My luck finally ran out (ich)

[Snagrio]

For the past couple months I've been quarantining every new batch of fish I get in for my main tank and have been problem-free, but this final batch dealt me a bad hand with the hatchets I just bought yesterday. Note the one in the middle with the white dots. 99% sure that's ich.


I bought MetroPlex a little while ago in anticipation, but I'm double checking here to affirm what I need to do. It says to use two measures (two of the little spoon provided). Do I add that directly to the tank or dilute it first? Should I also raise the tank temperature? It's currently in the mid 70's, iirc it should go up to 80 or so to help kill off the parasites. And does aquarium salt do anything?

 

[FishGuest5123]

Heat has to be at 86F to kill ich parasite. This is the safest and most effective way to treat ich. I have only used Metroplex in food. Anyone else?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I'm not convinced that it's ich.. I can only see one white spot each on two of the fish, but that could be my eyes, or not coming through on this photo.

Does the affected fish have multiple white spots on it? As if someone sprinkled it with salt?

The one in the middle makes me think anchorworm, maybe?

So I'd suggest waiting and seeing whether @Colin_T can give a definite diagnosis

 

[Snagrio]

It's multiple spots, and it's on several fish. Notably the spots look "raised" as in they aren't perfectly flat dots. idk if it means it's something other than ich or that it's because hatchet fish bodies are so extremely flat.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Looks like ich to me:

“The ‘Heat Treatment’ is probably the most common and one of the easiest treatments. Increasing the temperature of the water to 86F for 2 weeks will usually kill off the parasite. If the water is below 75F, then the temperature should be raised to 86F slowly, over a 24-48-hour period. Another method of treatment is with any medication that contains Malachite Green. Malachite Green is a chemical that contains powerful anti-fungal properties, that can easily kill parasites. Please note that Malachite Green is known to cause cancer, so you should always wash your hands after coming into contact with this chemical.”

(https://www.fishforums.net/threads/betta-research-paper.465208/)

 

[Snagrio]

Started to raise the temperature. Have to watch to closely though as the heater is meant for bigger tanks (the store didn't have anything smaller beyond SUPER small ones for 4 gallon setups or less) so whatever temperature I want has to be set at a few degrees lower on the heater itself. Also added the medication. Directions say to add one spoon every two days.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Good. Make sure to keep a close eye on the temperature. You don’t want to cook your fish. (Do you have a thermometer?)

 

[Snagrio]

Yes, a proper digital one. Bought it when I got the new heater as I was growing tired of the dinky mercury one.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I would still get an actual thermometer. Digital ones can be helpful, but they can also glitch/mess up. Just a suggestion.

 

[Snagrio]

Did a water change late last night because the farlos in the QT with the hatchets are extremely messy (see thread where I introduced them to see why), and had the temperature slowly rise until it rested at 82-83. Added a bit more of the MetroPlex medication after the water change since most of it would've been lost from the replacement as well.

Due to the medication needing to be reapplied every two days, I'll do water changes as frequently so I can vacuum clean the bottom every time to target the toment stage and remove as much of it as I can.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Looks like ich to me:

“The ‘Heat Treatment’ is probably the most common and one of the easiest treatments. Increasing the temperature of the water to 86F for 2 weeks will usually kill off the parasite. If the water is below 75F, then the temperature should be raised to 86F slowly, over a 24-48-hour period. Another method of treatment is with any medication that contains Malachite Green. Malachite Green is a chemical that contains powerful anti-fungal properties, that can easily kill parasites. Please note that Malachite Green is known to cause cancer, so you should always wash your hands after coming into contact with this chemical.”

(https://www.fishforums.net/threads/betta-research-paper.465208/)

Started to raise the temperature. Have to watch to closely though as the heater is meant for bigger tanks (the store didn't have anything smaller beyond SUPER small ones for 4 gallon setups or less) so whatever temperature I want has to be set at a few degrees lower on the heater itself. Also added the medication. Directions say to add one spoon every two days.

Did a water change late last night because the farlos in the QT with the hatchets are extremely messy (see thread where I introduced them to see why), and had the temperature slowly rise until it rested at 82-83. Added a bit more of the MetroPlex medication after the water change since most of it would've been lost from the replacement as well.

Due to the medication needing to be reapplied every two days, I'll do water changes as frequently so I can vacuum clean the bottom every time to target the toment stage and remove as much of it as I can.

I wouldn't use heat treatment and a medication at the same time. You're increasing stress on the fish by the increased temp, and then again with the medication, both at the same time may well be too much.

@Colin_T is the man to ask though - Colin?

 

[Stan510]

Raise the temps to 80's,and siphon the bottom of the tank- ich larvae sink to the bottom and you really do get rid of most of the juvenile ich just doing that.

 

[TMAllen]

For the past couple months I've been quarantining every new batch of fish I get in for my main tank and have been problem-free, but this final batch dealt me a bad hand with the hatchets I just bought yesterday. Note the one in the middle with the white dots. 99% sure that's ich.
View attachment 132132

I bought MetroPlex a little while ago in anticipation, but I'm double checking here to affirm what I need to do. It says to use two measures (two of the little spoon provided). Do I add that directly to the tank or dilute it first? Should I also raise the tank temperature? It's currently in the mid 70's, iirc it should go up to 80 or so to help kill off the parasites. And does aquarium salt do anything?

This may or may not be Ich. The deal with Ich is that you see 10 spots one morning, 24 hours later you see 2000. I don't know. Have you considered the possibility that this might be fungus, another form of Ich aka Epistylis, or the beginning of another protozoan? If I were you, I'd quarantine the fish, keep a close eye on it, and treat it for whatever it is that it turn out to be.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I wouldn't use heat treatment and a medication at the same time. You're increasing stress on the fish by the increased temp, and then again with the medication, both at the same time may well be too much.

@Colin_T is the man to ask though - Colin?

No, don’t use medication. Only heat treat, which is what I said...

 

[Snagrio]

"Heat only speeds the cycle process and doesn't actually kill the parasite."
"All you need to use is heat don't use medication."
"Only use one or the other don't use both."
"You can stack both methods."
"It might not even be ich in the first place."