Urgent help - Ich?

[ThangaMean]

yeah that's what worrying me. the first spots I noticed are still on the fish and now there are additional spots, all on the tail. Also, the second fish has one on the tail. so not sure what else to do.

 

[Angela1108]

I have to agree with (I think it was Dela sorry if it was someone else) that with para gaurd, heat and salt the ich should be going away unless it is super ich. I've never dealt with super ich (basically a very resilient strain) but you might want to do a google search on that and see what people used for that.


Like I said ich attack seems to be working for me. Only one of my lfs carries it so it is sort of hard to find. Might be worth checking into?


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[ThangaMean]

oh no!!! I hope it is not. Let me wait for few more days and see how it goes.

 

[Delapool]

I use UV filter along with Paraguard. Is this an issue? I read on some other forum that UV filter will convert paraguard into toxic? true?

I haven't seen anything to suggest it will convert to something more toxic. It may break down the med though so recommendation is not to run UV / use carbon or purigen during meds treatment. These all break down or absorb organics, of which malachite green (in seachem paraguard) is a part of.

Have you been dosing paraguard and running a UV filter at the same time?

If the UV filter is very good (ie expensive) it may aid in parasite control. Most UV filters will help with algae, maybe bacterial and iffy on parasites.

How many spots do you have now?

Also what is the percentage of salt in tank?

 

[ThangaMean]

Yes I was running UV with Paraguard. This is just a basic UV. I stopped it last night after reading about the negative impact. Second fish has just one spot at the edge of the tail. Other one still has the original two spots on one side of the tail and the other side has a couple. I add one table spoon for each 5 gallons.

 

[Delapool]

All quite odd this one. How much salt were you dosing in QT to get it to 0.3%?

 

[ThangaMean]

I just add 6 table spoons for my 29 gallon. Since I was using medication, I'm using salt only to sooth the fish and avoid secondary infections.

 

[Delapool]

No worries - the reason I was asking was to see if your initial dose was high enough to get rid of parasites.


http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Salt

 

[ThangaMean]

before I started using paraguard, I used 270 grams of salt for 29 G. When it didn't do anything then I switched to paraguard and 6 table spoons of salt.

 

[Delapool]

Sounds right. Well idk - did find some pictures of ich that looks to be clumped so larger than normal but the timing still doesn't fit. Or the extra spots without the old spots going (unless in the gills but I assume no flashing). Unfortunately I can't find the other link that had pictures of white spots that weren't ich.

I'm going to stick with warts or injury. I'd finish off the paraguard dose and watch them closely as you are doing.

And since I have been wrong, I'd pm JLK as well for her advice.

 

[ThangaMean]

Yeah no flashing or scratching along the glass or any other things. Both of them are active and eating as usual. I'm thinking of waiting for one more week with the current process. What do you think should be the next course of action? BTW thanks a lot for all your response

 

[Delapool]

I had a look to see if other parasites were possible but quite hard as every link heads straight off to ich.

You could finish the meds, give them a break to recover. After that all I would try is a stronger salt dip which is relatively safe and could help no matter what it is.

Lots of water changes as well to keep organic matter in tank low. My thoughts anyways.

 

[NigelK8485]

Just in response to an earlier comment, you can use heat treatment on goldfish.

You just have to make sure to raise the temperature extremely slowly, 1 degree every hour or two, and increase aeration like crazy. Comets would have the hardest time with it, but if you kept the temperature at a steady 86 which is what the parasite needs to speed up and not be able to multiply, you'd be fine for the couple of weeks you'd need it.


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[ThangaMean]

for the last few days I'm seeing tiny white particles at the bottom of the tank. When I do water changes, it looks like they resist. When other particles just get sucked these just don't get sucked most of the time. Are these ich spores?

 

[ThangaMean]

Just in response to an earlier comment, you can use heat treatment on goldfish.

You just have to make sure to raise the temperature extremely slowly, 1 degree every hour or two, and increase aeration like crazy. Comets would have the hardest time with it, but if you kept the temperature at a steady 86 which is what the parasite needs to speed up and not be able to multiply, you'd be fine for the couple of weeks you'd need it.


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Yes I have increased the temp for sometime now. Unfortunately it looks like my heater is broken and not going beyond 80. I just ordered a new one, which I'll install tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[jlk]

Just in response to an earlier comment, you can use heat treatment on goldfish.

You just have to make sure to raise the temperature extremely slowly, 1 degree every hour or two, and increase aeration like crazy. Comets would have the hardest time with it, but if you kept the temperature at a steady 86 which is what the parasite needs to speed up and not be able to multiply, you'd be fine for the couple of weeks you'd need it.


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Disagree. 80f is more than sufficient heat for a fancy. I can assure you most fancies will not tolerate 86f and I speak from unintentional experience here. I still do not believe this is ich though due to its appearance.

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[jlk]

for the last few days I'm seeing tiny white particles at the bottom of the tank. When I do water changes, it looks like they resist. When other particles just get sucked these just don't get sucked most of the time. Are these ich spores?

You can not visibly see ich trophonts or tomites so this is not ich. Its honestly difficult to tell what these white things maybe from your picture.

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[NigelK8485]

Disagree. 80f is more than sufficient heat for a fancy. I can assure you most fancies will not tolerate 86f and I speak from unintentional experience here. I still do not believe this is ich though due to its appearance.

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I know other people who have successfully used the heat treatment on goldfish for ich. I agree, I don't think it's ich on this particular fish, but I was just making a comment in regards to a previous one. You have to increase oxygen and up the water changes, but I do know of success stories with heat and goldfish, maybe yours didn't make it due to it being unintentional and most likely no increases in aeration or water changes?


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[jlk]

I know other people who have successfully used the heat treatment on goldfish for ich. I agree, I don't think it's ich on this particular fish, but I was just making a comment in regards to a previous one. You have to increase oxygen and up the water changes, but I do know of success stories with heat and goldfish, maybe yours didn't make it due to it being unintentional and most likely no increases in aeration or water changes?


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Common goldfish can handle heat OK but fancies do not handle it well. Heat is the biggest killer of fancies there is. My expensive fish come inside if it's too hot or too cold. In my case, I can assure you it was not a lack of wcs (100% every 3 days) or aeration, but my 2500gph pump started burning out and the temp went from 74 to 88f overnight (12hrs). Expensive lesson learned.

As I do not believe this is ich but possibly bacterial or a copepod infestation, heat will only further complicate things, particularly, if its bacterial.

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[Angela1108]

Can you get us and updated pics?


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