Think he has ick

[HorrorShowRot]

Heres the video [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] I am thinking its ick wat is the best way to cure him?

[jaysee]

He's heavily infested, so I would begin medication treatment immediately.

First do a very large water change, then begin with liquid meds - ich guard or some other similar product.

[Deleted User]

Oh, I think he does, too [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

We've only had it 1x so far, in one of our goldfish tanks, but we got rid of it really fast using API Super Ick Cure liquid.

Put more weight though probably on what more experienced members may have to say. I'm still new...

[HorrorShowRot]

Dam I started treatment last night.... Salted the tank lightly apparently it should help.... Also should I up the temperature to about 80xD

[Wiggs]

Rather then salting the tank, you should start with a real Ick Medication. If it is ick, with that amount of infestation, you're up against the wall.

[jaysee]

Jill, I see your MTS is coming along quite nicelythumbs2:

Horror - wiggs is right, your fish isn't going to last much longer. All those spots are parasites that have burrowed into it's body. Turning the heat up to the low 80s will speed up the life cycle, which will make them volnerable to the meds faster. The meds only work after the cyst has dropped off. Once they fall to the substrate, they multiply and hatch many many more parasites that are free swimming. It is this stage where the meds kill them. Once the parasite gets into the fish the meds do no good. After treatment, I would do daily gravel vacs for a few days to make sure you get everything out.

[HorrorShowRot]

using melafix and salt atm. started melafix last night and salt today.

[Deleted User]

Jill, I see your MTS is coming along quite nicelythumbs2:
Oooohhhh, yeah. I'm going to need a bigger house soon at this rate!!!

For that fish, even though I'm new, to me, I wouldn't try the "light" treatment with salt. He has it all over him and I think he needs real medication today.

[Wiggs]

using melafix and salt atm. started melafix last night and salt today.

If you continue to treat with Melafix only, I wouldn't expect a great result. You need a Specific medication for Ich.

[HorrorShowRot]

what would be my best bet for medicine?

[Wiggs]

what would be my best bet for medicine?


Anything Specifically designed for ich. Rid-Ich is one. I'm not too familiar with all of them as I have never had Ich.


You can dose the melafix after the treatment is over if you would like, it should help heal and close up and sores left from the parasite.

[Lab_Rat]

Go get Ick Clear or some equivalent medication immediately. I have no idea how you let that poor fish get so bad. That does not happen overnight, you should be ashamed of yourself. Do you even look at your fish on a daily basis?

[jaysee]

Any of the blue liquids. Melafix is an antibacterial and will have no effect on ich.

[HorrorShowRot]

I got some rid ich+ Just wondering it says to do 25 percent water change before I treat him did the WC is that every time? I play on dosing him every day. Is it like outer wounds took my betta about a week and a half for his tail eating to heal.

[Lady Hobbs]

1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. Remove charcoal.

It is not necessary to dose tank everyday and may be too much in his weakened condition. Wait several days, do your 25% water change and dose again is you wish. Vac that gravel daily as another poster mentioned.

I used that product and didn't care for it. Had far better luck with Ick Guard.

[Lady Hobbs]

Is he still alive?

[Deleted User]

I was just thinking of him this evening, too. I hope he is doing better.

[HorrorShowRot]

:scry: :scry: Sadly he passed away while I was at work... I am just so pissed off at myself because I never caught it sooner. Just wondering though. I am going to drain my tank change out the substrate Should I leave the tank dry for a few days to kill off the ich cells? I will be changing to sand aswell as getting some fakeplants and decorations for the tank. Also ich feeds on fish correct? So no fish=there harmless. And if the tank is dry how long will they survive for. Might even vinegar bath my tank. Definitly going to invest in a few quarantine tanks just so this never happens again.

[robflanker]

Mild bleach bath 1part to 20parts water - i think thats what most people use

[Twe3k]

ICK if caught early is very treatable.. that poor guy looks very weak and seem to be with ick for sometimes.. sorry about your loss.. in the past i used super ick cure by API seem to work very well

[Crispy]

poor fish...:scry:

[Deleted User]

I'm very sorry [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

If the tank were mine, I'd crank the heat up to the high 80's (assuming it is now empty of fish), and treat with Super Ick Cure per the bottle instructions as if a fish were in it. Then after the two 48 hour periods (treat, wait 48 hours, treat again, wait 48 hours), I would drain the tank as low as I could before adding more water and then thinking of adding fish.

[Lady Hobbs]

Ick will die without a host to feed them but that tank has got to have a lot of eggs that will hatch within a weeks time. You can leave the tank as it is and allow them all to starve or treat the tank as Jill suggested. You have the medication so may as well.

Do not add any more fish now or it will be a death sentence for them!

In the meantime since you have no fish in that tank and don't want to loose your cycle, I would be adding some pure ammonia each day to make up for having no fish. Maybe 4-5 Tablespoons.

[HorrorShowRot]

I was thinking of just re cycling as well. I am gonna do a tank makeover. Gonna change the substrate for sand. So would it be best to leave the tank try for a few days it says ich dies after it is dried. Or I have heard.

[Lab_Rat]

I sincerely hope you have learned from the death of that poor fish that animal ownership is a big responsibility (even for a fish) and you cannot neglect them or they get sick and die.

It would be silly to lose whatever bacteria you have in your filter media. If you're planning on removing the substrate and switching it out for sand I would go ahead and remove it while continuing to treat the tank for ich (personally I would treat for two full weeks to make sure all the eggs have been killed, even though there is no host for them). Do add the ammonia as Lady Hobbs suggested, otherwise your bacteria will die.

[HorrorShowRot]

Allrighty will do thanks guys.

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

Ick will die without a host to feed them but that tank has got to have a lot of eggs that will hatch within a weeks time. You can leave the tank as it is and allow them all to starve or treat the tank as Jill suggested. You have the medication so may as well.

Do not add any more fish now or it will be a death sentence for them!

In the meantime since you have no fish in that tank and don't want to loose your cycle, I would be adding some pure ammonia each day to make up for having no fish. Maybe 4-5 Tablespoons.
Here is a question that I am curious about... I just recently discovered my male betta had a white spot on him and I immediately moved into an established QT/breeder and treated with the heat and salt method. Unfortunately he didnt make it possibly due to age or for whatever reason. Anyways to my question. In my QT tank I have lots of Malaysian trumpet snails kickin around and I had planned on leaving this tank running for a while in order for the ich to run its course and die and was curious: can snails also become hosts of the ich? There are no other fish in this tank and a couple stem plants that are planted in a small container with fluorite.

[Lady Hobbs]

I've never heard of ick having snails and wouldn't let it be a concern.

[Sharon]

She means "snails having ick"...:hmm3grin2orange: