
Any medication is harder on fry than adults, but this is a highly infectious disease, so there's a good chance all fish could get velvet if you don't treat the entire tank. If not treated, it will kill.
Photo of velvet on a dark betta: http://www.flippersandfins.net/Images/VelvetEarly.jpg
photo of velvet on fins: http://www.vidadecao.com.br/peixe/img/odinium.jpg
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/othprotist.shtml - treatment and life cycle info
2007-11-28 10:34:22 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If it's still early, the shrimp is known to eat the parasite that cause the spots. However, despite the shrimp seeming ravenous, it isn't a "cure." Take the hippo tang out, place it in a quarantine tank, and administer the medication. If you don't have a quarantine tank, fill a bucket with saltwater for the time being and consider picking up a tiny powerhead (just to disturb the water surface).
2016-04-06 02:32:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If its not safe it will say on the ick treatment package. But you may want to treat the tank soon before all your fish end up with it.
2007-11-28 10:09:05 · answer #3 · answered by ♥AngelGirl™ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it might be ick, but im not sure if it will do anything to the baby fish. Sorry i couldnt be much of a help
2007-11-28 10:08:22 · answer #4 · answered by dood 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Separate her if you can, but if you have to treat the whole tank, it won't hurt them.
2007-11-28 10:18:14 · answer #5 · answered by KityKity 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋