Ich help

[Pstant]

I have a new 10 gallon tank with 1 blue tetra (he is roundish shaped and all white with a blue streak on his back/upper body), 1 pink tetra (again, roundish shaped and all white with a pink streak on back/upper body), 1 white molly, 1 black molly, a pink danio, and 1 guppy. So 6 fish (not sure if this is overstocked, I think it might be but I received 6 fish for Christmas from someone who doesn't understand keeping fish so there was nothing I could really do other than to add them to my tank).

But I noticed on my blue tetra that there are little white spots on his bottom fin and tail that look suspiciously like Ich. Also noticed 2 little ones on the pink tetra and 1 white spot just above the mouth of the black molly. I am not 100 percent sure as it is hard to tell but if it is Ich, what is the best way to treat this tank with this population of fish? All help is much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Vienolac]

Sounds like the start of ich.

And you may be over stocked. Or you could be quite close
Check out
Aqadvisor.com to find out about that.

If it is ich. Slowly raise the temperature about 1-2 degrees and hour untill your at about 86-87.
Also when doing your water changes. Get some aquarium salt, and add the dosage amount untill you have achieved the "1 tablespoon per gallon" or whatever rule that your particular aquarium salt has(don't get this confused with marine salt)

And basically. Watch your fish carefully. Do pwc either every day. Or every other Day. Adding the amount of salt per water you took out.
I think most are 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons. So if you do 50% that's 1/2 a table spoon you put in the new water.

When the spots are gone continue this for maybe 1-2 more weeks. Then you can go back to your normal routine. And should be fine.

I have a thread I made about this. I'll see about posting a link. ( I just dealt with the same thing)

 

[Vienolac]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/possible-ich-237890.html

 

[Pstant]

Thanks for the response!

Will all of the fish I have be able to safely tolerate the high temperature and salt in the water?

 

[Pstant]

And I know it's hard to tell without actually seeing the fish but like I said there are like 2 little white dots on the tail of the blue tetra and 2 on his bottom fin and like 1 on his top fin and then the pink one has 2 little ones on the tail. So I'm not entirely sure if that isn't just the sparkles on the fins and is natural to them or if it is Ich?

 

[Vienolac]

And I know it's hard to tell without actually seeing the fish but like I said there are like 2 little white dots on the tail of the blue tetra and 2 on his bottom fin and like 1 on his top fin and then the pink one has 2 little ones on the tail. So I'm not entirely sure if that isn't just the sparkles on the fins and is natural to them or if it is Ich?

As far as will the fish be able to handle the salt and temperature. Most can. But I would do some private research on a website
Liveaquaria.com I believe is the website.

Does it look like small grains of sand?
Sounds like ich to me.

 

[Pstant]

Yes it is definitely ich, I just looked at my black molly and the little white spot above her mouth is now gone so it must have fallen off to reproduce.

 

[Vienolac]

Luckily sounds like you caught it early. So you shouldn't have any belly up fish
Make sure to do the research on the fish, then begin with a water change. If some of the fish can not handle the salts. Use Half the amount recommended on the bag.

 

[Vienolac]

Oh yes, also

Have your fish been flashing? Because that's a sign of early ich too.

Flashing is when the fish rub against the decor or substrate in the tank.

 

[Pstant]

They have not been flashing, just the spots. All of my fish seem to be ok with salt except the tetras. I've read that they are sensitive to it so perhaps a half dose?

Can anybody weigh in on how pink and blue tetras, black and white mollies, danios, and guppies would do with salt and raised temperatures? Or is medication a better path to go down?

 

[Vienolac]

They have not been flashing, just the spots. All of my fish seem to be ok with salt except the tetras. I've read that they are sensitive to it so perhaps a half dose?

Can anybody weigh in on how pink and blue tetras, black and white mollies, danios, and guppies would do with salt and raised temperatures? Or is medication a better path to go down?

I can personally garuntee the safety of your mollies(as they are brackish fish and prefer salt) and the Guppys. Because I have both of these fish.

I did half dose with my whole tank I have a 20g. And even my panda Cory(who is a scaleless fish and is extremely sensitive to salt and chemicals and temperature change) is doing great.

I wouldn't really use medication. Because then your adding a bunch of chemicals to your water. But that's my opinion. I think you would be ok if you added it slowly and just watched how they react. I actually think the temperature alone can kill ich.

 

[Pstant]

Ok great. The salt treatment is underway. I did a half dose treatment and have the heat up to around 80ish. They seem to be doing ok with it so far. The spots on the blue tetra have now fallen off so hopefully this will all work.

Did your half dose treatment get rid of the Ich in your tank?

 

[Pstant]

And if it did, how long did it take to treat?

 

[Vienolac]

Do this for 2 weeks or so.
To make sure all of the eggs are destroyed and that the free swimmers die off. You don't wana get rid of it, an stop treating an get it again because some of the eggs were still around

And I did half dose yes

Make sure the temperature gets to about 86-87
And do daily or every other day pwc

 

[NinjaTetra]

My tetras had iChat right from the store, 5 out of 6 died, then I treated with full dose of salt, and later added a ich treatment. Never raised the temp or drained the tank, but sadly now eleven months later it is upside down, still alive. This is the reason I was in the unhealthy section. Good luck!

 

[NinjaTetra]

Ich not iChat

 

[Vienolac]

Maybe a noticeable difference in about 5-7 days. And the next 7 for verify. My tank is still at 87. But I don't add as much salt any more.

 

[Vienolac]

Also I've been told, not sure. That this food can help with internal parasites. Maybe idk just bought some oday. But mine don't have the + A on them

 

[H2OJO]

6 fish in a ten gallon isn't overstocked, 4-5 more you can get in a ten gallon and that would be at its limit.

One thing i would say though is that you need to get more of each species. Illness sets in when fish are stressed, so this may be the answer to why your fish are falling prey to ich.

 

[Vienolac]

I have 8 fish in my 20 gallon. And it's pretty stocked. A lot depends on the fish you get.

But no way you could have 10-12 fish in a 10 an it not be overstocked bad

You must be using the 1" per gallon rule.


Wich is a horrible measurement standard to go on...

That's like saying. An Oscar gets 12" long. And 6" tall so he will be fine in a 20 by himself.

Yah probably at first when he is young... But eventually he will grow to the width of the tank and have no room.

It would be like living in a closet.

Same with the fish per inch rule.
Let's put you and 6 friends in a storage closet. And say. There's room to squeeze 4-5 more. And then well call it good. When no one has any free movement room.

This is just my opinion tho.