I can not get rid of this ICH!!!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
PDRed302

PDRed302

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 4, 2011
1,521
90
66
Fort Worth Texas
Hey everyone, a little over a month ago I picked up a true Parrot cichlid (Hoplarchus Psittacus); he is awesome but has provided me with nothing but a pain in the rear. I have been fighting what I think is some kind of super Ich.

Although through the weeks the temperature as well as salt content has changed the parameters have stayed at Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 10-15ppm, below is a log of progress or lack there of.

About an hour after I put him in the tank:
SeniorEstabon8-31-12.jpg


I notice after turning on the lights to take a picture that he has 3 little dots on his caudal fin. I emailed the seller and he told me that he did notice these but thought they were the result of a fight/damage:
THREESPOTS.jpg


So I put him in my quarantine and went ahead and left him at my normal tank temp (79.5F) and did nothing to the water, just to see how well the area would "heal up".

After my second weekly water change I noticed the spots looked the exact same so I went ahead and bumped the temp to 85f over the course of a few days and added 1 tsp of salt per 5 gallons; now preforming 40% water changes every 2 days.

After 4 total weeks now, 2 of which at 85f I was here:
ichblue.jpg


With no results so far I decided to kick it up a notch: I bumped my temp to 87F and am now at 2 tsp of salt per 5 gallons. I have also added a daily regimen of melafix/pimafix to the mix.

After almost 2 weeks I am here:
ichpurple.jpg


I am stuck with the question: "What do I do now"?

I am scared to bump the temp up much more, from what I have read these fish can survive in water up to 90f but I'm not really sure I want to risk it. To be honest I'm a little worried about keeping him at 87F. I am not a big fan of medications (other than melafix/pimafix) but at this point I wouldn't be against using one.

Someone help, I can not figure out a way to get this guy clean and clear and at 100%. I know he's unhappy now (sulking/sitting/poor color/not eating much) and would really like to move him over to my display tank.

Any advice would be appreciated, also just to make sure I'm not crazy, can someone else confirm that what I am looking at is actually Ich?

Thanks in advance

EDIT:
Just for more info: no where else on his body does he have these dots, only at the base of his caudal fin.
 
I don't think it is. The dots are in the same place. If it were ick they would have dropped off and or gotten worse.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Also if it were ich and it did end up gettong worse they would spread around the body. If those 3 dots are the only dots u have seen.... It is more then likely jus a incandecent spot or whatever but its part of his markinds... I had some geos amd they staryed to develope somethin like this i thought it was ick too but it wasnt.... If it is im in the same boat as u

Sent from my SPH-D710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
I've seen very small cases of ick before develop on fins in one spot, most people never even notice it, imo that's when they are in the early stage, most all fish carry ick at times, but only stress and bad conditions will bring it out, I used to have a pictus that had the same thing, and after a week of clean water and a lot of gravel vac it was gone. I didn't use salt, temp went up 2 degrees or so. Focus on low nitrates for now, also what do you feed it?


I do agree with the guys above that it may not be ick, but who knows, imo nothing clean water and good diet can't fix.


_________________________________________________________________________
IMAG0819_zpsb6e1299c.jpg


http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?504763-Cheap-plants-less-nitrate!-POTHOS

*Go S. Vettel #1 rb8--4 MORE RACES LEFT! LET'S MAKE IT 4 BACK TO BACK WINS & 3 WDC!* :beer:
 
F1 VET said:
I've seen very small cases of ick before develop on fins in one spot, most people never even notice it, imo that's when they are in the early stage, most all fish carry ick at times, but only stress and bad conditions will bring it out, I used to have a pictus that had the same thing, and after a week of clean water and a lot of gravel vac it was gone. I didn't use salt, temp went up 2 degrees or so. Focus on low nitrates for now, also what do you feed it?


I do agree with the guys above that it may not be ick, but who knows, imo nothing clean water and good diet can't fix.
Click to expand...

Currently I'm feeding him Omega 1 super colored cichlid pellets: his previous owner said that's what he was feeding him and I am trying to keep stress low, so I'm avoiding changing anything I don't have to. I plan on changing him over to Hikari once he's better, like all my other fish eat.

His water stays clean, even more now than it did with the weekly water changes, with 3 times a week changes, nitrates have dropped.

I just hope that the others are right and this is not Ich, I would really like to put him in my main tank but do not want to if he's sick.

Thanks again everyone
 
Ich only stay on the host fish for 3 days before they drop off and burst. This is when it ca be killed. That is not ick it could be blemishes from fighting. In a few days ich would have covered fish and not stay in same place since they drop off and are replaced with new parasites. I would just put him in the main tank and if you notice more spots then I ould pull him and put him back in the hospital tank. Chances are once in display tank he will be fine.
 
Well, I have decided that since most people who have responded so far do not believe that what this fish has is ich and that all he needs to heal up is clean water and good food; that I am going to move him to my display tank this week.

I have come to the conclusion (after many hours online) that what these spots are, are damage to the fin rays. Hopefully I am right.

I am going to drop his temp over the course of the week as well as perform a few more water changes and plan to get him in my main tank by Friday.

Thanks again everyone and if anyone else has something they would like to include in the conversation/topic, please feel free to do so; more opinions, experiences and advice are always welcome. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom