OK, I noticed my fish has been acting a little strangely for the last week or so, but I could never pinpoint a problem. I checked all parameters, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate less than 20, pH 8.0, etc...
Today, I inspected him again, Coral Beauty Angelfish, and I saw ich spots!!! He has about 5 or 6 on his head, and about 4 or 5 more on his body and fins. Today, he was freaking out as fish do when they come down with ich...
Here's my question: How did this happen? He's been in that tank for over 2 months! Wouldn't this have shown up in the first few weeks? Here is a timeline:
Early January: Set up a 10 gallon aquarium, intended for quarantine...plotted the rise of my 46 gallon.
Jan 10, 2006 : Purchased a Coral Beauty Angelfish, appeared very healthy, acted normally.
Late January : Performed my first water change. Up until this point, I was using treated tap water. I found a horrendous algae problem, and realized after more research that RO water was the way to go. Began using RO water for evaporation topoffs.
Feb 23, 2006 : Set up my 46-gallon aquarium, very slowly and carefully moved the 10-gallon aquarium to the base. I went as slow and gently as I could with this, and my fish didn't seem extremely stressed by the move, although there was a 4 degree temp difference (why I used different thermometers I don't know
) in the replacement water in the water change I performed that day...I used RO for this water change.
March 11, 2006: Noted that my fish was beginning to act strangely, but nothing so terrible as to worry me.
March 15, 2006 : Noted my fish was continuing to act strangely (jerking movements, hanging out in the corners of the tank), began to become concerned, tested all water parameters, everything is fine.
March 18, 2006 : SPOTS! He definitely has ich.
Could that move on the 23rd of February have been the stressor? Would it have taken almost another month after the move for it to become visible? In any case, how did the ich survive in that water for 2 months without infecting him? And now what procedures should I take to cure him?
Also, how will this affect my 46-gallon? I am currently in full cycle swing in the 46-gallon, estimate 2 weeks before it is ready for fish...I can't put a fish with ich in there...how am I going to get a fish in there now at the end of the cycle? Putting a fish direct from the LFS seems just as dangerous to me. I thought I had this down, a very healthy fish in the 10-gallon ready to go, now shows up with ich! How frustrating! Help!
Today, I inspected him again, Coral Beauty Angelfish, and I saw ich spots!!! He has about 5 or 6 on his head, and about 4 or 5 more on his body and fins. Today, he was freaking out as fish do when they come down with ich...
Here's my question: How did this happen? He's been in that tank for over 2 months! Wouldn't this have shown up in the first few weeks? Here is a timeline:
Early January: Set up a 10 gallon aquarium, intended for quarantine...plotted the rise of my 46 gallon.
Jan 10, 2006 : Purchased a Coral Beauty Angelfish, appeared very healthy, acted normally.
Late January : Performed my first water change. Up until this point, I was using treated tap water. I found a horrendous algae problem, and realized after more research that RO water was the way to go. Began using RO water for evaporation topoffs.
Feb 23, 2006 : Set up my 46-gallon aquarium, very slowly and carefully moved the 10-gallon aquarium to the base. I went as slow and gently as I could with this, and my fish didn't seem extremely stressed by the move, although there was a 4 degree temp difference (why I used different thermometers I don't know
) in the replacement water in the water change I performed that day...I used RO for this water change. March 11, 2006: Noted that my fish was beginning to act strangely, but nothing so terrible as to worry me.
March 15, 2006 : Noted my fish was continuing to act strangely (jerking movements, hanging out in the corners of the tank), began to become concerned, tested all water parameters, everything is fine.
March 18, 2006 : SPOTS! He definitely has ich.
Could that move on the 23rd of February have been the stressor? Would it have taken almost another month after the move for it to become visible? In any case, how did the ich survive in that water for 2 months without infecting him? And now what procedures should I take to cure him?
Also, how will this affect my 46-gallon? I am currently in full cycle swing in the 46-gallon, estimate 2 weeks before it is ready for fish...I can't put a fish with ich in there...how am I going to get a fish in there now at the end of the cycle? Putting a fish direct from the LFS seems just as dangerous to me. I thought I had this down, a very healthy fish in the 10-gallon ready to go, now shows up with ich! How frustrating! Help!
