Help Understanding My Ich

[karin]

Hi.

Last saturday I brought a Keyhole cichlid and two congo tetra's and one plant. Put them in my tank, I have no quarantine tank. By Monday I saw the white spots on the keyhole. On Tuesday I verified not sand. On Tuesday evening I raised the temp to 30C or 86F and increased aeration. I am also using an organic ich solution sold in pet stores. Have avoided salt because of cory cats and on bn pleco. Am trying to avoid harsh medications.

On Thursday thru Saturday, al my male congos presented with the white spots which all disappeared after about two days. So right now only my keyhole, the first presenting with the white spot, still has the white spots. No other fish have outward symptoms.

Any thoughts? I've had the temps high since Wednesday and it is Monday today. So 5.5 days. Is the Keyhole just hard hit? Anyone with similar experience? Should I just get the meds and lose my shrimp, which the keyhole I believe is slowly eating?

Oh and the stat stuff
60 gallon with keyhole cichlid, 7 congo tetras, 2 angels, 2 bolivian rams, 4 albino corys, 1 bn, shrimp and 2 nerite snails.
Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 0-5 (API test kit)
Water changes: Doing 15-20% every 3rd day right now, usually a weekly thing.
Normal temps 25C

Thanks everyone.

 

[Athena]

Hi Karin

I've only ever treated Ich with Protozin so haven't had experience of the sort you're using. You'll have to let us know what it is and how good it works!

A good tip is to do a daily gravel vac from the time the spots disappear off the fish, to help remove the cysts that have fallen to the gravel and thereby reduce the amount of tomites that will be released into the tank. Frequent water changes will help too.

I do know that when the white spots disappear from the fish it doesn't mean that the Ich is cured, it simply means that the white pustules have burst, releasing the tiny trophonts. Each of these trophonts (like a little pod) can release up to 1,000 tomites that then attach themselves to a fish and the cycle repeats itself all over. So, it's at that stage when they have left the fish that is the most important time as that's the only time they can be killed off.

You've done the right thing with increasing temp as the tomites don't fare well in higher temps.

If the tomites are not eradicated swifty during this period of time, they will search for a fish to attach to and then you will notice the white spots appearing again.

So, in other words, don't stop the treatment (whichever method you use) as soon as you see all the white spots gone. Some aquarists continue treating for 10 days after the spots disappear.

Have some anti-bacterial meds handy, too - sometimes Ich can leave a fish quite poorly (the cysts that drop off leave tiny holes in the flesh and can cause bacterial infections - that coupled with the stress of it all can cause secondary illness, so keep a good eye on them during the weeks of treatment and a couple of weeks after).

If I think of anything else, will let you know.

Regards - Athena