Ich?

**abraham3660** · 08-07-2012, 09:26 PM

I just added my first fish to my 20 gallon tank (cycled). I was having some algae problems so i picked up an albino bristlenose pleco. He's only about an inch long, and today I noticed some white specks on his fins. Im pretty sure this is ich, but I'm just making sure. If this is ich, what should i do? I put a heater in and the tank is about 80 degrees now. I have this medicine from awhile ago when I used to have tanks set up called QuICK Cure. Should I use this? I dont like it, because it turns the water blue, and is it safe for my plants? The pleco is the only thing in the tank besides plants. Here are some pics: (The green thing is a zip tie holding my anubias to the driftwood)

**Cory Catfish** · 08-07-2012, 11:33 PM

Pictures aren't coming up.
If the ich isn't serious meds are unneeded.
-Do lots of extra WC
-Add JUST A LITTLE salt
About the med, I've used other Ich cures and they don't harm your plants but they do stain tubing and seals blue and pourous rocks will absorb it,,,,
but some of the ich cures DO contain copper, so I'd be careful with them. If you are going to use the cures, loaches do not tolerate it (if he's not in QT)

BTW, you moved the pleco to quarantine, right?

**abraham3660** · 08-08-2012, 12:59 AM

Sorry, here are the pics. And by salt do you mean just plain table salt?

**homemadepopcorn** · 08-08-2012, 02:04 AM

Salt is inadvisable for catfish although I've used it in regular doses with no apparent side effects.

Since you only have this one pleco, I would recommend the heat method with no medications or salt. Plecos tend to take rather well and the comfort zone for your specific pleco is around 81 degrees.

You should raise your temperature to 82 degrees or perhaps 84 if you don't observe that much stress in your pleco.

Keep the heat on until you don't observe any signs of ich for 2 weeks. Remember to vacuum the gravel regularly and keep up with your PWC as water quality is the number one factor in recovering from disease.

**Lady Hobbs** · 08-08-2012, 02:06 AM

Looks rather large for ick from what I can see. Almost looks like egg spots.

Ick looks like the fish is sprinkled in tiny salt crystals and I'm not seeing that here but it's hard to see it on yellow fish too and it generally seems to start on the fins so I'm unsure at this point.

**homemadepopcorn** · 08-08-2012, 02:14 AM

LOL, didn't even look at the pics, just assumed OP was right. Looks like sand to be honest.

**abraham3660** · 08-08-2012, 04:09 AM

Well that would make a lot of sense, because my substrate is sand! I didn't even think about that haha. Now I just fell stupid. Thanks everyone for the help, Ill leave the heater in just in case though.