Ich question

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james77

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
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247
Location
Indiana
I thought I may have an ich outbreak. Now I'm wondering if I had ich at all. A few of the angels had some white spots but not many spots, maybe 6 or so but they also got what looked like a secondary fin rot fungus. I turned the temp up to 86 for my vacation and I didn't see anymore spots on any of the fish when i returned. I have 4 clown loaches in this tank too and I know how easily they can catch ich but none of them ever got the white spot's. Their fins seem to be healing now. I will be doing every other day water changes. Is there any other fish disease it could be?
 
I've had ich only on certain fish types if that helps. Last time was cardinal tetras and harlequin rasbora's (bn catfish, loaches, angelfish, etc all fine on body). Time before that was just mollies or platies.
 
Your Tank

I thought I may have an ich outbreak. Now I'm wondering if I had ich at all. A few of the angels had some white spots but not many spots, maybe 6 or so but they also got what looked like a secondary fin rot fungus. I turned the temp up to 86 for my vacation and I didn't see anymore spots on any of the fish when i returned. I have 4 clown loaches in this tank too and I know how easily they can catch ich but none of them ever got the white spot's. Their fins seem to be healing now. I will be doing every other day water changes. Is there any other fish disease it could be?

Hello james...

The Ich parasite lives dormant in most tanks and even on the fish. It just takes a couple of missed water changes or a sudden temperature change to stress the fish. The fish have a slick coating over their body and it is their protection against parasites. Stress can cause the coating to weaken in places and the parasite can infect the fish.

Healthy fish have little or no chance of being infected. I keep my fish healthy by changing a lot of tank water and changing it often. Feed a healthy diet of mostly frozen, a little freeze dried and a little flaked food. Minced garlic fed regularly provides a natural antibiotic. I add a teaspoon of standard aquarium salt to every 5 gallons of new, treated tap water. Salt stimulates the immune system, maintains healthy gills and retards the growth of most of the parasites that can infect fish.

Most, if not all tank problems start with poor water conditions. If you change a lot of water and change it often, your fish and plants will be fine.

B
 
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