About three weeks ago I had gotten three platys and added them to my 20 gallon with my eleven guppies. They seemed kinda off but I didn't think anything of it...that is until a few days later I noticed one of them had about three small white dots on it's tail and body. Soon enough my whole tank was infected. My heater was broken and I couldn't do anything for a few days. Finally I got a brand new heater, slowly over the course of three days increased the temperature to 82 degrees and added aquarium salt.
A week, six partial water changes, and a total of all four platies and three dead guppies later there isn't much of a change. About five of the guppies seem to be doing fine, with no more then twenty or so white dots on them, but the other three have their entire, and I mean their whole body encased with the ich.
I did an almost 100% water change at the beginning and took out the gravel for easier cleaning and maintenance. At this rate with at least a fish dying each day, I'm not sure if any of them will survive.
My questions:
-I haven't added any medication yet as I was hoping the heater would do the job and although it hasn't been two weeks, by the looks of some of the fully covered guppies, I would say it won't recede in a weeks time. Do I continue with the high temperature and no medication for another week or should I look into some medication?
-Although I'm starting to lose hope that my fish will pull through and am starting to accept the fact that I'll have to say goodbye to them and get others, if that situation does arise, how would I need to clean the tank as well as the filter to guarantee that the previous ich doesn't take the new fish as their host?
Extra Info:
-My lyretail guppy appears to have lost a part of his tail, almost like it had been raggedly cut up but now it has stopped and the ich on his tail appears to be gone. Can ich cause fin rot?
-My guppy, endler mix guppy had a fairly long and spiky tail. Same thing happened to him and now while his tail looks healed, its about half as small and completely rounded. I'm fearing this is bound to happen to my black guppy's beautiful tail.
I have tried taking photos several times with my phone, but the ich wont show up as the fish are constantly moving about. If requested for more information, I will attempt with a better camera. Thank you all for your help!
A week, six partial water changes, and a total of all four platies and three dead guppies later there isn't much of a change. About five of the guppies seem to be doing fine, with no more then twenty or so white dots on them, but the other three have their entire, and I mean their whole body encased with the ich.
I did an almost 100% water change at the beginning and took out the gravel for easier cleaning and maintenance. At this rate with at least a fish dying each day, I'm not sure if any of them will survive.
My questions:
-I haven't added any medication yet as I was hoping the heater would do the job and although it hasn't been two weeks, by the looks of some of the fully covered guppies, I would say it won't recede in a weeks time. Do I continue with the high temperature and no medication for another week or should I look into some medication?
-Although I'm starting to lose hope that my fish will pull through and am starting to accept the fact that I'll have to say goodbye to them and get others, if that situation does arise, how would I need to clean the tank as well as the filter to guarantee that the previous ich doesn't take the new fish as their host?
Extra Info:
-My lyretail guppy appears to have lost a part of his tail, almost like it had been raggedly cut up but now it has stopped and the ich on his tail appears to be gone. Can ich cause fin rot?
-My guppy, endler mix guppy had a fairly long and spiky tail. Same thing happened to him and now while his tail looks healed, its about half as small and completely rounded. I'm fearing this is bound to happen to my black guppy's beautiful tail.
I have tried taking photos several times with my phone, but the ich wont show up as the fish are constantly moving about. If requested for more information, I will attempt with a better camera. Thank you all for your help!
