WHAT DISEASE DO MY FISH HAVE???

[richardhmc]

I have six jack dempseys and 1 pleco. before, the jack dempseys have been rubbing themselves against object (gravel, tank, plants) and shivering all the time. Now I notice that my pleco has spots all over!! could this be ich? argh

Also, i notice there are these funny looking worm object in my tank. they are extremely skinny and looong. one i saw was about 5 inches long. At first i thought these were fish crap until i realized they cant get that big. So right now, my pleco has spots all over it and my jack dempseys are shivering/rubbing against objects with funny looking worms all around!

I am afraid if they will die.

 

[guppy]

Ich looks like grains of salt and rubbing or flashing is a very common symptom. As for the worm, can you get a picture?
Is it a fairly tough to break critter? Here is a pic of the horse hair worm, they are parasites of crustaceans, insects, and sometimes snails. There are also several types of nematode that it could be (fairly uncommon) Jungle makes an antiparasite medicated food that is pretty effective on them. It contains metronidazole, praziquatel, and another dewormer that escapes me at the moment.

 

[richardhmc]

Aww no. I had a feeling it would be ich. How can i treat it?
Those worms look awfully huge. The ones in my tank arent that big.

Ill try to get up some pics

 

[richardhmc]

Right now my tank is under ich treatment. I went and asked my lfs about ick and they gave me this chemical that you drop. It says it should cure by 2 days but if it doesnt i keep using it. Hope it works.

Right now, i have a 10 gallon tank with 6 dempseys and 1 pleco. however, by tuesday or wednesday I will get a 55 gallon tank. I heard that fish get ich from rapid temperature changes. How can I safely move my fish from one tank to another?

 

[RadleyMiller]

Richard,

If you haven't already add some salt and raise the temp to 85 so your fish can heal faster. First make sure the new tank is set up and the heater is working and the temp is stabilized. To add the fish to the new tank, take some tank water and the fish and put it in a bucket. Run some airline tubing from the main tank into the bucket. Get a syphon started through the airline tubing and then tie a knot in the end of the tubing so that 2-3 drops of water come out per second. Let it drip until the amount of water in the bucket doubles. Then add the fish.

 

[richardhmc]

What kind of salt should i add? the kind that i use to eat with? table salt? or sea salt

Hmm that sounds like a great idea, thnx because i wasnt sure about how to add the fish into the new tank

 

[Roy L.]

I always use the heat-treatment. The Ich-parasites die in temperatures above 32c.
Thats about 89-90 fahrenheit.
You have to keep the temperature above that for 5 to 7 days to be sure.

Keep in mind to do this only with fish that can take this temperatures.

I never use salt to my freswater fish.
Its a myth I think that salt is a medicine to freswater fish...
(Of course not to brackish fishes)

 

[RadleyMiller]

Roy,

Salt (either aquarium or solar water softener salt) is good for killing some freshwater parasites because they can't handle the change in salinity but the fish can. Of course, you want to fix it later back to normal. Salt also helps with nitrite buring and brown blood disease.

 

[richardhmc]

I guess I will try the salt method since ive heard of it so many times on MFK.

I dont think my fish can handle 89-90F at all.

Also, how much salt do i add in?

 

[guppy]

Check the ich cure sticky in this section, it will walk you through it. The worms above are enlarged and are really about 5" long. I would pick out and dispose of any you see.