Is this ich?

[Satyricon553]

I was out of town this weekend and when I got back my Pearl Gourami looks like he is sick. I know he has some fin rot, but when I bought him he looked like that. It's getting better, but I think he might have ich now.

I have attached the best picture I could get of him. The lower part of his bottom fin shows up best in the picture, but he has spots similar on his top fin and on his side. I'll try to get a better picture, but it's the best I had right now. He moves too quick for my camera.

Tank parameters are fine 0/0/<20. I couldn't change water until a few days later since I was out of town, but it was the first thing I did when I got back. I generally do 40% every week. It's been running for about 5 months and is cycled. I haven't had any problems until now. The Pearl was the most recent addition so he could have already had the disease and if only manifested itself now. I think he was purchased 2 or 3 weeks ago.

I have a ton of plants in the tank and some shrimp so I can't medicate but I'd rather not crank up the heat until I get some confirmation that this is ich and I need to treat it as such.

 

[RussellC]

It's tough to tell from the picture, but you can see the fish best.

If your spots you refer to look like someone sprinkled the fish with table salt, then it is very likely ich.

 

[Bubbles0oO]

If it is in fact ich then slowly raise the whole tanks temp to 85-86 degrees. Then leave the temp up until the last spot is gone. Don't QT him, because if he has it then its in the whole tank. The heat treatment will at first seem to do no good then seem to make it worse but then it will get better. All you gotta do is make sure none of your fish show signs of distress at the high temp. The heat process usually takes about a week or two depending on the severity of the infestation.