Ich

[crisps]

I bought 3 tiny Dahli loaches 4 days ago, and spotted a single speck on one of them.

I have been keeping an eye on at least two of them. One had now got about 4-5 spot. So far they have been hiding a lot. Yesterday only one came out to feed, today 2 did. I have only seen all three at once one time since I put them in the tank.

The fish with about 4-5 spots was fished out today and I have put him in a very large just with an air stone and a chunk of java moss (which I'll throw away afterward)

I am not sure if the fish with the multiple spots is the same as the first one I spotted 2 days ago.

I assume, due to the life cycle of ick, that these spots are probably still the same infection they had from the fish store so I figure if I separate the fish now then the others in the tank (6 tigers, 6 serpaes and the other two loaches) may be ok.

What is the best course of action to take from now? I'll obviously get some medication for the jug and try to cure the single fish.

The other loach I have seen looks very healthy BTW. also eating lots. I'm not sure the last one is even in the tank as I simply haven't seen it.


Thanks,

[TammyLiz]

I think the way ich works is that if you have more spots now than you did before your whole tank may be infected. The way the life cycle works is that the cyst bursts and spreads things around. If more spots appeared it came from a burst cyst that could just as easily have spread to any of your other fish.

How do you plan on keeping the one alive in a jug with just an airstone? That doesn't sound like the way to treat a sick fish. Likely he will die of ammonia poisoning before the ich gets him.

I think you should treat the whole tank.

[crisps]

I was thinking that the fish is infected is infected with store ich. If only one fsh had only one spot then should that spot have fallen off it would take at least a week before the spots would appear on other fish from it.

The single fish is about the right size for the jug. The lack of filtration will be an issue unles I clean it every day or so. I'll monitor Ammonia and stuff daily.

I would be interested to know how best to intice the 3rd unknown fish into the open so I can take a look at it. If that one is clean then I reckon the main tank may be ok. If I can avoid treatment then that would be good.
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[shari2]

crisps it sounds like you most certainly have ick in the tank. You do need to treat the whole tank.

Read THIS or google Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and find other pages on it. The parasite is in your whole tank, not on just one fish. What started as one spot is now hundreds or thousands of little ickies looking for hosts.

It frequently is in the gills of fish before you ever see it as spots on the scales and compromises the fish's ability to breathe. Lower your water level to allow for more splash (increase avialable oxygen) and READ about this parasite. It is treatable, but you need to know what you are dealing with.

Keep us posted and we will try to help. Put the fish you removed back in the tank. Do a water change with a good gravel vacuuming. The higher the temp the faster the life cycle of the parasite. I could say more, but YOU really need to read up on this. There are several ways people approach treatment. You will have to decide which way you want to go.

hth

[TammyLiz]

The single fish is about the right size for the jug. The lack of filtration will be an issue unles I clean it every day or so. I'll monitor Ammonia and stuff daily.

Sorry if my last post sounded a little harsh. What you said here may be true about the water changes if you do them a couple times a day, but I still think the sick one would have a better chance of survival in the main tank and that it would be in the best interest of the other fish to treat them all before things start getting bad enough for you to notice it. It is possible to have a nearly complete wipeout from this kind of situation so it is pretty serious stuff and not something to be messed with.

I'm not giving advice that I wouldn't take myself--I've treated an entire 55 gallon over one spot that popped up on a new kubotai. The affected fish ended up dying anyways, but I didn't have any other losses and I feel I made the right decision.

I like to do a low dose of a malachite green/formalin med once a day for two weeks, but there are many ways you can handle it.

[crisps]

How much is a low dose? 50% everyday or less that that?

[shari2]

Follow the directions on the med, but at half dose for loaches. I usually do a good sized water change first with a seriously good gravel vac. Treat for 4-5 days, do another serious gravel vac and water change then treat for another 4-5 days.

make sure you treat for several days AFTER ALL THE SPOTS ARE GONE. Ick will remain in the invisible stage in the water even after the spots are gone. You want to make sure that you kill off all of it or it WILL come back and possibly be more resistant to the medication and harder to eliminate the next time. The good news is that your fish will be a bit less succeptible to it if it comes in the next time.

[crisps]

All fish back in tank, spots had dropped off of the loach in the jug already.

The serpaes and Tigers look very healthy, so do 2 of the loaches. The only fish still unaccounted for is the final loach, I have not seen him for a week nearly.

This normal or is he likey to be dead under a rock soomewhere?

I have added some ridich to the main tank, I'll keep adding about 50% dose every day or so for 2 weeks.