New Betta Has Ich!

[HarpyFishLover]

Hello...

I've just gotten a new betta on Friday. He was acting strange, to be sure... but not in the store. He started darting around and bumping/scraping against things, so I looked at him with a flashlight. He had 4 or 5 white specks on him... and that was yesterday. He's got 20-30 now, plus tons in the water. He's definitely got ich.

I have no idea how to treat this, especially not in a betta. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

4 gallon Baby BiOrb.
Temp 78 deg.
Levels normal... 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, 0 chlorine, pH 7.3, GH ~ 350...

This guy's 3 days from the store. For anybody who says it's my fault, he had it in the store and I didn't see it.

Please help me; I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[DutchMuch]

I personally think ich is caused by bad water quality. Whats your WC schedule? how much an how long in between each?
Many will disagree with this, but its undeniably true. I would up your temp to 80

 

[NickAu]

Slowly raise your water temp to 32 dec c for 5 days, that should get rid of it.

As Betta keepers we often tend to buy fish that are not 100% and get them healthy, Dont blame yourself.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Slowly raise your water temp to 32 dec c for 5 days, that should get rid of it.

As Betta keepers we often tend to buy fish that are not 100% and get them healthy, Dont blame yourself.

Thank you. What do you mean by slowly? A degree per day?
And how do I know when it's completely gone? Will there be no specs on him or in the water? ...I don't want a relapse of this, because he's pretty itchy (not ichy, itchy...) right now.

Also, just looked it up... that ends up being about 89 deg f. To go from 78 to 89 in 5 days, that surely is very stressful? Or am I reading it wrong?

 

[DutchMuch]

What is your WC schedule? or are you not going my route of things.

 

[NickAu]

Over about 4 hours.

that ends up being about 89 deg f. To go from 78 to 89 in 5 days,

That is correct.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

4 hours? Ah darn, I upped it two degrees just now... I spose I can up it tomorrow through three hours?

Also, is it normal for a betta with ich to lay in the floating plants with his head at the surface of the water? Does this relieve his itching/pain? ... and will a stronger air pump help him?

To the person who asked my WC schedule, it's once a week. Every week.

Is there a way I can relieve his symptoms, besides killing the virus thing?

EDIT--This was yesterday evening... so I'm going to up the temperature 3° per hour, after 9:00 AM, today.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

3° just now...

 

[DutchMuch]

k

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Alright, it's at 89°. He won't try to jump out, will he?

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Ok, so now he's laying motionless in my floating plants... still breathing, but otherwise completely motionless. Is this normal for a betta with ich? Or is he going to end up dying?

Also, a family friend said today that he had had a horrible experience with ich... and that it killed every fish he ever put in the tank again. Is it possible this is just saltwater ich he was talking about, or am I going to have to completely redo the tank, after suffering another fish loss?

 

[HarpyFishLover]

So I took the temperature down again today. Should I do a water change, or wait a day?

 

[NickAu]

Yes a water change never hurts, Is he OK now?

 

[HarpyFishLover]

He's acting normal, since Wednesday. His specks disappeared on Thursday, and I just looked and the specks from the water are gone. I'm thinking I'll do a water change tomorrow, since it's a bit late now. (6pm. I could.... but honestly, it can probably wait a day. It's only been a week since I got him, and I vacuumed his tank beforehand.)
The ich won't grow back if I do wait till tomorrow on the water change, will it?

 

[NickAu]

Never be afraid of water changes.