Ich??

[Hassan 2021]

Hi I noticed these white marks on the tail of my honey gourami. I thought it might be ich so I am on my second day dosage of esha exit. The marks are still there and the Marks looks exactly the same when observing from both sides of the tail fin.

Does this definitely look like ich or is it something else?

Thank you

 

[GaryE]

It's a fancy form honey gourami, and many Gouramis are "ich magnets". So I would continue the treatment, as odds are high that's our parasite.

The Ich parasite creates a protective cyst while it feeds and reproduces, and the meds can only get to the creatures once the cyst bursts and they all barrel out looking for a host. Depending on temperature, the cyst can last a couple of days, so you are the normal range/progression.

I've never used that medication, but it has good active ingredients. It's hard to be 100% sure from a photo like that, and there are other things that cause small cysts. But especially if that's a newly arrived fish, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Some will advise raising the temperature to speed up the life cycle of the parasite, but I find if you get it early, that isn't necessary. Gouramis generally like their water warm anyway. I find that if you get to Ich really quickly with the right meds, it is no more of a problem than a common cold would be for us. Let it spread though, and it can be fatal.

 

[Hassan 2021]

It's a fancy form honey gourami, and many Gouramis are "ich magnets". So I would continue the treatment, as odds are high that's our parasite.

The Ich parasite creates a protective cyst while it feeds and reproduces, and the meds can only get to the creatures once the cyst bursts and they all barrel out looking for a host. Depending on temperature, the cyst can last a couple of days, so you are the normal range/progression.

I've never used that medication, but it has good active ingredients. It's hard to be 100% sure from a photo like that, and there are other things that cause small cysts. But especially if that's a newly arrived fish, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Some will advise raising the temperature to speed up the life cycle of the parasite, but I find if you get it early, that isn't necessary. Gouramis generally like their water warm anyway. I find that if you get to Ich really quickly with the right meds, it is no more of a problem than a common cold would be for us. Let it spread though, and it can be fatal.

Thank you. So I should just carry on with esha exit as tomorrow will be my last dose. If the Marks are not gone shall I continue with the dosage?

 

[GaryE]

I don't know the med, and hopefully someone here will have used it. I assume there's some kind of water change regime after, and I'd follow the instructions closely.
Are the cysts on the fin surface, or are they on one of the more solid fin rays? Sometimes an injury will cause cysts on the rays.

But I would feel pretty bad if I said it was nothing, and the parasite was present and killed your fish.

 

[Hassan 2021]

I don't know the med, and hopefully someone here will have used it. I assume there's some kind of water change regime after, and I'd follow the instructions closely.
Are the cysts on the fin surface, or are they on one of the more solid fin rays? Sometimes an injury will cause cysts on the rays.

But I would feel pretty bad if I said it was nothing, and the parasite was present and killed your fish.

Each dot is on one of the solid fin rays not the thin fin surface