Help! ICH!

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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L!$A
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Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Oh no! ICH!!

Recently we had an ich outbreak in our tank, every other fish in our tank no long has the white freckles, other than our beloved mbu, Kaleeko. :(

The outbreak happened before the pictures I posted in the photos section, we thought we had cured it, but there is still some specks on Kaleeko, and they only seem to be getting worse.

Ammonia: 0.0
pH: 7.5
Nirtates: 5
Nirtites: 0.0
Temperature: 85

We've bought some ICH tablets and have been using them at minimum strength due to the sensitivity to the puffer, does anyone know any other methods that may be safe for a puffer?
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busybones
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by busybones »

Raise the temps, add 1 tbs of aquarium salt per 5 gallons and do a 50% WC every other day for a month...make sure you vaccum really good to pick up the cyst off the substrate...I wouldn't use the Ich tablets...
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busybones
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by busybones »

This will help...

library/hospital/fwich/
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

There's an article in the Library that explains it. busybones is right. Do a water change and get the meds out of there.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

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NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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L!$A
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Thank you very much!!

We are certainly going to follow the instructions from the library!
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busybones
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by busybones »

When I was treating my tank I printed out a calender and marked what days I had to do water changes and what the temps where. It helped alot, So now I keep a log for each of my tanks to write notes down about behavior, feeding, illness, and water changes..very handy!
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busybones
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by busybones »

L!$A wrote:Thank you very much!!

We are certainly going to follow the instructions from the library!

Good! my tank is healthy now and I didn't use any meds other than the aquarium salt
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L!$A
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Yes I agree, we have started using a "water log" as well!

I'll keep everyone updated!
& We already have the aquarium salt, we have Jungle Aquarium Salt for Tropical & Goldfish (is it okay for the puffer??)

This also may be a silly question but I just want to double check that my measurments is correct, I calculated 24 tbs to treat a 120gallon tank... it seems a little up there, so would I add all at once or through out the day??
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busybones
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by busybones »

24 would be correct, when I started the treatment I disolved the salt in a bowl and added a little to each bucket of new water I put in the tank. Also remember to add 5 tbs per gallon you remove back in to the tank when you do the water changes...It can take a while for the salt to dissolve but it should be ok if all of it isn't melted...Didn't bother mine..
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by Pufferpunk »

I would start with 12 (1 tbsp/10g) & then in 2 days double that, for a FW fish.
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!"
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by pufferpuggirl »

Here's an easy way to deal with ich, no meds and you can use salt, but you don't have to

Raise the temp (slowly) to 89.5F, hold the temp there for 3-4 days, and then lower to 86F for a further 6-7 days (you want a total of 10 days altogether). That will kill the ich parasite.
You need to put extra aeration in the tank with the temperature raised though, and it also helps to do daily, partial water changes (about 25%).

Like I said, you can use salt if you want, but you don't have to. At 89.5 it kills the ich, and just in case there's a few leftover, lowering the temp to 86F stops them from reproducing, and then the cycle cannot go on. I have found this a very good way of dealing with ich (whitespot to us in the UK).

Good luck! :D
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L!$A
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Thank you everyone for your advice!!

I sure hope Kaleeko will be okay.
He seems to be doing better, he is swimming and breathing fine.

Spots are still there.
Doing a water change/clean up today.

Will keep everyone updated!

& Thanks again. :D
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L!$A
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1045
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:30 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Fahaka - Nala
Congo - Baloo
Arrowhead - Yzma

R.I.P
Kaleeko - Mbu Puffer
Milly - Fangs Puffer
Location (country): CANADA
Location: Pitt Meadows, BC

Re: Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Just an Update:

Kaleeko is showing less and less spots!
Raised the heat, did a clean/water change yesturday & added some more salt.

He is still very positive and full of good spirit. :)

So far so good! :D
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LilGreenPuffer
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Re: Help! ICH!

Post by LilGreenPuffer »

Yay!

Don't get fooled. If all those spots disappear early, don't stop treatment!
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Image

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!

I AM A DUDETTE!

NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
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L!$A
Former Staff Member
Posts: 1045
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:30 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Fahaka - Nala
Congo - Baloo
Arrowhead - Yzma

R.I.P
Kaleeko - Mbu Puffer
Milly - Fangs Puffer
Location (country): CANADA
Location: Pitt Meadows, BC

Re: Help! ICH!

Post by L!$A »

Absolutely will do! :)
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