What kind of ick????

[tmkx3]

Is this black ick or regular ick? Are they treated the same?

 

[steve-s]

The pictures not that clear but it looks like depigmentation from the activities of a parasite. More commonly this will be from C. irritans but it's not a forgone conclusion.

Have you seen the typical white spots associated with C. irritans or just the black marks? I am assuming this fish was never QT'd?

Cheers
Steve

 

[tmkx3]

yea your right he wasn't qt'd, which I will have to do now with all the other fish. I did see the white spots but these black spots seem to be raised. I am setting up a 55g qt to treat all the fish with copper and leaving the main fallow 8 weeks. i wanted to make sure to do the right treatment.

 

[steve-s]

I would actually suggest <<hyposalinity>>. If you do go with copper, try to get Seachems' Cupramine with their corresponding test kit. Make all the fish in the tank are treated and the display tank remains fishless for 6-8 weeks.

Cheers
Steve

 

[tmkx3]

I don't have a refractor. My lfs only had coppersafe and kick-ick so I went with the copper. I also bought a copper test kit. What should my copper read and how long do I leave the copper in the tank? 1 mon?

 

[steve-s]

Mardel's Coppersafe (?) should be maintained at 1.5 - 2.0 ppm for 2 weeks in a proper quarantine tank. Do not use for one month, it will be too harmful for the fish. Be sure the copper is tested daily and be sure you watch the water quality and do water changes as needed. No carbon, substrate, rock or anything else that may interfere with the copper concentration.

Cheers
Steve