not sure if it's ich, please help

[camay]

I'm very glad to have found this board!

I have a one month old tank held at 78 degrees. We've had wonderful success so far and we're all very taken with our aquarium. (TV's even on less!)

Not sure if it was a sword or a platy that died 4 days ago after spending 4 days lingering on the bottom of the tank. I'd noticed a white spot on his side. It didn't resembled pin point spots or grains of salt as I've read ich described. It looked more like the scales had lost their colour. By the time he/she died the whitish patch was worn like a necklace around his/her body.

Noticed yesterday, one sword (I think) has a telling white spot, just as the other did. Another is lingering low in the tank and his/her scales appear slightly raised around the 'neck'.

I will treat for ich if that's what this sounds like to you, oh knowledgable bunch.

Looking forward to your responses.

[fishface]

might be ich better to treat it then for your fish to die.

[HanshaSuro]

I've just fought off an ich infection and that is not at all like what I saw/experienced.

Have a look through the disease database and hopefully someone with more experience than myself can help you identify your culprit.

[FroggyFox]

I don't think it sounds like ich. My fish haven't had it so I can't help much...but from pictures and how everyone else has described it, it looks like definite grains of salt.

A spot...could be fungus. Does the spot look fuzzy at all...or just discolored?

Where is the spot? Is it near any fins?

You could try a multicure med...something like jungle fungus cure that treats a few things...or whats that one...melafix? I'd go take a look at the store and see what meds are available...and maybe describe the spot to one of the people and ask if they have any ideas what it might be. NOTE that I said IDEAS...sometimes they know stuff...sometimes they just fly by the seat of their pants and suggest you get a whole pharmacy...so take what they say with a grain of salt.

[lizwinz]

when in doubt...1tbs of freshwater aquarium salt per 5 gallons cant hurt....also throw in some melafix

thats what i would do anyway if i wasnt sure what is was

can you post a pic? that might help

google fish diseases and see if you can find any pics that look like what your fish has and treat accordingly

raised scales can sometimes mean the fish is bloated...a good treatment for this can be fasting them for a few days and then feeding them cooked shelled peas for a week or so

also, did you cycle your tank? ammonia and nitrites at high levels can do alot of damage and cause stress and disease...what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrAte?

good luck with your fish and keep us updated

welcome to the tank

--liz

btw-dosent sound like ich to me either

[camay]

Thanks for your responses. I'm heading to the aquarium shop tomorrow. Thankfully they have a good reputation and I trust them.

I'm attaching a photo just taken of the white scaled patch on our fish. Does it help?

Will get a level check kit at the shop tomorrow and I expect to use a multi fix type med as you've advised. Thanks so much for your interest,

Christine

[fishface]

i can 1 or 2 white dots it proberbly has ich (sorry) u better treat it as fast as you can.

[camay]

Hi there,

The folks at Big Al's figured 'something bacterial' and 'prescribed' Kanacyn antibiotic. Said it should handle whatever's ailing my fish. I hope they're right. I've treated with that today and added aquarium salt. I bought a test kit, will check levels tomorrow. Thanks again for all your help.

Keeping my fingers crossed,
Christine

[camay]

Checked my levels and I'm concerned.

Ammonia 1.5
Nitrite 1.6
pH 8.5
GH 15
KH 13
CO 2 - 1.1

I've changed 25% water, treated with conditioner and cycle, gravel was well and truly cleaned up (via syphoning). Took out the carbon filter (would've been nice to know to do that yesterday when the antibiotic treatment started. What else can I do to bring the ammonia level down. The tank looks beautifully clean, has all along.
Our male sword appears to have ich (now I know what I'm looking for). Will treat with Quick Cure tomorrow.

Hope you're all having a good weekend,
Christine

[druxcyck]

you could do a couple of things, you could by some ammonia reducer, I have litle tablets that I drop in and they take care of the ammonia OR since your Nitries haven't bottomed out yet, you could put in some bacteria starter, I believe the bacteria would take care of the Ammonia/Nitrite problems.

your PH seems a little high as wel, I would invest in some PH down.

you say GH of 15 is that how many drops it took to turn the solution a different color? It would help to know the ppm your tank is at. IF your test kit is like mine then you need to soften your water... There are a couple of ways to do this, you can buy a chemical softner, a tap water filter an do another water change OR the way I do it which is an all natural pillow that you can re-charge with aquarium salt I think they are 4-5 dollars.

I prefer the natural methods when I can use them.

another good way to get rid of the ick is to turn te water temp up to about 82-84 degrees and make the water slightly acidic by lowering the PH, parasites cannot survive in this type of water it is a sure fire way to kill them - no chemicals needed. However it probably will take you some time ot get yur water slightly acidic (6.6-6.8) since your PH is up so high