Ich

[FallenAngel]

I believe I may have an early form of ich in my tank. All I see at the moment is one small white dot on my angel fish. None of the others are showing any signs at all yet. No one in the tank is rubbing against anything and they all have an appetite. In the tank I also have kuhli loaches, cory cats, Platys, tetras, nerite snails, and a pleco. I do not have a quarantine tank so I will have to treat everyone. Will that harm the other fish in the tank? What treatment methods are possible that will not hurt the others?

I also have a 5 gallon Betta tank set up with a filter. I could move the Betta to a smaller tank temporarily and treat the angel in his since it has already been cycled, though that would result in my Betta going into a Uncycled tank.

In youll's opinion, shat should I do?


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[aqua_holic]

If you have ich it's best to treat the whole tank anyways, since you don't know which fish are now infected and which ones are not. I would move the snail to the betta tank perhaps.

If it's early enough that there is only one spot, I would wait and make sure it really is ich before beginning any treatment. If you catch ich early you have a lot of time before the situation gets critical.

If it's ich then I suggest a heat treatment. Take the temp up to 86+ degrees and leave it there for 2 weeks. That's really all you have to do to successfully treat it.

 

[Autumnsky]

This article from the article section is full of useful info.
Fish Disease Index: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. - Aquarium Advice

 

[dcutl002]

If you have ich it's best to treat the whole tank anyways, since you don't know which fish are now infected and which ones are not. I would move the snail to the betta tank perhaps.

What if the snail is carrying the disease? Why take that chance and infect the Betta? I would leave the snail.

 

[aqua_holic]

A quick search indicates that the snail will be fine with the heat treatment, though it cannot get ich. So leave it in I guess. I've not exposed my snails (other than MTS) to such high temps so I am hesitant to suggest it.

 

[candymancan]

The only fish I would be carefull of with high temps are the cory cats.. Mine don't seem to like 86f which is why im thinking of taking them out of my discus tank..

 

[aqua_holic]

Yeah a two week treatment is one thing - permanently living is quite another.

 

[FallenAngel]

Alright, thanks for all the help everyone!


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