Possible Ich?! Help!

[greenmumma141]

After turning the lights on this morning, I noticed that my 3 rummynose have a couple white specks here and there on their bodies/fins. Im hoping it's not ich, but i dont think that they're air bubbles, they're staying in the same place. The specks are a little bigger than I thought they would be, bigger than a grain of sugar or salt. One rummynose will have two on it's dorsal, the other has one on it's head, etc.  I raised the temp in my tank. No other fish are showing any signs. Can stress alone cause ich?  I purchased 5 rummynose almost two weeks ago, the next morning i only had 4. Theyve been fine since, but yesterday I did move some things around in my tank, and this morning i only have 3 rummynose. 
 
Water stats:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
ph- 7.8
nitrate n/a
 
I tried getting a salt bath for the rummynose but I cant even catch them! 20 minutes of chasing them around the tank (heavily planted) i think is causing more stress to everyone than doing good.
 
The big question: is there an ich medication that is plant safe and isn't going to give my tank a spike? something that could be used as more of a precaution than anything. I have melafix in the cupboard. Did a 30% water change yesterday and using stress coat for a dech.
 
I almost dose 2ml every morning of seachem flourish.
 
6 barbs
1 pictus
approx. 10 cories
4 angels
3 bolivian rams
1 albino bn
4 otos
60 gallon heavy planted
2 aquaclear 70
 
any help is much appreciated, I really don't want problems in my new tank

 

[greenmumma141]

also tried to take pics but the rummynose are too small and fast to get a clear shot.

 

[Mikey1]

Can stress alone cause ich?

 
 
yes....sounds like ich

 

[greenmumma141]

great. really wish i could just catch them, but theyre too fast!


How high should i raise the temp too? what is too high for my fish?

 

[Timberbatch]

At least to 80 if they can handle it, not so sure about the medication. The tank I had ich in only had marimo moss balls so I was able to remove them. Until you find the right type of meds just keep doing water changes. Ich is usually present in tanks and when fish are vulnerable (when they are new, new tankmates, etc.) It can latch on pretty quickly. 
 
Hope someone has a good recommendation for a medicine though! Best of luck! 

 

[greenmumma141]

thank you. after doing some research, and talking with my lfs guy, who is pretty knowledgeable, i decided to go with "ick attack".  It's all organic and invert and plant safe. I guess it's not the best for extreme cases, but seems how this is still isolated and not too extreme (yet ) I am willing to give it a shot. I completely forgot about the 15 cherry shrimp i purchased 2 weeks ago!  It makes sense about ick being present in the tank, my cories have been flashing here and there, but i hadn't seen any other symptoms. hopefully this will take care of it. :fingers crossed:   
 
Thanks for the help

 

[Ralphw62]

damn the stinks.... I just spent 2 weeks with an ich battle..... I used the herbal stuff and it worked...along with higher temps
 
I use Kordan Ich attack herbal formula..
 
I had an accident over the weekend ...my heater for some reason had my tank at 87...lost 2 cherry barbs.
aits funny cause I have the same fish as you with one white spot on its front right fin...
I'm praying to god its not what I'm afraid it it
All my other readings are good except my water is soft...
If you go through my posts I descride my battle in detail I would say it took 12 days with water changes everyday... I think I lost 1 fish during that...was lucky
but I got my reading specs on and I'm really looking over this tank.
but just so you know....if you do it right the herbal stuff works and dont stain your tank..
 
here is the topic...I found it http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/412831-petco-herbal-ich-cure/
I was cycling my tank at the same time and was having really high nitrites so it was a doule battle but I persisted and won that one.

 

[greenmumma141]

Sorry to hear about your battle, but kudos for you for persevering  I've noticed a difference already with the "ick attack", the specks are much harder to notice and i think smaller as well, and there are no new specks on the infected fish. Also no signs on the rest of my fish, so i would say it's working. Its nice to not have to worry whether harsh meds are going to kill my healthy fish and plants...      let's hope this clears up soon and I can sleep at night haha.

 

[Ralphw62]

crap just saw a white spot on my clown loach
I guess I better start it again... damn
all from that heater, everything was great

 

[greenmumma141]

i would suggest a new heater for sure. also, if the meds you're using arent super strong, keep dosing for a good week after all signs disappear. gl! so far, Im really pleased with the "ick attack". it seems to really be doing it's job, and no signs of stress and my plants are still healthy. 

 

[Ralphw62]

day 2   new heater already in

 

[Ralphw62]

how high did you go?
 
 
I'm at 84.7 degrees right now   BTW  the petco herbal ich stuff is pretty much equal and works the same... also my last battle got pretty nasty ( increased white spots) on more fish before they all fell off
noticed today my loach has either a big spot or a couple spots close together on his tail... at least I hope thats what it is

 

[greenmumma141]

Today is a bit of a different story. Temp is about 84.5 and has been that temp for a whole 24 hours which is good, my heater isn't the most precise of heaters. The rummynose have smaller spots on their bodies, but their fins and such look fully intact and not slimy or anything. This was bound to happen with raising the temp though, and I would have been silly to think it wouldn't get worse before it got better I suppose..  I did unfortunately notice my two small green barbs have a couple spots on them, so yes, I am panicking a bit. Not too sure what else I can do but keep medicating and watching the temp. I just feel like now that it's on my barbs, it's going to spread like crazy, they're always in everyone's business lol  ........ 

 

[Ralphw62]

 yeah its already on them... its so small you cant see it (trophozoites). the drug does nothing to these, they are resistent to it)... they have to mature then fall off..
 
they fall to the Bottom (trophonts also resistent) then they hatch........(Tomites)
 
 this is when the ich attack does its job. hence the higher temps sppeed up the grouth and falling off of the fist stage, I would do some water changes just vacuuming the bottom as often as possible to get some of the trophonts, then Declorinate and replace any meds, plantfood etc for the amount of water you replace. this is done to help the process by removing some of the 2nd stage .
 
found this
The visable stages of Ich are carried out within the host fishes' skin. The first stages are called trophozoites and are highly resistant to drug therapy. Trophozoites mature into trophonts and leave the host, falling to the bottom of the aquarium or pond.These mature trophonts release from 200 to 1,000 tomites. These tomites move about looking for a host, which they must find within 2 to 3 days at 75° F (24° C) or they will die. Cooler temperatures will lengthen this time. It is this free swimming stage that is most vulnerable to treatment. It is important to note that these intermediate stages may also attach themselves to plants and be accidentally introduced into an aquaruim or pond along with the new plants. Once the tomite attaches to the host, it matures and the cycle begins anew.