Is It Ich?

[seb_negrete]

OK, here's my scenario:

10G tank, 5 weeks old: 1 dwarf gourami, 4 danios

water stats: pH=8.0, Ammonia/nitrite=0, nitrate=10

my dwarf gourami has a few white spots on his fins that, from all that i have read, i suppose are the manifestations of Ich. thing is that there are only a few spots. i just noticed it this morning.

last week, i had 2 tiger barbs in the tank with the same white spots (maybe a few more). i took them out as soon as i noticed it, since they had been acting sickly as well, and treated the tank anyways with "Liquid Super Ick Cure" for the recommended 4 days.

this gourami has been acting normally and i'm not sure if i should try to treat the tank again.

any help would be appreciated.

should also mention that i have not seen him trying to rub against anything nor has he lost his appetite

 

[tttnjfttt]

That does sound like ich, especially since there were fish with it the other week. My bet is the parasite has jsut began so he doesn't really feel sick yet. Ich is kinda like a cold in a day care center, once one kid has it, all the others will get it too, so no matter what, you always should treat the main tank when ich is a problem.

Besides using your meds, add some aquarium salt (2 tablespoons), which will help prevent stress and help their skin. Also, slowly turn the temp up 2 degrees a day until it is at 84 degreese. With ich, the parasite is only able to be destroyed in one of its 4 life cycles, and raising the temp helps speed up the life cycle.

Here is an article wiht more info in it for you. http/www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich.php

Thats not my usual link to give out, but i reinstalled windslow today and haven't re-uploaded my bookmarks yet. When i get around to that i will give you a few more.

 

[seb_negrete]

thanks

i have read a few articles abuot it already. i have already started to increase the temp and i'll keep doing it over the next couple of days until i hit 84.
do you think it's needlessly careless to try and treat by simply increasing the temp and adding the salt without using the meds? like i said, i used the meds last week and i'm concerned about killing off my bacteria.

 

[tttnjfttt]

That is one big debate on this board. I know peopel who have done so successfully, I know people who swear by using meds. I think you do need a higher temp than 84 to do so, more like 86. At a minimum, i would add meds now because the infection is light, and you want to stop it there rather than taking the chance of it getting worse. But honestly, the call is yours.

 

[seb_negrete]

ok, i have started treatment with meds and added some salt. hopefully all goes well

 

[seb_negrete]

do i have to add more salt at some point to maintain the concentration?