Ich, maybe not??

suzimcmullen · 02/15/2008, 06:08 AM

Last night I posted that there were little white dots all over my clown fish. I have pictures taken of them yesterday morning and I blew them up and nothing was on them. Last night though, these spots were many and pronounced.

Overnight both fish acted eratic, banged against things etc. Neither ate yesterday and one of them hasn't ate for a few days. The one that hadn't ate for the longest died last night.

I spent the whole night reading about ich. There are so many treatments, theories and ideas. One thing I decided to try was increasing the temp a degree every couple of hours in order to try and get the appetite back in the other fish. It seems to have helped because he's eating a little this morning. But then while he was eating I noticed that the spots fell off of him last night.

Would the spots really fall off that quick? I did something else as well. I read that if the parasite wasn't deeply burrowed into the skin that a freshwater dip would kill the parasite. So I gave them both a freshwater dip. It was way too late for the one because it had been falling over on it's side at the bottom for hours before. But could that be the reason the other fish is looking clean this morning? Or am I just getting my hopes up?

I think I read not to think it's gone just because the bumps are gone. So I moved all the rock and corals into one tank and the fish all in the other. I was all prepared to treat all the fish as I read many times last night that treating them all is the only way to truly be rid of it. Then I read this morning that it was cruel and foolish to treat the ones not showing any signs of ich.

Ideas on that?

Suzi

pgaschulz · 02/15/2008, 07:06 AM

Feed them some garlic, chop it up very fine.....Someone at our local Shed told me this.....It helps I did it with my fresh water fish once.....

suzimcmullen · 02/15/2008, 07:12 AM

I will definitely try that. Also, for now I have been raising the temp in the tank very slowly. I have my power head aimed at the surface so I'm getting a tank full of tiny bubbles to help with the oxygen levels. Unless someone tells me this is only safe for fresh fish, I am aiming for 84 degrees over the next 24 hours or so. I read many times last night that it's a safe way to speed the ich parasite through all the stages and that with garlic on the food, extra oxygen and good water parameters they should recover and the tank won't be subjected to medicine.

The clown fish definitely seems to be much perked up right now.

Thanks
Suzi

02/15/2008, 06:08 AM	#1
suzimcmullen Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Midwest Posts: 890	Ich, maybe not?? Last night I posted that there were little white dots all over my clown fish. I have pictures taken of them yesterday morning and I blew them up and nothing was on them. Last night though, these spots were many and pronounced. Overnight both fish acted eratic, banged against things etc. Neither ate yesterday and one of them hasn't ate for a few days. The one that hadn't ate for the longest died last night. I spent the whole night reading about ich. There are so many treatments, theories and ideas. One thing I decided to try was increasing the temp a degree every couple of hours in order to try and get the appetite back in the other fish. It seems to have helped because he's eating a little this morning. But then while he was eating I noticed that the spots fell off of him last night. Would the spots really fall off that quick? I did something else as well. I read that if the parasite wasn't deeply burrowed into the skin that a freshwater dip would kill the parasite. So I gave them both a freshwater dip. It was way too late for the one because it had been falling over on it's side at the bottom for hours before. But could that be the reason the other fish is looking clean this morning? Or am I just getting my hopes up? I think I read not to think it's gone just because the bumps are gone. So I moved all the rock and corals into one tank and the fish all in the other. I was all prepared to treat all the fish as I read many times last night that treating them all is the only way to truly be rid of it. Then I read this morning that it was cruel and foolish to treat the ones not showing any signs of ich. Ideas on that? Suzi

02/15/2008, 07:06 AM	#2
pgaschulz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Monee Illinois Posts: 162	Feed them some garlic, chop it up very fine.....Someone at our local Shed told me this.....It helps I did it with my fresh water fish once.....

02/15/2008, 07:12 AM	#3
suzimcmullen Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Midwest Posts: 890	I will definitely try that. Also, for now I have been raising the temp in the tank very slowly. I have my power head aimed at the surface so I'm getting a tank full of tiny bubbles to help with the oxygen levels. Unless someone tells me this is only safe for fresh fish, I am aiming for 84 degrees over the next 24 hours or so. I read many times last night that it's a safe way to speed the ich parasite through all the stages and that with garlic on the food, extra oxygen and good water parameters they should recover and the tank won't be subjected to medicine. The clown fish definitely seems to be much perked up right now. Thanks Suzi