Lifecycle of ick

[Lady Hobbs]

http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=2421

Since I have been battling this confounded ick for 4-5 days myself, I thought others might like to know how this rotten ick attacks fish and how it reproduces.

I purchased 49 gold tetras and neons last week. Since they were all going into the same tank, I didn't bother to quarantine them. I checked each day and no sign of ick. On about the 3 day of having them, I checked and they were literally covered with ick. Even around their eyes they were so infested. For sure the worse case of ick I've ever had. And to make matters worse, all very small fish that probably should have all died by now.

I turned the temps up and starting treating with salt immediately. Finally yesterday I got Jungle Labs Ick pellets. (Not good because I have coreys and suckerfish in the tank.) Today is my second treatment of the ick pellets, temps are still raised and I also still have 1 T per 5 gallon of tank salt in the water. I have only lost 3 fish but honestly, after 4 or 5 days now, I had expected the ick to have dropped off the fish.

I have to wonder how much more stress these fish can take. I have now turned the temps from 82 to 86. Somethings gonna give one way or another.

And, as if having one tank with ick is not bad enough, I picked up 6 giant danios that went in another yet. YUP! They have ick, as well, so now I am struggling with two tanks.

The big downfall of buying new fish!

[Dixie]

I'm right there with ya Lady grrrrrr. If it's not one thing it's two! It started out I saw the one spot on the anal fin of almost all of my cichlids and a spot on the top fin and one on the tail of the Leporinus and was worried about Ich. Then I did some research and came to the conclusion that it was eggs spots on the cichlids. Boy was I relieved but kept an eye on the Lepotinus. One of his spots left but I noticed his tail was looking a little frayed. I still wasn't to worried anymore about Ich because from what I was understanding, it should be on the bodies too and I'm not seeing it there. I soon noticed a couple of the cichlids had frayed tails too. Now I'm starting to think I might have a nipper in the bunch. While I'm watching the fish to see if I can figure out which one is doing the nipping, I notice some of the fish rubbing their sides against rocks. I'm still reading and learning (on the internet) and came across something about Fin Rot. While checking into this, I find real good info telling all about Ich too and how the fish rub their sides against rocks because it itches as the parasite is boring in. I now think my fish have both Ich and Fin Rot. How diggity dang darn wonderful is that!?

In the artical about Ich, it says that after feeding on the fish for several days, the parasite comes out, drops off, and goes in the gravel where it multiplies then when the new little ichs get hungry they swim up to find the fish to feed off of again. There is a 3 day period where they do this swimming and that is the only time the parasite is vulnerable to the medicine (malachite green, methylene blue, quinine hydrochloride, & mepracrine hydrochloride). It says to raise the water temp., medicate for 14 days, take out the carbon filter because it will take out the medicine and perform water changes between treatments. It doesn't say anything about using salt but in another article I was reading about Nitrite poisoning, it mentioned using non iodized salt to treat parasites...a dip method and a bath(whole tank) method.

My daughter told me that the medication she used for Ich turned her water a pretty blue but also stained some of her rocks and decorations. My gravel is white so I really don't want to stain it. Will the salt alone kill the parasite? Would you recommend table salt or the lake salt that's for cichlids?

Sorry this is so long.
Dixie

[Dixie]

Sorry Lady, I didn't read that article(link above) before I posted because I figured the one I read should have had all the information about Ich in it but then after I posted I though well if that was so, why am I asking you a question about salt lol so I went back and read it. Now I see that I can treat the fish in a different tank and let the parasite in the original tank die because there are no fish in it to live off of. No staining my gravel yippeeee. I still have alot of thinking about the best way to go about all this and what all equipment I will need to do it. I have an extra tank but only one heater. I should think better after a nights sleep not so clearly right now it appears. The Fin Rot problem will have to be thought out tomorrow too
Good night
Dixie

[Lady Hobbs]

Without reading the link, you explained perfectly.

The next time I get any new fish, I will add salt and raise the temps the day I get them and they will do in a quarantine tank. My plants suffered from all the salt and meds, as well, and I lost a LOT of fish.