Ich or something else

blue_ram · 07-31-2008, 06:07 AM

My blue rams have whitespots on them that look like powdered sugar. I raised the tank temp to 85, started dosing with Ich Attack and have been doing daily 5% water changes, Ich Attack says not to change the water. I also added a UV sterilizer.

Kordon LLC - Kordon - Herbal Ich Attack

None of the fish have been showing any symtpoms of Ich other than the white spots on the rams, the white seems to extend up to one of the rays on the dorsal fin, their lips also have a white stripe. All 4 of my female rams have this same "patter." None of the fish, including the rams are showing any signs of distress. One of my male blue rams seems to have a few whitish yellowish pimples.

It is a planted tank so salt and malachite green are not really a good option. I chose the Ich Attack because it is supposedly plant safe.

It has been 5 days of treatment and water at 85 and the white spot on the female ram has grown but it is not fuzzy.

Is it possible that:

1. I am an idiot and the white spots, patches and lines are the natural coloring of fish.
2. The white spots, patches and lines are fungus (the Ich Attach is supposedly effective against this)
3. The white spots, patches and lines are where the fish lost scales fighting and or scraping against the lava rock I had in the tank. This is where she laid her eggs and I have removed it because the eggs disappeared.
4. Something else

The 2 males and 4 females were originally int he 40g together. I had a male and female pair off and moved all the other rams out of the tank, but they were all together for about 2 weeks constantly fighting. The other male and it's presumed preferred female was put into the 20g and the last two females were put into the hospital tank with a small elite spnge filter and a dose of methylene blue. Unfortunately I cannot see into the tank with the methylene blue to see if the spots are gone which woudl indicate it was a fungus and I have a few more water changes to do in order to remove the methylene blue completely.

The pair in the 40 spawned immediately after I raised the temp to 85.

The pair in the 20g do not show any signs of infection, but the female has the same whitespots.

It has been nearly a month since I got the female blue rams and no fish have died.

MatthewLaw · 07-31-2008, 10:13 AM

Why are you doing any water chagnes if the medication tells you not to do this?

Unless the medication tells you different, I dont think you're supposed to raise the temperature of the tank. I also believe that you are supposed to remove the carbon filter so the filter does not remove the medication.

If you are using the 'natural' approach, then you raise the temperature to 86 degs and do frequent water changes. At that temperature, make sure you have plenty of bubbles in your tank since apparently the higher the temperature, the less oxygen % per volume.

maybe continue to monitor the fish? if nothing has changed in 10 days, then i guess you're safe?

Rayneuki · 07-31-2008, 01:07 PM

He said he didn't do a water change, only on the tank with the methylene blue. Is it sorta like chunky? That sounds odd... but I don't know how else to ask. My kribs get it from time to time. The fungus tabs from Jungle or whatever didn't do anything to it, ick medicine didn't do anything... NOTHING I have tried has fixed it. They don't seem to be in pain, or bothered... They just have white up the rays of their fins ever so often. Perhaps it's the same thing?

blue_ram · 07-31-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewLaw

Why are you doing any water chagnes if the medication tells you not to do this?

Unless the medication tells you different, I dont think you're supposed to raise the temperature of the tank. I also believe that you are supposed to remove the carbon filter so the filter does not remove the medication.

If you are using the 'natural' approach, then you raise the temperature to 86 degs and do frequent water changes. At that temperature, make sure you have plenty of bubbles in your tank since apparently the higher the temperature, the less oxygen % per volume.

maybe continue to monitor the fish? if nothing has changed in 10 days, then i guess you're safe?

Small water changes to get the stuff off of the bottom. I removed the carbon and removing the carbon removed a big chunk of the biological filter and any decaying debris will quickly raise ammonia.

I have the water level low enough that the aq is causing lots of bubbles to go down almost to the bottom plus the plants give off quite a bit of oxygen.

The medicine doesn't say whether to raise the water temp or not.

blue_ram · 07-31-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rayneuki

He said he didn't do a water change, only on the tank with the methylene blue. Is it sorta like chunky? That sounds odd... but I don't know how else to ask. My kribs get it from time to time. The fungus tabs from Jungle or whatever didn't do anything to it, ick medicine didn't do anything... NOTHING I have tried has fixed it. They don't seem to be in pain, or bothered... They just have white up the rays of their fins ever so often. Perhaps it's the same thing?

I have been doing small water changes in the 40 because that is the only way to get crap out of the tank, 2 gallons out of 40 is not really a water change though, more like maintenace. The large water changes are on the methylene blue tank because there is no biological filter.

I will be dropping the temp on the 40 starting tonight, I lost a neon and am not sure if I hurt him when I moved a few rocks around when i removed the lava rock.

The meth blue should clear up enough with tonights water change to be able to see the fish clearly. If the females in the meth blue tank are clear, then maybe it is a fungus. There are varying claims on the effectiveness of meth blue agaisnt ich, but it is an excellent antifungal Kordon LLC - Kordon - Methylene Blue and some reccomend all new fish take a bath in it for a few days as part of their quarantine.

Rayneuki · 07-31-2008, 05:10 PM

Never heard about using Meth blue for QTing new fish. Thanks for that bit of info :] I might have to get some if I decide to get shellies.

blue_ram · 07-31-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rayneuki

Never heard about using Meth blue for QTing new fish. Thanks for that bit of info :] I might have to get some if I decide to get shellies.

Some info here:

Aquarium Medications and treatments; Parasite & Chemical Treatments

d3sc3n7 · 07-31-2008, 11:51 PM

This is why they need to sticky my ICH thread from a long time ago. ICH is probably the most questioned disease there is for fish. (Probably cause it comes around the most)

roark fishies · 08-01-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d3sc3n7

This is why they need to sticky my ICH thread from a long time ago. ICH is probably the most questioned disease there is for fish. (Probably cause it comes around the most)

They definately need to sticky it cuz I've looked for that thread and couldn't find it. My ongoing battle with ich continues. About 2 months now. I can use any info I can find.

d3sc3n7 · 08-01-2008, 10:40 PM

ICH questions? Read Here

PS: Glad to see your still around Roark!

07-31-2008, 06:07 AM	#1
blue_ram Medium Fish Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 389	Ich or something else My blue rams have whitespots on them that look like powdered sugar. I raised the tank temp to 85, started dosing with Ich Attack and have been doing daily 5% water changes, Ich Attack says not to change the water. I also added a UV sterilizer. Kordon LLC - Kordon - Herbal Ich Attack None of the fish have been showing any symtpoms of Ich other than the white spots on the rams, the white seems to extend up to one of the rays on the dorsal fin, their lips also have a white stripe. All 4 of my female rams have this same "patter." None of the fish, including the rams are showing any signs of distress. One of my male blue rams seems to have a few whitish yellowish pimples. It is a planted tank so salt and malachite green are not really a good option. I chose the Ich Attack because it is supposedly plant safe. It has been 5 days of treatment and water at 85 and the white spot on the female ram has grown but it is not fuzzy. Is it possible that: 1. I am an idiot and the white spots, patches and lines are the natural coloring of fish. 2. The white spots, patches and lines are fungus (the Ich Attach is supposedly effective against this) 3. The white spots, patches and lines are where the fish lost scales fighting and or scraping against the lava rock I had in the tank. This is where she laid her eggs and I have removed it because the eggs disappeared. 4. Something else The 2 males and 4 females were originally int he 40g together. I had a male and female pair off and moved all the other rams out of the tank, but they were all together for about 2 weeks constantly fighting. The other male and it's presumed preferred female was put into the 20g and the last two females were put into the hospital tank with a small elite spnge filter and a dose of methylene blue. Unfortunately I cannot see into the tank with the methylene blue to see if the spots are gone which woudl indicate it was a fungus and I have a few more water changes to do in order to remove the methylene blue completely. The pair in the 40 spawned immediately after I raised the temp to 85. The pair in the 20g do not show any signs of infection, but the female has the same whitespots. It has been nearly a month since I got the female blue rams and no fish have died.

07-31-2008, 10:13 AM	#2
MatthewLaw Medium Fish Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: PA Posts: 490	question and ideas Why are you doing any water chagnes if the medication tells you not to do this? Unless the medication tells you different, I dont think you're supposed to raise the temperature of the tank. I also believe that you are supposed to remove the carbon filter so the filter does not remove the medication. If you are using the 'natural' approach, then you raise the temperature to 86 degs and do frequent water changes. At that temperature, make sure you have plenty of bubbles in your tank since apparently the higher the temperature, the less oxygen % per volume. maybe continue to monitor the fish? if nothing has changed in 10 days, then i guess you're safe?

07-31-2008, 01:07 PM	#3
Rayneuki Little Fish Join Date: May 2008 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 228	He said he didn't do a water change, only on the tank with the methylene blue. Is it sorta like chunky? That sounds odd... but I don't know how else to ask. My kribs get it from time to time. The fungus tabs from Jungle or whatever didn't do anything to it, ick medicine didn't do anything... NOTHING I have tried has fixed it. They don't seem to be in pain, or bothered... They just have white up the rays of their fins ever so often. Perhaps it's the same thing? __________________ ~30 Gal~ (long) 1 BN Pleco - Davey Jones (?) 2 Angel Fish - Nacht (M) Tag (F) 3 'Dwarf Weather Loaches' [Suspected to be Khuli loaches.] - Bandit (?), Vandal (?), Theif (?) 1 Crowntail Betta - Eve (F) ~Others~ 1 Cat - Kit Cat (F)

07-31-2008, 05:10 PM	#6
Rayneuki Little Fish Join Date: May 2008 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 228	Never heard about using Meth blue for QTing new fish. Thanks for that bit of info :] I might have to get some if I decide to get shellies. __________________ ~30 Gal~ (long) 1 BN Pleco - Davey Jones (?) 2 Angel Fish - Nacht (M) Tag (F) 3 'Dwarf Weather Loaches' [Suspected to be Khuli loaches.] - Bandit (?), Vandal (?), Theif (?) 1 Crowntail Betta - Eve (F) ~Others~ 1 Cat - Kit Cat (F)

07-31-2008, 11:51 PM	#8
d3sc3n7 Super Fish Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ft. Campbell, Ky Posts: 1,455	This is why they need to sticky my ICH thread from a long time ago. ICH is probably the most questioned disease there is for fish. (Probably cause it comes around the most) __________________ Signature

08-01-2008, 10:40 PM	#10
d3sc3n7 Super Fish Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ft. Campbell, Ky Posts: 1,455	ICH questions? Read Here PS: Glad to see your still around Roark! __________________ Signature Last edited by d3sc3n7; 08-01-2008 at 10:42 PM..