Help! I can't stop this!

jandb

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2009
937
168
76
Lewis Center, OH
I'll preface this with I know there are tons of threads on ich. I'm just really beat up by it. I've been in the hobby since I was 5 (over 30 years), have have almost 2000 gallons of water in my house and can't beat this. I'm really frustrated by it. I had a qt tank get ich a couple months back (or at least I thought). Started as white spots, then distressed breathing, then a slimy, white coating and fins just rotting off. I followed ich treatment to what I thought a T. Increased temps to the mid 80s, salted the water, vacc'd the bottom then finally tried Quick Cure after I started loosing everything. I lost all my liberifer grow outs. I went over a month and thought I was fine. I didn't introduce anything new to my upstairs display tank nor use any net, tweezer, etc from the former ich tank. I noticed a couple white spots and here we are all over again. It's been just over a week, temp, salt, now quick cure and I lost my red back manacapuru angels and countless loaches and corys. I'm just sick over it and feel helpless. Is this ich? It starts as white spot then the angels just completely lost their fins. This happened in just a few days even while treating. Can anyone shed any light on this?
 

Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2016
7,421
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I'll preface this with I know there are tons of threads on ich. I'm just really beat up by it. I've been in the hobby since I was 5 (over 30 years), have have almost 2000 gallons of water in my house and can't beat this. I'm really frustrated by it. I had a qt tank get ich a couple months back (or at least I thought). Started as white spots, then distressed breathing, then a slimy, white coating and fins just rotting off. I followed ich treatment to what I thought a T. Increased temps to the mid 80s, salted the water, vacc'd the bottom then finally tried Quick Cure after I started loosing everything. I lost all my liberifer grow outs. I went over a month and thought I was fine. I didn't introduce anything new to my upstairs display tank nor use any net, tweezer, etc from the former ich tank. I noticed a couple white spots and here we are all over again. It's been just over a week, temp, salt, now quick cure and I lost my red back manacapuru angels and countless loaches and corys. I'm just sick over it and feel helpless. Is this ich? It starts as white spot then the angels just completely lost their fins. This happened in just a few days even while treating. Can anyone shed any light on this?
May actually be fungal, try treating with antifungals.
 

AnthonyFish20

Aimara
MFK Member
Mar 13, 2017
1,282
599
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33
Westwood Nj
did u try adding lots of salt and raise the temp tht killed mine in 2 days just keep adding a handfull of salt until it goes away and then do a big water change and raise the temp 82-84 also shutting off the light can help
 

pops

Alligator Gar
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2013
6,247
3,304
188
WA
personally i do not see any ICK, it would be all over the fish like small grains of rice. as you are unsure I would treat with polyguard.
http://www.seachem.com/polyguard.php

this is a broad spectrum so is important to follow dosing instructions and monitor your tank perams for ammonia,nitrite, nitrate as it may put your tank in a mini cycle.
 

Stephen St.Clair

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Jul 2, 2017
1,321
2,257
164
My guess is Columnaris, probably strain AJS#3 or strain
AJS#4.
The white spots or patches are likely dead flesh areas due to the bacteria. Although strains #3 & #4 are said to be treatable and are far less virulent than strains #1 & #2, it's been my experience that upon observing the first symptom, "opaque patches" best to remove and euthanize the sick fish. Try to save the remaining fish with frequent WC's. Note: Ive read that strains #3 & #4 aren't usually tank killers, unless the affected fish are allowed to stay in the display tank, where the Columnaris will intensify.
I hope things level out soon. Good luck.
 

jandb

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2009
937
168
76
Lewis Center, OH
My guess is Columnaris, probably strain AJS#3 or strain
AJS#4.
The white spots or patches are likely dead flesh areas due to the bacteria. Although strains #3 & #4 are said to be treatable and are far less virulent than strains #1 & #2, it's been my experience that upon observing the first symptom, "opaque patches" best to remove and euthanize the sick fish. Try to save the remaining fish with frequent WC's. Note: Ive read that strains #3 & #4 aren't usually tank killers, unless the affected fish are allowed to stay in the display tank, where the Columnaris will intensify.
I hope things level out soon. Good luck.
Thanks for the insight. I’ll have to try and get some google pics. It does start as tons of small white spots like ich. After several days it transitions into this. Then it leaves as quickly as it comes. This is the 4th tank (3 qts) this has happened to. With about half the fish it looks like ich then goes away. Silver dollars, hatchets, rainbows are barely affected but severums, angels, loaches develop this second stage and almost certainly die. Does that change your thought?
 
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