Heeelp! Might Be Ich In Early Stages?

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

i might have caught ich in the early stages, a couple of my platies have this tiny little white spot on their tails, I was going to start adding the aquaillibrium salt today and I noticed it. It wasnt there in the morning!!! Could it be a bit of debris? Or mabye white spot is ticking in my aquarium and my fish will from time to time, suffer minor infestations? I added a pich of salt and raised the temperature to 82F. What should I do now?

[sandy]

have you added to .1%? which is 1 level tablespoons per 3 gallons for uk.

what other fish have you got. as far as i can remember the rainbow fish and platies? watch the fish for a while to make sure it isnt debris though and if it looks like salt then it could well be ich.

i know the platies can take to point 3 but im not sure about the others.

maybe a .2% salt dip will shift them easier. let them swim in it for a few minutes and hopefully they will fall off.

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Ok, should I add all the salt at once?

[sandy]

do a salt bath for the infected fish first to see if that helps.

get a bucket with a gallon of tank water or fresh temp matched dechlorinated tap water, with some water from a boiled kettle to get the temp right.

add two level teaspoons of the salt to a little bit of boiled water and stir until its dissolved then add to the bucket.

let the fish swim in it for about 10 minutes and hopefully it will get rid of the spots. if it doesnt then do the same again tomorrow.

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Thanks I will do that now

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

It didnt work

More of the babies are showing symptoms now I might have to treat the whole tank, I cant afford any commercial treatments I will have to make do with salt. I have already added 3 tablespoons worth, how much more should I add and when?

[sandy]

3 level tablespoons will be enough for 9 gallons so you need to add another 4.

twelve hours later add 7 level tablespoons and again 12 hours later to get a .3% level. you will need to leave it like this for at least a week but im a bit worried about your rainbow fish. can you seperate them at all? remember if you do water changes to add back the salt you have taken out.

so, once you have reached the .3% and you need to do say a 10 gallon change, then you add back 30 level tablespoons if my maths serves me right

please can someone check this is right

to be honest pearl i dont know if salt is the route to go as you may lose the more delicate fish because of the high salt level.

can you get meds instead? protozin is good as is ws3?

[sandy]

just before you do anything else to the tank.

it is 21 gallons isnt it?

i take it you didnt quarantine the new fish when you got them? if not then i would deffinately say it was ich.

for anyone else posting could you give all the details from the box above, thanks.

[toothless]

Hi there.

Platys are well equipped to deal with salt in the water, the same goes for rainbow fish who frequently inhabit brackish water in their natural habitat. In fact, both types of fish are suppose to do better with 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons anyway.

Using US standards, to reach a % of 0.3, you should be adding 2 1/2 level teaspoons(US) per gallon(US). The heat should be raised (if possible) to 80-82 degrees as well. As always, when raising heat and salinity, it must be done slowly.

Ich often gets worse before it gets better. Be persistant and you should have it beat pretty soon.

Also, I would discontinue any salt dips. It isn't really going to be needed as your fish don't seem to be inundated with ich yet.

Hope this helps!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Paul

[sandy]

thanks paul feel better now.

in the uk use 1 level teaspoon per gallon. then 12 hours later add the same again, and again 12 hours later to get to .3%.

leave it at that salinity for about two weeks and hopefully they will go.

remember when doing water changes to add back 3 level teaspoons per gallon.

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Thanks soo much Sandy and Toothless

They are only showing minor symptoms, Next time I get new fish I will definately quarantine.

Thanks for your help

PearlscaleFan

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Is their any medicene that wont color the water? :/

I dont want my dad to know, you see the way he was brought up the only things in life that are neccessary is eating and raising a familly and going to work. You may think that is a good thing to do, but he seriously restricts himself, and I know

little about his social life....... Anyway, back to the subject, I need to know an effective med that doesnt discolor the water

[sandy]

there isnt one. they all contain malachite green which stains the water. you could say that you hought it a good idea to dye the water.

i thought you were going with the salt? no one will know you have that in.

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

My mom said she would sort him out if he kicks up a fuss

So, im going to get the medicene today

Once the treatment is over, will the carbon filter pad that came with my tank clear the color of the water?

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Couldnt get the meds THe ich was quite bad yesterday But it seems to look better now Im not going to stop with the salt, Im goint to make sure that all the ich is gone

[toothless]

Yep, if your salting to the correct level, that is all you will need. It might just take a bit longer if there isn't a heater to keep the temp at 80-82 degrees. But they will, eventually, ALL die off.

Hows it going?

[Guest PearlscaleFan]

Very good on the end of friday it looked really bad I was soo sure they werent gonna make it, then I got some protozin on saturday and slowly, slowly they have been looking alot better, they are back to their normal ways now

Only one is acting abit weird, but even that has had a very good improvement. Only a couple of spots left I have to add the last dose on Thursday.

My rainbows bred, which proves that they must be hardy (or just desperate ) to have had a baby during the infestation. Unfortunately, we werent able to save the baby.

But thet'll be at it again!!!