Ugh! Spots on my new ram!

[twoodrough]

This is why I am not sure I want to get a larger tank. I get so upset when things go wrong and fish die. Especially my newest fish. Especially my favorite kind of fish. A bigger tank means more fish to potentially lose.

No one else in the tank is showing spots so there might be hope for them, but I don't know if the ram will make it. I will just have to watch and see. I have been home all day and think I caught it quick, but spots are spots.

Time to get the temp up tonight. It was already at 80 so I don't have far to go. It was a regular WC day tomorrow anyway, so I might do a larger one than usual.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Actually a larger tank means more stable parameters and more room for error so a better chance of healthy fish. What size tank, how long has it been running, tank mates? Parameters?

 

[IssyDizzy]

This is why I am not sure I want to get a larger tank. I get so upset when things go wrong and fish die. Especially my newest fish. Especially my favorite kind of fish. A bigger tank means more fish to potentially lose.

No one else in the tank is showing spots so there might be hope for them, but I don't know if the ram will make it. I will just have to watch and see. I have been home all day and think I caught it quick, but spots are spots.

Time to get the temp up tonight. It was already at 80 so I don't have far to go. It was a regular WC day tomorrow anyway, so I might do a larger one than usual.

White spots? New fish? High ammonia?
Im always devastated when they pass too
Don't worry if they're white they can't die.

 

[twoodrough]

20 gallon tank. Been up for a few months. Just got the ram less than two weeks ago. Don't know my params (usually test at LFS) but I don't normally have ammonia or nitrite and usually nitrates around 10.

I know a bigger tank is more stable. But whenever I lose a fish I threaten to dump the whole hobby. I won't get the 29/30 until next year. Goodness knows how many fish I am going to go through between now and then.

I've got a lyretail molly, BN pleco, guppy and some rummynose tetras. So far no new spots, but the ram still has them.

The bummer is that I have a 150w heater on the way (hopfully will be here tomorrow) and my 50w is struggling to get the temp up.

?? What do you mean if they are white they can't die??

 

[IssyDizzy]

I got that a bit wrong but it does take time for them to pass
The white spot (you may call it ich) is a parasite in an ammonia high or in new fish tanks

If one has it that fish will eventually release them and other will get it

It spreads easily but is very easy to cure

I had an incident with this and it got quite bad it treated within a couple of days and I had no deaths

Don't worry

 

[librarygirl]

I bought a ram a couple of months ago and she developed Ich too (my first bout with it, not fun). After a few days of increased temp the spots started to disappear and I left the heat up for another week after spots were gone. Did some extra water changes with gravel vac to suck up the Ich spores as they fell. She's doing well today. None of my other fish got sick. I hope yours pulls through too; sounds like you caught it early which is always good.

 

[twoodrough]

It would be a first for me not to lose the fish that had spots. You have given me some hope that I won't lose him. I am trying like heck to get my temp to move up but this little 50w heater won't go. I don't want to overshoot and boil them over night when I can't watch the tank as closely.

 

[Epicchef]

If the spots are white and small then he has ick. Get him to a quarantine tank (if you can.) If not, get some medicine at petsmart and get api super ick cure.
If you are going the next day put some salt in the tank.
Hope this helps.

 

[twoodrough]

I got it up to 82, at least it is moving, albeit slowly. 86 here we come!

 

[twoodrough]

New heater finally made it in yesterday. I was able to get my temp up to 86 with the two 50s, but I am glad to give the betta back his heater this morning. Now....I wait to see who makes it through the week. Some new spots on ram as other spots go away. Nothing on his gills yet and he is still acting the same. Minimal spots on anyone else. I will do an extra water change this weekend.

Anything else I can do at this point, other than wait it out?

 

[librarygirl]

No, just wait and see really. Now that the heat is up you should start seeing a difference in a few days. Ich often gets worse before it gets better. I thought my ram was a goner since she was covered in spots but she responded to the heat treatment very quickly. Every 2 days do a 50% water change with gravel vac to suck up the Ich spores as they fall. Depending what other fish/inverts you have in the tank, you can add some aquarium salt if they'll tolerate it. I couldn't use salt as I had corys and shrimp and snails but the heat alone did work, so hopefully it will be the same for you. With the heat up, make sure you have some extra surface agitation to promote more oxygen (the higher the temp, the less oxygen in the tank) so either lower the water level some to ensure that there is splashing from the filter or add an air stone. If you see fish gasping at the surface that's often an indicator of lack of oxygen as well. Keep us posted.

 

[twoodrough]

Thanks! I have a sand sub so it will be hard for me to do a good vac. Will do the best I can. With the heat up the water evaporates pretty quick. I just had to add some because the water was getting way too low, even with needing extra agitation. I already have an airstone. No one gasping at the surface. So now I wait.

 

[phishfriend]

Agree with above. I'll add that imo rams are pretty tough fish! In addition to the higher temp. I would recommend small water changes. 5% every second or third day. With new water as close to temp as possible. I'v found that most fish seem to shake the ich and recover quicker with the water changes.

 

[IssyDizzy]

Has anyone actually suggested iCh treatment?

 

[phishfriend]

Has anyone actually suggested iCh treatment?

Yup! That's exactly what we are explaining. Most of us agree that putting any form of chemical or treatment in your tank is a big no no. A lot of them do more harm then good!

Yes, there are times when a chemical treatment is the only way to solve or cure a problem but those are few. Most of the time there is a tried/tested solution that doesn't require the use of chemicals or medications and has a much higher rate of success.

Ich is a perfect example. The best cure for ich is what was described above. Heat! No need to waste money on products that most are iffy at best. Then time trying to remove it from your system after treatment.

 

[twoodrough]

So far so good. I have not lost anyone yet. But, they aren't all looking happy happy so I am not doing a tap dance yet.

I like the heat method soooo much better. No chemicals, no blue water, no 50% daily water changes. All you have to do is get the heat up, do water changes every other day (I am doing 50%) and wait. I have a bottle of ich med that I am going to ditch once this episode is over. Never going back to that again.

 

[twoodrough]

At what point can I start a happy dance about not losing any fish? Everyone seems to be acting back to normal now. I haven't seen spots in a couple of days. I plan to do one more 50% change tomorrow then let it go for a week. I also plan on keeping the heat up for a few more days.

I have gone through ich about 4 times now and this would be the first time I didn't lose a single fish. I think this is the first time I have used the heat only method and I am hooked! So much easier and less stressful for the fish. It would have been even easier if I had had my new heater right away.

I still keep watching very closely for bad signs. Hope I don't see any.

 

[Scottyhorse]

I would keep heat treating for a week.

 

[Sunny004]

So glad to hear about your success with the heat only method. In the initial stages of a battle with Ich also. Congrats!

 

[aqua_chem]

I would recommend you keep treating for at least one week after you can't see any spots. You want to be sure that you get it all, and for much of ich's life cycle it's undetectable to the naked eye.