Ick I think?

[Landonwyeley16]

Oh god pleas help I think I might have an ick infestation I woke up this morning and I was looking at some of my tetras and they all seem to have white sits on their tails. I don't know if it has anything to do with it but I had just did a 25% water changer the other night and I have not seen one of my plecos all morning. Pleas help.

 

[Brookster123]

Neon tetras?

 

[Landonwyeley16]

Urge Von rio flame tetras

 

[Landonwyeley16]

And i have 2 albino bristle nose plecos

 

[Brookster123]

I'm not the best candidate to diagnose your fish, I was going to suggest looking into neon tetra disease, also some good clear pics could better aid. Hopefully one of the more seasoned fish keepers will jump in here.

 

[Landonwyeley16]

These are not clear but you can see the white spots.

 

[pip walters]

A good chance that this is Ich as it often manifests first on the fins of the fish.

Raise the temperature gradually in the tank to 80F if you can and treat with an Ich medication.

 

[Landonwyeley16]

Ok ya I did some research and it was just so strange because the same time my pleco goes missing. It might just b hiding they are really small but ya strange.

 

[pip walters]

Try and find the plec. If the fish has died, it will decompose in the tank and bacteria levels will increase that could infect other fish wekend by the Ich.

Fish that have suffered with Ich often get secondary infections, such as fin and mouth rot.

 

[Brookster123]

My Pleco's will hide away for a whole day sometimes, do you any pellets or wafers to draw it out?

 

[pip walters]

Bristlenose love cucumber and courgette (zuchini), but algae wafers are also good to tempt them out

 

[Landonwyeley16]

Ok I will try and find them I have a good idea where they are but I don't know if they are dead I just put some algae wafers in there either they don't like them or their dead. I will try cucumber tho see if that works.

 

[Landonwyeley16]

Which one should I get there is also ick guard jungle? I can't get a pick.

 

[Brookster123]

My Lfs always treats ich with salt and heat

 

[pip walters]

They all appear to use malachite green, so any of them should do the trick. Just wish they would acll it Ich, not Ick!

 

[Landonwyeley16]

I got salt to just in case. I am just worried about my plecos I have not seen them all day I put come cucumber in the tank so hopefully they are alive and well.

 

[Brookster123]

Pleco's don't do salt, you must remove them before any salt is administered I believe, not positive, please double check

 

[pip walters]

My Lfs always treats ich with salt and heat

If this is where you bought your fish from, then it is likely their poor treatment of Ich hasn't prevented it getting into the fish you purchased.

Their treatment with salt and heat probably just looks like the parasite is dealt with as the cysts hatch more quickly with heat and therefore disappear from the fish. Then, the salt is probably helping the fish fight off possible bacterial infection and remain relatively healthy, while the parasite reinfects them.

I have found at work that a relatively low dose with a copper treatment (NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL FISH) has helped fisght Ich and we rarely get a problem now.

Interestingly, we have one system of 63 tanks that uses copper piping... we never get Ich at all in there (but we can't keep shrimp in there either!) We are looking to experiment with pieces of copper pipe in the other systems.

Copper treatment will adversely affect some fish such as elephant noses that are known to be intolerant of heavy metals

 

[Brookster123]

Yes, all my fish! Unlike the chain stores, they are a specialized store, dealing strictly with fish , about 80-90 tanks, all employees are extremely knowledgable, though I have had fish die from their store, never from any disease or parasite. No copper visible at the store , I'm pretty sure the ich they treat is for the fish that people bring back to the store, these guys are pros!

 

[Landonwyeley16]

Copper? Should I put some pennies in there for a week? I am willing to do anything. And no salt I was wondering about that. I read that plecos can tolerate a little salt but I rather not risk it.