Ich....or not?

[Squirrelbuddies]

Ok, I'm on the verge of a mass panic attack. I purchased 3 USD cats just over a week ago. One of them died right off - he was very thin looking at the time - otherwise looked healthy. I just came home and another one was dead - stuck to the filter intake -- hard to tell what he looked like (other than thin) because the filter intake sucked off some of his skin.

The last one appears fat and happy -- but it looks like he may have small white spots --- very hard to tell though because he's hiding in the back in the plants. I looked at my plec (my very, very favorite guy) and it appears he may have three white spots on him -- but they're not real noticeable.

I also have 9 congo tetras (small), 2 kribs and a clown plec in the tank. They all look fine.

Do you think this is the beginning of an ich outbreak?? I'm going on vacation in 6 days (Hawaii) and this is why I'm having much stress. (I'll be gone for a week.) I don't want to come home and find my fish all dead.

I don't know what to do. Water conditions are great:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10ppm

 

[WILDER]

If the fish look like they have been sprinkled in salt it's whitespot i'm afraid.
http/www.badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article2.html

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

I checked out the link and it really doesn't look like the fish in the picture. There's just a few spots --

If it worsens and turns out to be ich -- my concern is what happens when I'm away?? If I started treating this tomorrow -- that gives me 5 days of treatment before I leave. (I have someone feeding my fish once each day when I'm gone. Is the treatment simple enough that someone with basic fish sense could administer the medicine?)

I'll be doing a water change before I leave (Tuesday) and won't be able to do another water change until I return (the following Tuesday).

But I also don't want to treat for ich if it's not really ich! Arrrgggggh!

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

So, should I just wait and see if more white spots develop on my fish? Or should I be taking preventative measures?

I have some "Aquari-Sol". The bottle indicates it's mild enough to use as a preventative anti-parasite medication.

Also, it says to remove the carbon from the filter. But I have an Emperor 400 and it uses filter cartridges. The carbon is built into the cartridge. Do I just remove the cartridge and have no filtering?

 

[WILDER]

If you didn't have any scaless fish I would of said add some salt tnad turn temp up, If they are very tiny spots like salt I would medicate for whitespot.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

I think this must be ich as the poor little plec now has more than a dozen white spots on him. The clown plec also is now showing several spots. One of the kribs is also flicking against the filter tube.

I turned the temp up a little and will up it a little more tonight. I also added CopperSafe as this seemed like the best solution since I will be gone for a week and I don't have any "fishie friends" that can admin medication.

My poor little plec, though, is acting poorly --doesn't seem to be himself (and no wonder!) Can I give him an Aquarisol (soluable copper salts) net dip to help those white things fall off? Or will that not help him?

I will be absolutely devastated if my fish die while I'm gone.

 

[WILDER]

It's up to you but I would let the med in the tank do the job, good luck.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

After doing more research and more thorough examination of the plec (I looked at him with the flashlight in the dark) I've determined that the problem is velvet and not ich. With the flashlight in the dark it's very easy to see the "gold dust". Plus both plecs are lighter colored than normal.


Along with the CopperSafe, I've reduced the number of hours the lights are on too, as I read lack of light helps to destroy the parasite.

I guess I don't have any more questions to ask -- merely just reporting the status. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to leave on Wednesday. I will be 5000 miles away from my tanks and nothing I can do at that point. I can only hope there is improvement soon so I can at least leave with a little optimism.

My advice to anyone who doesn't have a quarantine tank for newly purchased fish: Get one!!!