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Need help identifying a this disease.

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thegibster

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Hello,

I recently returned to this hobby after a 7 year break. I'm excited to return but am running into trouble.
I need help diagnosing this disease. I have a newly cycled tank that's about 2 months old and stocked this tank lightly about 2 weeks ago.

Unfortunatly there was some hidden ich on the fish from my lfs so I am trying to treat this using the heat method first. I just noticed this yesterday and started raising the temp slowly last night. However this morning I also saw this, and have never seen it before. It looks like some kind of film on their body dulling their shiny scales. This is on 2 of the 3 harlequins and only on one side of their body.

Tank info:
  • 20 Gallon
  • 3 Harlequins
  • 4 Red Cherry Shrimp
  • Plants: Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, Elodea Densa, Hygrophila
  • PH: 7.4
  • Ammonia: 0
  • Nitrites: 0
  • Nitrates: 5-10ppm

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 

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Sorry I cant help with the sickness but that is one unhappy Harlequin.

Hope you fix it.
 
It is possible that is the fish producing more slime coat which can happen when it is being attacked by parasites. This is just my surmise, but if you are sure you have ich, I would suggest dealing with that.

How warm is the temperature now? Until you get it around 90F (32 C) it probably will not be effective. I have never used only heat, as I always have fish that cannot tolerate that for 1-2 weeks, so I use salt + heat.
 
It is possible that is the fish producing more slime coat which can happen when it is being attacked by parasites. This is just my surmise, but if you are sure you have ich, I would suggest dealing with that.

How warm is the temperature now? Until you get it around 90F (32 C) it probably will not be effective. I have never used only heat, as I always have fish that cannot tolerate that for 1-2 weeks, so I use salt + heat.

The temperature is at 80F. I also just read that here in Florida we have a heat resistant strain of Ich so I'm thinking of stopping the temperature and gradually reducing it back to the 75 where I have it set normally, then dosing with medication.
 
The temperature is at 80F. I also just read that here in Florida we have a heat resistant strain of Ich so I'm thinking of stopping the temperature and gradually reducing it back to the 75 where I have it set normally, then dosing with medication.

I can't comment on the "heat resistant strain" as I've not come across that anywhere, but the ich life cycle does respond to temperature and raising the temperature of the tank water will speed up the cycle, thus allowing you to get it more quickly. At cooler temperatures it can take a long time, and not very effectively because of that.

I always raise the water to 85/86F. Then use salt, which is considerably safer than many of the preparations. I have used it with rasbora and no problems. Preparations that contain stuff like malachite green or copper (which is very common) are much more stressful on fish.
 
I can't comment on the "heat resistant strain" as I've not come across that anywhere, but the ich life cycle does respond to temperature and raising the temperature of the tank water will speed up the cycle, thus allowing you to get it more quickly. At cooler temperatures it can take a long time, and not very effectively because of that.

I always raise the water to 85/86F. Then use salt, which is considerably safer than many of the preparations. I have used it with rasbora and no problems. Preparations that contain stuff like malachite green or copper (which is very common) are much more stressful on fish.

I've heard of using salt, but I am weary because I have a planted tank and I heard that is no good for plants or shrimps (which I have both). Given that whatever treatment is used it must be done on the whole tank, I fear if I remove the plants and shrimps, treat the tank using heat + salt, then reintroduce the plants and shrimps after treatment, that it will just reinfect the tank. If I do end up using medication, it has to be without copper to not kill my shrimps.

Lesson learned going forward. ALWAYS quarantine! I've already bought a small QT tank for the future once I get past this.
 
I've heard of using salt, but I am weary because I have a planted tank and I heard that is no good for plants or shrimps (which I have both). Given that whatever treatment is used it must be done on the whole tank, I fear if I remove the plants and shrimps, treat the tank using heat + salt, then reintroduce the plants and shrimps after treatment, that it will just reinfect the tank. If I do end up using medication, it has to be without copper to not kill my shrimps.

Lesson learned going forward. ALWAYS quarantine! I've already bought a small QT tank for the future once I get past this.

You won't have plant issues, at least I never have had. I have swords, crypts, floating plants. The shrimp I will not guess about, other members can advise. But most so-called ich medications are also tough on shrimp. I've never had losses with common snails from heat + salt.

I will explain my method, which is not mine but Dr. Neale Monks. Use aquarium salt, or plain sea salt can work, but not sea salt with any other ingredients as is often the case with kitchen-use salt. Not marine salt or rift lake cichild salts as these contain various minerals. Plain aquarium salt, such as the API.

Do a major water change so you can leave the treatment for a full week (and this does benefit the fish when treating anything). Raise the temp above 80F, I find 85 works well and most fish can manage. I even used this treatment successfully with wild caught cories. Add the salt a bit at a time to a jar of water to fully dissolve it, then pour in; never add salt crystals to a tank as it can burn fish. Add it over several hours, like a morning. Level is 2 grams per liter. One level teaspoon is roughly 6 grams, so that treats 3 liters. When calculating the tank volume, make allowance for displacement by substrate, decor, etc. You do not want to over dose any medication/treatment. Leave for one full week, but if you observe any sign of distress do a partial water change. This won't likely occur unless you overdose.

At the end of the week, do a water change. The salt will be slowly removed with water changes. Any spots should be gone by then, but you can do a second week. Flashing is a sign of ich in the gills even if no spots are visible, so I look for this too. Add appropriate level of salt only for volume of water changed if you do a second week Maintain heat obviously, otherwise lower the heater setting and let it cool naturally.
 
Add the salt a bit at a time to a jar of water to fully dissolve it
I find adding the salt to warm/hot water helps it dissolve easier, of course you have to wait for it to cool down before adding it to the tank.

When I have had to do it, I mixed the required amount of salt in a pint of warm water, wait for it to cool down then I add a1/3 wait half an hour add a 1/3 wait half an hour then add the rest.

I have snails Kuhli loaches and shrimp in planted tanks and never had a problem.
 

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