Ich? And how to treat?

[Buu]

I came home to see my fishes covered in these spots! At first I though maybe they kicked up some sand but it was on everyone. Mostly the neons.







They didn't have them yesterday, nor had any signs of illness (nice colouring, eating same and their normal playing selves). So of course i search the internet and read up on ich. The only things I can think of that would have caused it is the new addition of my Khulis!!!! If so, would I tell the LFS where I got them from that they had ich?

I know you will all ask me parameters but I don't have any. I get my water tested at LFS every week (it's near by and the kiddo loves it). I did order my own kit online two days ago though!

The last test (Friday) showed everything was good just a very small trace of ammonia which they told me was normal for a new tank. I have a 20 gallon I cycled for about 2 months (fish less if it matters). It has live plants, 5 neon tetras and 4 khuli loaches. I do water changes weekly and everything appears normal (clear water. No sick plants or anything).

If it is ich, how would I treat it with all that? I keep reading tetra and scaleless are sensitive and need half treatments. Also about the whole salt and turn up the heat which I am very nervous about both! I am so scared of killing them! I am going to petsmart & LFS tomorrow to get their opinion and water tested but would love to hear experienced nonbias opinions (trying to sell me things ect). I hope they will live until then, I am so scared of them dying! Sorry this is so long! Hope you can see the pics well.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Raise your temp up to 82 degrees, add ick guard tablets

 

[shellyx]

I came home to see my fishes covered in these spots! At first I though maybe they kicked up some sand but it was on everyone. Mostly the neons.

They didn't have them yesterday, nor had any signs of illness (nice colouring, eating same and their normal playing selves). So of course i search the internet and read up on ich. The only things I can think of that would have caused it is the new addition of my Khulis!!!! If so, would I tell the LFS where I got them from that they had ich?

I know you will all ask me parameters but I don't have any. I get my water tested at LFS every week (it's near by and the kiddo loves it). I did order my own kit online two days ago though!

The last test (Friday) showed everything was good just a very small trace of ammonia which they told me was normal for a new tank. I have a 20 gallon I cycled for about 2 months (fish less if it matters). It has live plants, 5 neon tetras and 4 khuli loaches. I do water changes weekly and everything appears normal (clear water. No sick plants or anything).

If it is ich, how would I treat it with all that? I keep reading tetra and scaleless are sensitive and need half treatments. Also about the whole salt and turn up the heat which I am very nervous about both! I am so scared of killing them! I am going to petsmart & LFS tomorrow to get their opinion and water tested but would love to hear experienced nonbias opinions (trying to sell me things ect). I hope they will live until then, I am so scared of them dying! Sorry this is so long! Hope you can see the pics well.

Since you have sensitive fish i would go with the heat method. I had ich a while ago and that's what I did, i too have sensitive fish. Increase heat slowly to 84-86 increase oxygen levels by adding an airstone, pwc every 2nd day giving a good gravel vac. The spots will get worse before they get better. Leave heat up a week after last visible spot. Good luck

 

[Convict2161]

Since you have sensitive fish i would go with the heat method. I had ich a while ago and that's what I did, i too have sensitive fish. Increase heat slowly to 84-86 increase oxygen levels by adding an airstone, pwc every 2nd day giving a good gravel vac. The spots will get worse before they get better. Leave heat up a week after last visible spot. Good luck

This right here is the best advice to take IMO...

 

[Fresh2o]

If you do not have an air stone available, perhaps you can drop the water level a bit to increase the surface agitation (to increase the O2).

 

[Buu]

Since you have sensitive fish i would go with the heat method. I had ich a while ago and that's what I did, i too have sensitive fish. Increase heat slowly to 84-86 increase oxygen levels by adding an airstone, pwc every 2nd day giving a good gravel vac. The spots will get worse before they get better. Leave heat up a week after last visible spot. Good luck

Just to be clear, and no salt? I've risen it to 80 succesfully last night (usually 78. Didn't mean to go that high so fast but my heater doesn't tell you exact numbers! Just a little switch you can make less or more.). So today I guess I'll add another degree. Ahhh so nervous! Everyone is eating and swimming around still.

 

[Buu]

If you do not have an air stone available, perhaps you can drop the water level a bit to increase the surface agitation (to increase the O2).

How low should I drop it? And for how long. Also would it be bad to get an air stone AND drop it? Just trying to give them the best chances!

 

[shellyx]

Just to be clear, and no salt? I've risen it to 80 succesfully last night (usually 78. Didn't mean to go that high so fast but my heater doesn't tell you exact numbers! Just a little switch you can make less or more.). So today I guess I'll add another degree. Ahhh so nervous! Everyone is eating and swimming around still.

You will be fine without the salt, it's not good for your kuhli. And yes you can add an airstone and drop your water line i did both as well. I dropped the level a couple of inches.

 

[Buu]

Bought an airstone =) waiting on my heater to cool off so I can vacuum the tank and WC. Going to hook it up and lower the water a few inches.

Ugh so I went to petsmart, showed pics and did water test (which showed everything was good. No nitrate or ammonia and at 7 PH). Of course the lady told me to get "API super ich cure" and told me how to use it with my sensitive fish. "It shouldn't kill anything". She gave me a huge thig how sometimes they get ich with shipments it just happens, and they cure it with meds. (But if they were to die I could get reimburse or new ones). She made the meds sound so tempting.

I'm going to just continue to turn up the heat and see what happens first with that. They are all still swimming around happily and eating well so hope they are fairing well! I hope no one dies =( but will continue to update in case anyone else gets into the same situation and can read my outcome (hopefully a happy one!).

 

[shellyx]

Bought an airstone =) waiting on my heater to cool off so I can vacuum the tank and WC. Going to hook it up and lower the water a few inches.

Ugh so I went to petsmart, showed pics and did water test (which showed everything was good. No nitrate or ammonia and at 7 PH). Of course the lady told me to get "API super ich cure" and told me how to use it with my sensitive fish. "It shouldn't kill anything". She gave me a huge thig how sometimes they get ich with shipments it just happens, and they cure it with meds. (But if they were to die I could get reimburse or new ones). She made the meds sound so tempting.

I'm going to just continue to turn up the heat and see what happens first with that. They are all still swimming around happily and eating well so hope they are fairing well! I hope no one dies =( but will continue to update in case anyone else gets into the same situation and can read my outcome (hopefully a happy one!).

You did the right thing there's no need for meds the heat will kill the ich and do it more safely than med my fish did fine with the heat and i have still got all my guy's lol all the best and you will do just fine

 

[Buu]

Oh! One other question (sorry I'm such a noob!). Since they are sick should I be changing the filter at all? If so how often.

 

[shellyx]

Oh! One other question (sorry I'm such a noob!). Since they are sick should I be changing the filter at all? If so how often.

No just leave your filter and when your media needs cleaned just rinse them in used tank water in a bucket. And your not a noob lol

 

[Buu]

No just leave your filter and when your media needs cleaned just rinse them in used tank water in a bucket. And your not a noob lol

Okay thanks! You and everyone else are such a huge help and real supportive. Will keep updating =)

 

[Buu]

The tank is now at 84 and water has been dropped. I'm probably raising temp really slow but it makes me so nervous! Everyone is swimming around, eating normally and same nice colours. The spots on one neon seem to have gotten bigger, but I try to keep in mind they'll get worse before better! The Khulis don't seem to have as many. They hardly have any actually. Hope things are getting better!

 

[shellyx]

It's ok to take it slowly with the heat its better for the fish i did the same

 

[Buu]

Silly question. Are air stones (well pump) suppose to be LOUD. I went into LFS for airstone and he gave me a marina 75 air pump (for up to 25 gallons). It is loud. I've even tried putting it on the floor. I've tried to move the stone around and put it many ways. It's still so loud. Should I return and get a better one?

 

[Buu]

When I put my hand on tank I feel the vibrations =\ and this is with the pump on the floor.

 

[shellyx]

When I put my hand on tank I feel the vibrations =\ and this is with the pump on the floor.

You maybe want to try another one, i just bought a new one for my tank and it drives me nuts with the noise like yours it vibrates loudly!

 

[Buu]

One neon died today =( my hubs wants to return all the neons because they pretty much all have the ick while the Khulis barely (now have none).

I'm pretty sure the neons are going to all die eventually =( their fins are tattered. And I don't want to use medication and have that kill my Khulis. It makes me feel so bad! I kinda of think the neons are the ones who came with ick. (Neons-petsmart. Khulis-LFS). I had them a week before Khulis and showed no sign of ick, except they breathed really fast and I thought maybe it was stress/getting used to my tank but now I'm thinking maybe it is just ick?

Going to pick up a QT tank. Have learnt my lesson =( poor fish.

 

[shellyx]

One neon died today =( my hubs wants to return all the neons because they pretty much all have the ick while the Khulis barely (now have none).

I'm pretty sure the neons are going to all die eventually =( their fins are tattered. And I don't want to use medication and have that kill my Khulis. It makes me feel so bad! I kinda of think the neons are the ones who came with ick. (Neons-petsmart. Khulis-LFS). I had them a week before Khulis and showed no sign of ick, except they breathed really fast and I thought maybe it was stress/getting used to my tank but now I'm thinking maybe it is just ick?

Going to pick up a QT tank. Have learnt my lesson =( poor fish.

Sorry to hear that remember if you move your neons to also keep the heat up for your kuhli to make sure you kill the ich. But remember these things happen when you buy fish its not your fault we have all been there.