Ich? Need Advice!

It's been about 24 hours since I started treatment using API Super Ick Treatment. Been following the instructions and also raised the temp to 81F so far. No other fish are showing signs of ick, still just one fish.

I was wondering if someone would be able to confirm what I am dealing with is in fact ick just to be sure. Pictures are below.

My biggest concern right now is this fish hasn't eaten since I got it. It's been 2 days, and the breeder I got him from said they don't feed them for 24 hours before sending them out to keep the water cleaner for longer during shipping. This means this fish hasn't eaten in 3 days minimum. Is this bad?

Updated photos:





Original Post:

Spoiler

Just got these fish in yesterday they have been in the tank for about 24 hours now. They all ate pretty aggressively today except one which I found odd. Just a few moments ago I got a good look at him and I am pretty certain he has Ich, which I've read you just salt the tank for 2 weeks to cure. What kind of salt do I use and how much? He looks like the only one showing signs.

Temp 77F
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nirate 2-3PPM
125 gallons

 

Just got these fish in yesterday they have been in the tank for about 24 hours now. They all ate pretty aggressively today except one which I found odd. Just a few moments ago I got a good look at him and I am pretty certain he has Ich, which I've read you just salt the tank for 2 weeks to cure. What kind of salt do I use and how much? He looks like the only one showing signs.

Temp 77F
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nirate 2-3PPM
125 gallons

View attachment 445403
View attachment 445404

I’m sure someone will chime in here but I’ve seen these posts and people usually recommend medication instead of aquarium salt. So I’d suggest to wait for someone to tell you which medication before you use any salt.

 

For ich, I’d use a commercially available cure (such as ich cure.) I’d use the available because I think you’ll have a better success rate of getting rid of the ich. In addition, I’d try (if possible) to move your fish to a QT tank (if it isn’t in one already.) This way you can dose the medicine more easily.

 

API makes a good cure called API super ich cure. There are some other methods (Heat, mela/pima, salt etc.) But medication is really the most reliable. Plus, unlike salt, you can remove it with activated carbon.

 

If you are seeing white spots on one fish, the entire tank is infected. Yes, it is that contagious. There is no point in quarantining this fish.

Ich is a parasite. The white spots on the fins and skin only show up at the end of the parasite's life cycle, when it is ready to reproduce. The parasite falls off of the fish's skin, hence the white spots, and it falls and lands on the substrate, where it multiplies, and waits for another fish to swim by that it can infect.

So, you do have to treat the entire tank. It's not just possible, but likely, that in the last 24 hours more fish have become infected. You also now have the parasite living in your substrate, because those white spots indicate the parasite falling off of that fish.

 

You should treat the tank. There are two options you can do:

Option 1: you can slowly raise the temperature up to 86 degrees. Every day you will need to at least a 25% water change and gravel cleaning to get rid of the ich that is in the water and the ground. You should do this for 7-10 days.

Option 2: Get medication such as Kordon Rid Ich. Make sure it's ok for your fish as some meds are not good for catfish and other that don't have scales. You will do a 25% water change and gravel vac...add medication to the tank per the instructions and wait 24 hours. Then rinse and repeat for the next 7-10 days.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. I ran to the store and got some API ick treatment and followed the directions. I'm really stressed over this but trying to stay positive. :/

 

I know I’m a bit late, but I would start by slowly increasing the temperature to 87 degrees, performing an immediate 50% water change using the gravel vacuum, and treating the entire tank with Super Ick Cure.

 

Hang in there, you're not alone. I'm also fighting Ich and am using Ich-X. It doesn't seem to negatively affect my fish, fry or plants. Hopefully you find success as well. Good luck!

 

Just got these fish in yesterday they have been in the tank for about 24 hours now. They all ate pretty aggressively today except one which I found odd. Just a few moments ago I got a good look at him and I am pretty certain he has Ich, which I've read you just salt the tank for 2 weeks to cure. What kind of salt do I use and how much? He looks like the only one showing signs.

Temp 77F
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nirate 2-3PPM
125 gallons

View attachment 445403
View attachment 445404

I've had experience with Ich and highly reccomend cranking up the heat on the tank before resorting to meds. Meds work but are hard on the fishes body, and it Ich can usually be fixed by heating up the tank.

 

Updated the main post, if someone could give feedback on it. :s

 

What have you been attempting to feed your fish? Sometimes, live food is all ot takes to get a fishes appetite back up. On the other hand, he might just not be hungry. My advice: if you can, try live food.

 

What have you been attempting to feed your fish? Sometimes, live food is all ot takes to get a fishes appetite back up. On the other hand, he might just not be hungry. My advice: if you can, try live food.

Northfin Cichlid 2mm. When I put it in the tank they all go bananas for it, they eat so dang much so fast. But that fish with ick doesn't even get effected by it, he hasn't eaten once for me yet and I think it's because he has ick in his mouth too. :/

 

Do you have any live food on hand you could try to feed the fish? I think it might stimulate his natural feeding instinct.

 

Do you have any live food on hand you could try to feed the fish? I think it might stimulate his natural feeding instinct.

I don't sadly, not even sure where I'd find any honestly.

 

Do you have a petco or petsmarts nearby?

 

Do you have a petco or petsmarts nearby?

Yeah I have both

 

That’s awesome! You might want to try to come by some ghost shrimp there. I belive at petsmart they are 39 cents per shrimp. Get roughly 5 and try feeding them to your fish. One word of caution: make sure that the shrimp are getting to the infected fish. For 2$ , it can't hurt to try.
Ps. The shrimp will be fine in the bag for some time. This means you don’t need to give the, any living accomidations.

 

HI Zarpy
Did your fish make it though the ich? Is he still with us? Did you try the shrimp?
Sorry to dig up an old thread.