Its been about 4-5 days of fighting ick and I used half a tablet of Ick Clean Tank Buddies but it for 2 days but it wasnt working so i stopped. I'm now using a heater and my digital thermometer is reading 82.7 degrees Farenheit and I put in aquarium salt. He's much more active tiday than the days before but still needs times of rests because he's breathing heavily. He's the darkest he's been but his belly is pretty white. Another concern is that he doesnt eat shrimp anymore as he cant catch them like he use to be able to. He tries a couple times but gives up afterwards because they are to quick. He's on the bottom of the tank now and a shrimp is right next to him but he's not doing anything. I'm worried but also a little relieved because he's much more active than he was a few days ago. Oh and I've also added an airstone which he like to go in and gets pushed to the top. He keeps doing it and its so funny.Okay let me sum it up since wrote alot.
1.He's really dark but his belly's white. Why?
2.He's not eating his shrimp anymore. Why?
3.Ick is getting a little better but theres still specks on his body,tail, and eyes. Need some advice with ick.
4.How long till his breathing returns to regular?
Thanks!
Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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sevenyearnight
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Make sure you provide extra surface agitation/air stone/ oxygen during treatment. The heat and medication will deplete oxygen levels in the water.
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
oh yeah forgot to add that in. Just bought an airpump and airstone yesterday. He's a figure 8 and hes been under his bridge for a long time now...I hope I'm just overreacting.
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sevenyearnight
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Ich does effect gill function, so it may be a while before he is breathing normally. Just keep up the routine, sounds like you have that down. Being patient is the hard part. :/
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sevenyearnight
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
There is no absolute color chart vs moods, they have individual color-moods, you just have to get to know your puffer to be able to read them.
He is not eating because he's not feeling well.
He should eat again when he feels better.
He is not eating because he's not feeling well.
He should eat again when he feels better.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Temp needs to be 86 or higher. Lots & lots of WC, cleaning the substrate (80% every other day). Your fish isn't eating, because it doesn't feel well. Try live earthworms.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Man he died last night under his bridge. His color was still dark so I guess dark for him meant he was close to death. An empty tank is an empty feeling. I don't understand though. He was so lively before he passed away.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
My dog brought me her ball to toss for her, the night before she died.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
wow that's just too deep. lets do us all a favor and stop bringing up sad memories:(
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RTR
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Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
FW Ich does no just affect the gills, it is a gill parasite primarily. fin and body lesions are seen only because the gills are already crowded with parasites. Chronic Ich can run in a tank for years without any surface lesions being seen.
The absolute minimum time for the life cycle is ~ 3 days or a bit more. You cannot expect clearance of an infestation in less than two cycles (~6+ days) and should not expect full clearance to safety in less than nine or better 10 days.
Infected gills lose the ability to transport dissolved O2 as well, and post-infection scarring of the gill epithelium thicken it, so it never returns to 100% of original function, even after some new gill filament are built up.
When you add together the gill damage and reduced function to the lower O2 content of warmer water, you are compounding insult and injury. The fish cannot get enough O2 to hunt normally - it effectively is out of breath, just as you would be with pneumonia.
Ich is serious and generally results in some degree of permanent impairment. It is often fatal, even with proper treatment. The earlier it is caught, the stonger the fish will be during treatment and the better the chance of functional recovery.
HTH
The absolute minimum time for the life cycle is ~ 3 days or a bit more. You cannot expect clearance of an infestation in less than two cycles (~6+ days) and should not expect full clearance to safety in less than nine or better 10 days.
Infected gills lose the ability to transport dissolved O2 as well, and post-infection scarring of the gill epithelium thicken it, so it never returns to 100% of original function, even after some new gill filament are built up.
When you add together the gill damage and reduced function to the lower O2 content of warmer water, you are compounding insult and injury. The fish cannot get enough O2 to hunt normally - it effectively is out of breath, just as you would be with pneumonia.
Ich is serious and generally results in some degree of permanent impairment. It is often fatal, even with proper treatment. The earlier it is caught, the stonger the fish will be during treatment and the better the chance of functional recovery.
HTH
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Thanks that's very informative for my next one. Question though,I'm planning to get another one tomorrow. How should I make the tank ready? Can I use the same water? It has aqueon dechlorinator and the temp is 79.4. Can I also keep the plants and decorations and gravel?
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RTR
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Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
If the tank sits without fish for ten days to two weeks, it will be safe to restock. Bur you will have to fees the biofilter in the meantime to keep it alive.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
uh can you explain "fees the biofilter" please? I tried searching it, no luck
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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
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- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Fighting Ick/ich, need help on identifying behaviors
Feed. RTR has poor eyesight, he mistypes sometimes.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"