Is this ich?

[KeelyKRFC9]

Hi guys,

I had 3 mollies and bought 4 more last week. 2 died within 24 hours and I have just noticed around 4 of the 5 remaining have these white spots on their tails.

Is this ich or something to be worried about? I've also added new plants recently so it could easily have come in on a new fish or the plants.

 

[Uberhoust]

Looks like Ich to me. I don't know anything else that would generate those white spots.

 

[Uberhoust]

Most people on this site recommend boosting the temp in your tank to 30.5 degrees C to deal with the issue. I expect someone with more disease experience will comment soon.

 

[biofish]

Definitely increase the temp of your tank if you are able. Website sources very in the recommended temp but really make sure to pay attention to your fishes heat limit when choosing the temp. This speeds up the ich lifecycle and kills them out faster.

Then you can try aquarium salt, or I recommend the medication ich X, AND TAKE OUT THE CARBON IN THE FILTER IF YOU USE MEDICATION

 

[itiwhetu]

Those spots look too large to be ich, are they on the body as well?

 

[Byron]

Increasing the temperature to 30C/86F for two weeks will kill the ich parasites. This is 99% of the time; sometimes one may slip through, but rarely is that an issue as the fish can manage to deal with ich when they are healthy. Stress is the direct cause of ich.

Most fish that are "tropical" can manage with the warmer water for two weeks. Increase surface disturbance to maintain a good oxygen/CO2 exchange. Mollies certainly have no issue with warmth; in fact, the chilling of the bag water during transport may well have brought this on.

There is, or should not be, any reason to use so-called ich medications. I have known too many aquarists, including myself, who has killed fish using these things. Heat is the safest and most effective method in the vast majority of cases.