to be ick or not to be ick?

[IvannaFish]

Okay I have read through many threads trying to find out what is going on with my tank. The kids tank is a 10 gallon with two high fin black skirts and 1 pleco. Well we went to petsmart and my son wanted a betta so we got him and have had him for a week now. I was doing my weekly water change and I noticed that all the fish except the Plec had little white specks in their fins and the betta was the worse. I am assuming it was the Betta that brought it home. Anyhow, I went out and I got some Quick Cure which I see isn't the best thing. I have been using it for 5 days and nothing is better. The tetra are loosing their fins. The smallest one looks the worse. This morning I woke up and checked on them and it lookes like someone took a pair of scissors and cut his tail fin off. Now is this fin rot or part of the ick? I don't know what else to do. Can you treat 2 different diseases with one med and what do I do with the Pleco and the Betta because I have to half the dose for the Tetra???
BTW I know that I am going to have to eventually put the Pleco in a bigger tank!

 

[FroggyFox]

It sounds like a combination of fin rot and ick. You really shouldn't ever treat with two different meds at the same time.

I'm not real great with my meds, hopefully someone else will speak up, but you should be able to find one that treats a lot of things, I'm not sure about one specifically for ick and fin rot...but look at the back of melafix and pimafix and see what they're supposed to treat?

 

[IvannaFish]

Thanks Froggy..I wish someone would speak up. I wanted to know about the Pleco. Are they able to contract the two diseases as well. He seems fine and is still very active and is eating too. I am tempted to just flush the 2 tetra and the betta because they are looking really pathetic. Not that I wouldn't like to treat and save them. I think they are too far gone for help. The two tetra are not swimming well and look like they are having problems breathing. As for the Betta. The beautiful fins are riddled with holes and are clamped shut.

 

[FroggyFox]

Here's the thing. Yes I'm sure the pleco can get both diseases as well. If it was my tank, I would pick the one that looks like its affecting them the worst and treat that. Do a big water change and put some carbon in for a few hours to get the med out that you're using, since it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Then add a new med for the finrot...OR try heating the tank up to 85 and adding some dissolved salt, treating like that for a couple of weeks to try to get rid of the ick. Again, heat and mixing meds isn't a good idea unless the package on the medicine directly says that. Have you tried going to the store and reading the medicines? you can do a search on the boards...the ones I know that might help right now are Marycyn, Melafix, Pimafix have all had good reviews if they're meds that will treat what your fish have. I also had good results with Jungle cures...the only med I ever had to use.

 

[IvannaFish]

the Betta is the one that is just covered with ick. Looks like she has rolled in salt. The tetra look better as far as ick is concerned but they look really really bad with fin rot. Here are some photos

 

[JNevaril]

some people don't really know how the ich parasite lives....i didn't for a while...

it has a lifecycle.

after it has 'hatched' from your fish's skin, it will swim freely for 3 days. You MUST treat for ich three days AFTER you stop seeing the white spots.

keep your tank darkened too. keep the light off.

also, make sure that you raised the temp GRADUALLY, and that you are adding salt GRADUALLY.

You will want to have 3 tsp of salt per gallon, adding it in increments of 1 tsp per gallon every 12 hours.