Do my fish have Ich or another disease? (including links to photos)

[ste mc ©]

Hi there,

I was watching my fish closely today, and I noticed that they all have these
white dots on their fins and tails. One of the fish seems to be more
lethargic, and it seems to spend more time resting on the bottom of the
aquarium with the plastic plants, whilst the others are spending more time
swimming around as you'd expect.

I've taken a few photos of these 'dots,'though they they're difficult to
catch with a camera:

http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/fred.jpg
http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/albie.jpg
http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/dory.jpg

I've read up on some diseases, and I thought it might be Ich, but I'd prefer
to hear what you guys had to say? By the way, these aren't the same fish
that had the fish lice, as that's in a separate tank at the moment
recovering.

Thanks,

Stephen

[GiveMeABMW]

My guess is ick, but when my fish had it they looked more like someone had
sprinkled salt all over their bodies (not just tail).

http://www.goldfishparadise.com/care/disease.php

[Geezer From Freezer]

To try and get rid of it raise the temperature to speed up the life cycle of the
ich.
You want the temp in the low 80's. Add 3 teaspoons of salt per 5 gallons and add
slowly.
Turn of lights and cover aquarium.
Water change every 3 days and gravel vac every 3 days too - top up salt when
replacing water.
Ensure you have good aeration in your tank too....warmer water = less oxygen.

[ste mc ©]

"GiveMeABMW" > wrote in message
...
> My guess is ick, but when my fish had it they looked more like someone had
> sprinkled salt all over their bodies (not just tail).
>
> http://www.goldfishparadise.com/care/disease.php


Thanks for your guess. It's most noticable on the tails and fins as these
areas are see-through, so it's easy to pick out any marks on it.

Stephen

[ste mc ©]

"Geezer From Freezer" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> To try and get rid of it raise the temperature to speed up the life cycle
of the
> ich.
> You want the temp in the low 80's. Add 3 teaspoons of salt per 5 gallons
and add
> slowly.
> Turn of lights and cover aquarium.
> Water change every 3 days and gravel vac every 3 days too - top up salt
when
> replacing water.
> Ensure you have good aeration in your tank too....warmer water = less
oxygen.

I've read similar things on websites, but shouldn't I add a chemical too, to
kill the ich's as they float in the water? If so, what chemical?

Also, will the higher temperatures be okay with the coldwater goldfish?

Thanks,

Stephen

[Geezer From Freezer]

"ste mc =A9" wrote:
> =

> I've read similar things on websites, but shouldn't I add a chemical to=
o, to
> kill the ich's as they float in the water? If so, what chemical?
> =

> Also, will the higher temperatures be okay with the coldwater goldfish?=

> =

> Thanks,
> =

> Stephen

Higher Temp will be fine. Fancies prefer warmer water (if you have a fanc=
y).
Salt should take care of the Ich freefloating - you can use an ich treatm=
ent too
if you like!

[ste mc ©]

"Geezer From Freezer" > wrote in message
...


"ste mc ©" wrote:
>
> I've read similar things on websites, but shouldn't I add a chemical too,
to
> kill the ich's as they float in the water? If so, what chemical?
>
> Also, will the higher temperatures be okay with the coldwater goldfish?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stephen

| Higher Temp will be fine. Fancies prefer warmer water (if you have a
fancy).
| Salt should take care of the Ich freefloating - you can use an ich
treatment too
| if you like!


By fancy, do you mean fancier than a normal goldfish or something? All my
fish are fantails. I didn't realise that salt would kill off the ich? Do
you think I'd be better off using a chemical treatment too, or is that not
needed?

I'm just trying to figure out the best way to deal with this, as there
always appears to be more than one when it comes to fish! :-)

Thanks,

Stephen

[Geezer From Freezer]

"ste mc =A9" wrote:
> By fancy, do you mean fancier than a normal goldfish or something? All=
my
> fish are fantails. I didn't realise that salt would kill off the ich? =
Do
> you think I'd be better off using a chemical treatment too, or is that =
not
> needed?

Steve,

Yes a fantail is a fancy goldfish. Raise temp to 80-82. I would try the s=
alt
treatment first
(you decide though). Some people suggest switching off all the lights in =
the
tank and
covering so that free-floating ich cannot find a host so easily!

[Donald Kerns]

Geezer From Freezer wrote:

> Higher Temp will be fine. Fancies prefer warmer water (if you have a
> fancy). Salt should take care of the Ich freefloating - you can use an
> ich treatment too if you like!

I believe using BOTH higher temps AND ich meds are contra-indicated.

Also, be sure to have enough aeration when you increase those temps.

Finally, I'm not sure that the low-80's is enough to have the desired
effect. I'm too lazy to look up the source right now. Maybe tonight...

-Donald
--
"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving
that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the
proof." -Galbraith's Law

[[email protected]]

I dont know that salt kills the ich, it may just increase the slime coat turnover and
that is what takes care of it. I personally prefer using quick cure for 3 days with
lower temp water and low levels of salt. but NEVER EVER combine salt, quick cure and
increased temperature... this can kill the fish.
in any case, water changes must be done every day.
Ingrid

"ste mc ©" > wrote:
I didn't realise that salt would kill off the ich? Do
>you think I'd be better off using a chemical treatment too, or is that not
>needed?
>
>I'm just trying to figure out the best way to deal with this, as there
>always appears to be more than one when it comes to fish! :-)
>
>Thanks,
>
>Stephen
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

those really arent ich. more likely epistylis. often happens when nitrates are
high. Ingrid

"ste mc ©" > wrote:

>Hi there,
>
>I was watching my fish closely today, and I noticed that they all have these
>white dots on their fins and tails. One of the fish seems to be more
>lethargic, and it seems to spend more time resting on the bottom of the
>aquarium with the plastic plants, whilst the others are spending more time
>swimming around as you'd expect.
>
>I've taken a few photos of these 'dots,'though they they're difficult to
>catch with a camera:
>
>http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/fred.jpg
>http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/albie.jpg
>http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/dory.jpg
>
>I've read up on some diseases, and I thought it might be Ich, but I'd prefer
>to hear what you guys had to say? By the way, these aren't the same fish
>that had the fish lice, as that's in a separate tank at the moment
>recovering.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Stephen
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Mel]

It does look like it could be ich. If it is they will be pickled in spots
fairly shortly. Ich is usually caused by stress so it's important to check
that your water parameters are ok (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate under 20).
I use salt (aquarium salt) to get rid of it (3 tablespoons per 5 gallons but
added gradually. 1 tablespoon first (dissolved in a little tank water), then
in 12 hours another tablespoon per 5 gallon), then another tablespoon in a
further 12 hours. Keep lights out as ich doesn't reproduce so well in the
dark, and also turning the temp up speeds up the life cycle so will get rid
of it a bit quicker. I leave the salt in for 2 weeks (remembering to add
more salt to all new water added at a rate of 3 tbsps per 5 gallons). This
always wipes it out without fail. Once 2 weeks are up carry on water changes
as per usual and the salt level will gradually decrease again.
However, if you're going to use meds, Interpets anti whitespot plus is
readily available in the UK and is effective.
Mel.

> wrote in message
...
> those really arent ich. more likely epistylis. often happens when
nitrates are
> high. Ingrid
>
> "ste mc ©" > wrote:
>
> >Hi there,
> >
> >I was watching my fish closely today, and I noticed that they all have
these
> >white dots on their fins and tails. One of the fish seems to be more
> >lethargic, and it seems to spend more time resting on the bottom of the
> >aquarium with the plastic plants, whilst the others are spending more
time
> >swimming around as you'd expect.
> >
> >I've taken a few photos of these 'dots,'though they they're difficult to
> >catch with a camera:
> >
> >http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/fred.jpg
> >http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/albie.jpg
> >http://www.sm9.co.uk/fish/disease/dory.jpg
> >
> >I've read up on some diseases, and I thought it might be Ich, but I'd
prefer
> >to hear what you guys had to say? By the way, these aren't the same fish
> >that had the fish lice, as that's in a separate tank at the moment
> >recovering.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Stephen
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.