Fish with ick - hospital tank?

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#1
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#1
Hi all, my oscar has gotten sick with what I presume to be ick. He has one patch of white cottony looking stuff on his side and his fins are speckled with white spots. I have removed him from the tank and placed him into a smaller tank by himself. He is quarantined, i have a heater in there, but no filter as of yet. Can someone verify that he has ick, and give me some insight as to what the hospital tank should include or anything else I should do, other than meds. Thanks for your time.
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#3
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#3
I have no pictures, nor a way to get them and transfer to computer, sorry pretty low tech here. His fins, the ones near his gills, have white dots all over them, and he has a small tuft of cotton like hair on him.
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#4
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#4
If it's ich, you'll need to treat the whole tank. The small white spots sound like ich. However, cottony patches is not ich, more like a bacterial infection (possibly brought on by the ich). You'll probably need to treat for both ich and bacterial infections. However, I think you'll need to finish the ich treatment before you start a bacterial treatment.

I have to say, your tank is extremely overstocked. I imagine the aggression and water quality are causing stress, which is in turn making the fish sick. You should be doing water changes several times a week with that kind of stocking to even have a chance at good health for the fish. However, the mix of fish would probably still cause a lot of stress for the inhabitants.
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#5
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#5
Thanks Lotus. I was thinking that the cotton stuff wasn't ich. Although I do have some aggressive fish in the tank, they all seem to be getting along, not one has stood out as the bruiser in the tank, kinda shocking I thought. Is it suggested to forget the hopital tank, treat the eniter tank for ich, removing the carbon filter and heating it up a bit, the bottle said 82 degrees to help move the ich along faster. Thanks for the help.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#6
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#6
I have 2 Oscars in a 90g and the bigger of the 2 picks on the smaller one once and a while. After a round the smaller one typically has white patches where it was nipped, the look just like you described so my guess is there is some fighting going on.

As Lotus said you have way to small a tank for your inhabitants, I hope you have plans to move those fish into bigger tanks very soon.

Brian
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#7
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#7
Thanks for the info, I have a 55g I am getting cycled and will plant these fish into that tank and tear down the 29g. Will the 55g be enough for these fish, or should I split some up and keep a few here and a few there? The fighting could be a possibility, as no other fish in the tank have shown any signs of ich or other sickness.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#8
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#8
Honestly a 55 would just be big enough for you Oscar by itself maybe the pleco. I have 2Oscars, 2 sriped raphael catfish, 1 pleco and a few giant danios in a 90g and there are members here that would say I am overcrowded. I would leave the gouramis in your 29 and move everything else to your 55 for now. You will either have to go bigger in another few months or get rid of some of your fish.
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#9
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#9
It is ich for sure. When I first saw it, it must've been real early. After a do or so, my poor oscar was covered with sporatic white spots. I have gradually worked the tank temp up to 82-84degress and he has since lost almost all of his spots, less than 10 remaining. I have bene doing water changes daily and keeping the enitre tank medicated. Thus far, no other fish in the tank have signs of the parisite, although a few days ago the parrothead did scratch the bottom of the tank a few times. I have been watching him like a hawk and he is clear of ich. I am thinking all is going to be well with this attack, the oscar is active and eating again.
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#10
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#10
midmichman80 said:
It is ich for sure. When I first saw it, it must've been real early. After a do or so, my poor oscar was covered with sporatic white spots. I have gradually worked the tank temp up to 82-84degress and he has since lost almost all of his spots, less than 10 remaining. I have bene doing water changes daily and keeping the enitre tank medicated. Thus far, no other fish in the tank have signs of the parisite, although a few days ago the parrothead did scratch the bottom of the tank a few times. I have been watching him like a hawk and he is clear of ich. I am thinking all is going to be well with this attack, the oscar is active and eating again.
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What are you planning on doing about moving them to a larger tank, not trying to beat you up here but if the Oscar is the only one that did succumb to ich then it is proably a safe bet that it is severely stressed compared to the others. Which IMO means it is being picked on even if you dont see it. I know you have the 55g but have you decided what your going to put in it?
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#11
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#11
55 g is still cycling. I would like to keep the JD and oscar together, perhaps those two in the big tank, keep the gouramis and parrothead in the small one. Considering my other post, I think it would be great to have the oscar and jd mate and have little wierdo fish in the tank. If the pleco went with the jd and oscar, would this give everyone enough room to be happy? Any other suggestion on which fish should stay and which should go?
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#12
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
0
47
Florida
#12
Put it this way, once those fish reach adult size you'll need to be doing large water changes at least every other day in a 55 gal. tank to keep nitrAtes and other waste in check. Unless you plan on having a 125 gal.+ tank up and running by the end of the summer, I'd get rid of at least one of those three (I'm referring to the oscar, JD, and pleco) fish (preferrably two of them).

BV
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#13
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#13
I am thinking the jd, oscar, and pleco should fit well into the 55g. I think Jack is really a Jill and is at full length. I could be wrong, but it seems to have not grown any in the past year or so. I am going to try, but have several smaller tanks, and another 55 gallon for backup.
 

midmichman80

midmichman80

Large Fish
#14
May 30, 2008
292
0
0
Midland, MI
#14
All signs of ich are gone!!! I have gradually turned the temp back down on the tank and have finished medicating the tank. I returned the carbon filter today and did a 5g water change. There was a small trace of ammonia and nitrite in the tank when I tested it this morning, I assume because it is overstocked. My 55g is looking beautiful, still waiting for the cycle to complete, ammonia hasn't spiked yet. I asked in another post, but I will ask here too: a product called 'stability', or something like that. Introduces the bacteria needed cycle the tank. Good idea? Bad idea? I still have my goldfish in there to produce the ammonia. Thoughts, ideas, constructive critism, all welcome. Thanks
 

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