First bout with Ick

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flynnternet

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
90
Location
New York, NY
I believe my Royal Gramma has ick. I'd noticed over the past few days that she's been scratching on the PVC fittings (she's in QT for about a week and a half now now and I didn't realize this was a bad sign until now), and just last night I finally noticed spots. She doesn't look too good - laying on the bottom, breathing infrequently. I immediately started lowering the salinity. I'm down to about 1.017 (I stopped when I read I should be doing this slowly).

I also read that this shouldn't be fatal, but this looks pretty bad right now. I am surprised, since I hadn't noticed any spots until yesterday.

Anyway, I will lower salinity to 1.009 tonight, and try to find some cupramine and a copper test kit. Anything else I should do at this point? Is there a better temperature for treatment? Currently I'm at 81 degrees.

TIA
 
You should not combine the two treatments. Sinceyou already started lowering the salinity, I would continue with that. The temp seems fine. Being a little warmer will speed up the life cycle of the parasite. I HATE ICH!!!

Godspeed. :wink:

PS. I would go ahead and get the cupramine and test for future occurences, and just in case what your doing now doesnt work. It should work if it is done right. Do you have a refractometer?
 
Another thought, if he is in that bad a shape, you may want to skip the hypo and go right to the cuprmaine. The seachem multitest kit is a must to keep proper levels of meds.
If you go this rout, you could start it right away and slowly raise the spg over the next few days. Honestly with the symtoms you desribe, I would also consider that it may be velvet. Cupramine would have you covered in either case.
Good luck!! :wink:
 
Agree with Quarry 100%, he should not be that bad if it's just the beginning of ICH. I would start a copper treatment now, raise the SG slowly back to normal as you do the next few water changes. These will be nessesary anyway as the biofilter will be nuked with copper. You can also replace evaporated water with sw. Act fast though, changes in breathing can be a bad sign. Keep us posted...
 
I started the hypo because I wanted to try something immediately and wasn't 100% sure I could get the meds and test kit today (only one store I know of where I live carries that kind of stuff).

Does velvet manifest as small white dots? I thought it looks rusty.

Oh, and I do have a refractometer (thankfully).
 
It's the other symtoms that concern me. That sound more like velvet. When my fish came down, there were some white spots or misting on the fins. Like I said, with the cupramine, you got it covered either way. Hypo is not effective with velvet.
Cupramine seems to be available just about everywhere, its the test kit that can be hard to find. I happen to have a test kit I am not using, I could UPS it to you if need be.
You could start the dose by following the directions, by the time you would get to full dosage, the test kit could be there.
 
Awesome gesture Qhark! Your the man! Also if you need some med. I can send you some of that as well. Only one store in my area carried cupramine. :wink:
 
Also don't forget to clean up any waste or uneaten food, and keep a close eye on ammonia. With that it's almost nessesary to have sw mixed (24hrs) and ready for the next change. This will keep you ahead of the game :wink:
 
Just to add to what srgetz said. Once you get the cupramine to treatment strength, dose and test your change water. This will help to keep you at treatment level.
 
Well, the good news is she was still alive when I got home, so cupramine treatment has begun. I have a bucket of aged seawater all ready (for inching the alinity back to 1.025) and am making a fresh batch. I will make sure to add copper to the change water for the QT.

Out of curiosity, how long until you see results, in your experiences?
 
As long as he is not too far gone, should be 3-4 days. Taking the 48 hour, half dose time into consideration.
 
Well, he didn't make it. I came home today, ready to add cupramine after the 48 hour wait, and the little guy had expired.

Anyway, gotta get back on that horse. What should I do to decontaminate my QT? Do I need to completely strip it down? Leave if fallow? Should I still add the cupramine for a few weeks?

TIA
 
Sorry for your loss. You did what you could. The way it went down, I still think it was velvet. I lost 3 fish within a 24 hr period to that parasite. :( Anyway...
After this I empty the tank and clean it out wil bleach and hot water real well. Rinse it multiple time and allow it to dry real good.
Good luck with your next. :wink:
 
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