Is it ick or something else??!!

[whalen]

Hi, I've been treating my tank now for a couple weeks for ich. It started about a month ago when I got a new fish from the pet store. After about 2 days of having the fish I see white spots on its head. I went to the pet store and bought Super Ick Cure by API. Followed instructions on the box. After using this, I didn't notice any white spots anymore but they still continued to scratch themselves on rocks in the tank. So after 48 hours off meds I bought another package and started to use them again.

Still the same thing. I did this one more time and still seen them scratching. The only thing I see on them are spots that could very well be bubbles from the air pump stuck to them. But they were still scratching. A couple times some of them were very lazy and wouldn't swim around very much.

Are Ick spots very noticeable or do you really have to look good to see them? After all the meds I gave them, I didn't want to give them meds anymore. Unless I had no choice, of course. I switched to salt and heat as a treatment for the ick. I have been using this method for 2 weeks now, and they are still scratching!!! When I look at them closely, I only see the bubble like things on them. I have the temperature at 84 (it won't go any higher) and I have 3 tbsp of salt per 5 gallons.

It doesn't seem to be doing anything. Maybe a bit, but I thought it would be gone by now. Now I'm second guessing myself if it is even ick at all. I know it is a parasite b/c of the scratching, but am I treating the right one?? Does anyone have any advice for me??

I have noticed that my blood parrot's lips are white looking and he is scratching them a lot on the gravel. The same with my convicts as well. Please help, I just want my tank to be healthy!!

I attached some pics of my fish. In the last pic of my blood parrot, you can see that his lips are whiter (minus the 2 bubbles) and you can see white marks on the tail. Is this ick or something else????? PLEASE HELP!!

 

[whalen]

Here are the pics

The pics wouldn't attach on the last message.

 

[dkpate]

To me, in the 3rd pic, the spots look more like a fungus or bacterial infection rather than ich. Ich looks like you sprinkled salt all over the fish, those are bigger spots. They could be a secondary infection from the ich "holes" though. What are your water parameters? Tank size? How long have you had the tank set up? What is your water changing schedule?

 

[whalen]

Ya, I'm thinking that I have both a parasite and a fungus now. I put Pimafix into the tank last night. I still have the salt in there as well.

My tank is 55 gallon. I have only been running it almost 2 months now. I bought the tank used. The tank come with the fish so I had no choice but to cycle with the fish. No other big enough tank to put them in to do this. This is how I think I contracted ICK in my tank. I don't actually see the ick spots but they are scratching like crazy still. I checked for velvet too and they don't seem to have that either.

My ammonia level is ever so slightly above 0 ppm, the ph level is 7.2. I don't have any other tests to do on it. Lately I have been doing about a 30% water change every 2 days or so. I read that doing this can help get some of the ick out of the tank. I just did a 40% w/c 2 days ago and now I will do another one today. I will be putting the salt back in the tank that I took out as I am pretty sure I am still treating for ick, or some type of parasite anyway.

If you need any more info to help me, please let me know as I have been dealing with this for about a month now and at my wits end with it. Just want a healthy tank so I can enjoy my fish and they can be happy. Thanks for any advice!!

 

[dkpate]

Stick with the Pimafix, and I would also get some Melafix, dosing both at the same time.
The ich will only come in with new fish, so I think it is a fungus or bacteria, so the Mela and Pima will help with that, but if it starts to spread and get worse, you might need to get something stronger.
When you got the tank, did the decorations and gravel stay wet? If so, you might not have too much of a cycle, you might only have a mini cycle.

 

[whalen]

Yes Darby, the decorations and gravel did stay wet. My tank is pretty much cycled now and it only took about 4 weeks to do it, so that's pretty good. I actually added a fish to the tank, so with you mentioning about the new fish, I might be going back to thinking its ICH.

With them scratching like crazy still, it has to be a parasite. Right? Maybe it's not ICH but a different parasite.


Stephanie

 

[dkpate]

Well, sometimes cichlids will rub against things to mark their territory, like dogs peeing on stuff.
The last pic I can see the spots that you are talking about, but I don't know exactly what they are, but I doubt it's ich, since they are bigger than ich. I am not sure of any other parasites that look like that, sounds like a google search might be in the works.