Ick

[bkiggy]

Finally got a good picture - is it ICK? this is a syno catfish in a 10 gallon with a dwarf puffer who is healthy. It has been 3 weeks with heat at 85 and adding aquarium salt. ONLY treatment
- hears the kicker, tank is cycling!!!!! Been up and running for 12 weeks. Have a Aquaclear 70 on it.
Ammonia is 1
Nitrites 5
NitrAtes 20

HOLY CRAP I'm at a loss how these 2 fish are alive still and what to do next??????
I do water changes everyday to keep the levels down but spike back up. They are going to suffocate

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Yes that's ick. With those params it's not surprising. The stress is too much.

 

[Hobgob]

Have you lost any fish yet? And it actually isnt ick its ich... The full name is something like Ichthyophthirius I think... But raise the temp up a bit more... At 86 they either can't reproduce or the cant attach to a new host. At 87 they do the other and then at like 88.7f they die

 

[Hobgob]

Try and get the tank cycled though. Can you get any healthy media to help seed your tank? Do a big water change everyday and gravel vac the heck out of it. Ich parasites will lay their eggs in the gravel and you can just suck them all out. Google ich life cycle. In order to cure ich without chemicals you need to understand how it goes through the aquarium...

 

[bkiggy]

Can I use quick cure AFTER the tank is cycled? Or no meds with scaleless fish? Just worried about puffer

 

[shellieca]

Can I use quick cure AFTER the tank is cycled? Or no meds with scaleless fish? Just worried about puffer

The heat will do the trick to get rid of ich, it can take 2-3 wks & since you're doing lots of water changes due to cycling even better. You may want to do multiple water changes in a day if you aren't already because of you water parameters. Leave the heat up for at least a week after the last signs of ich & it gets worse before getting better.

 

[bkiggy]

It should be called ITCH. LOL
poor syno is uncomfortable
- puffer does not like the high temp. Have to hold it at 84. Puffer has lost a lot of color

 

[Hobgob]

It should be called ITCH. LOL
poor syno is uncomfortable
- puffer does not like the high temp. Have to hold it at 84. Puffer has lost a lot of color

True that but that's to many letters lol. Can the puffer be removed and treated by himself?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

84 won't cut it. If he's not liking the high temps you might have to resort to meds if he can handle them. Any temp under 86 won't stop it so that might be the problem.
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php
Here is an article on ich.

 

[bkiggy]

I don't have a hospital tank - have to treat the whole tank
Puffer and syno , sick and healthy