# Really Need Help With ICK!!



## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

I just bought six caride about 1.5" from a sponsor. I received them yesterday and all looked good. Today I get home from work and they have white spots all over them. I cant really tell if it's on there body because they are so little and bright silver but you can see it all over there fins. I do believe it's Ick. My question is how do I get rid of it? I was told not to use ick meds on piranhas because it will kill them. So how do you treat them then?? I have already added salt to the tank. I did that yesterday before the Ick outbreak. Please if anyone can help me with this I would really appreciate it.


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

Better add some pics just to make sure what they got so you can properly treat it


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

blazednosferatu said:


> Better add some pics just to make sure what they got so you can properly treat it


I really wish I could but I have no way in doing that. I don't have a camera.


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

Is it like little white dots, on white patches


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

blazednosferatu said:


> Is it like little white dots, on white patches


There so little it's hard to tell but I don't see any little white patches. Just little white dots. It kind of looks like they have salt sprinkled on them. I don't know how else to describe it. I also just noticed a couple of them are scraping on the driftwood now.


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

It's really hard to help you with out seeing some picture of it..If you believe is ICK..check your water parameter. Did you cycle your tank?

I would not treat them with any medication "yet" until you know what exactly wrong with them. However you can do 30-50% of water every 3 days and add aquarium salt in the tank. See if that help. Repeat it about couple of week, see if any thing better with your Caribe.


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY said:


> It's really hard to help you with out seeing some picture of it..If you believe is ICK..check your water parameter. Did you cycle your tank?
> 
> I would not treat them with any medication "yet" until you know what exactly wrong with them. However you can do 30-50% of water every 3 days and add aquarium salt in the tank. See if that help. Repeat it about couple of week, see if any thing better with your Caribe.


Yes this tank has been cycled it's been up and running for 2 years. I'll check all the water parameters and post them if that will help. If it is Ick and all I do is water changes will it kill my fish?


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

But we not sure if is an ick or some thing els. I can't promise you tank water change and salt will help, but better then nothing. Unless you can post a picture for us, you know it's hard to help with out picture.


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## moron (May 26, 2006)

Ichthyophthirius Multifiliis?

This disease may result in 100% mortality.


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

Here are my water readings.

pH-6.8
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-40
Ammonia-0


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## moron (May 26, 2006)

nobody1973 said:


> Here are my water readings.
> 
> pH-6.8
> Nitrite-0
> ...


Nitrates should be kept preferably below 25 ppm. The bacteria that remove nitrates do not like oxygen rich environments. Therefore, conventional filters do not harbor the bacteria that remove nitrates. Cleaner tanks produce fewer nitrates in the first place. Performing regular water changes with water that has little or no nitrates will lower the overall nitrate level in the tank.

S


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

'SHADOW said:


> Here are my water readings.
> 
> pH-6.8
> Nitrite-0
> ...


Nitrates should be kept preferably below 25 ppm. The bacteria that remove nitrates do not like oxygen rich environments. Therefore, conventional filters do not harbor the bacteria that remove nitrates. Cleaner tanks produce fewer nitrates in the first place. Performing regular water changes with water that has little or no nitrates will lower the overall nitrate level in the tank.

S
[/quote]
It's hard to keep the Nitrates down where I live because it's high right out of the tap. I know having lower Nitrates is better but I wouldn't think that would cause this Ick problem. I have never had any trouble keeping other fish with a little higher Nitrates level.


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

What Ick meds have you guys used or would recommend?


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## 77gp454 (Feb 18, 2007)

As mentioned....dont treat a P with meds until you know what they have. Go buy a disposable camera, they even have disposable digital cameras out now. Take the pictures and have them developed to a cd-rom instead of or in addition to prints. You can post the pictures from the cd-rom. We need to see pics to help. Dont mis-medicate your fish unless you are sure yourself what it is.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

nobody1973 said:


> What Ick meds have you guys used or would recommend?


No meds necessary to treat ich. Do a water change of 30% before starting treatment. To treat start raising the temp up about 1 degree an hour until your at about 86 degrees. In a large gulp type cup filled halfway with tank water and add 1 teaspoon of salt (regular table salt is fine) for every gallon of water once a day for 3 straight days and then leave the tank alone for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks set the temp to a more comfortable setting like 80 and perform another water change. Ich should be completely eradicated.


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

Dr. Giggles said:


> What Ick meds have you guys used or would recommend?


No meds necessary to treat ich. Do a water change of 30% before starting treatment. To treat start raising the temp up about 1 degree an hour until your at about 86 degrees. In a large gulp type cup filled halfway with tank water and add 1 teaspoon of salt (regular table salt is fine) for every gallon of water once a day for 3 straight days and then leave the tank alone for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks set the temp to a more comfortable setting like 80 and perform another water change. Ich should be completely eradicated.
[/quote]
I will start raising my temp now to the 86 degrees. As far as the salt goes I added aquarium salt to the tank the other day but I only put in what was recommended. 1 tablespoon per every 5 gallons. So should I just go ahead and leave it in there and start the 1 teaspoon for every gallon today and just do it for 2 days instead of the 3?


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

Well I have started the salt treatment. 1 teaspoon to every gallon. I really hope this works because the ick looks a little worse today. The fish are all starting to scape on the objects in the tank and there whole body is covered with ick now not just there fins. How long before I start to see this clear up with the salt treatment? Also does the salt treatment always work or should I be picking up some kind of meds from the lfs just in case this does not?


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

nobody1973 said:


> Well I have started the salt treatment. 1 teaspoon to every gallon. I really hope this works because the ick looks a little worse today. The fish are all starting to scape on the objects in the tank and there whole body is covered with ick now not just there fins. How long before I start to see this clear up with the salt treatment? Also does the salt treatment always work or should I be picking up some kind of meds from the lfs just in case this does not?


As long as you did the dosage daily for 3 days the ich should be gone about 1 week after treatment. Best to leave it for 2 weeks to make sure the ich cycle is completely eradicated.


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## nobody1973 (Jan 20, 2007)

I did the dosage just like you told me too. It's working because they look a lot better then they did. There's no white dots on them at all that I can see. I'm going to leave the temp up and the salt in there for one more week like you said. The only thing that sucks is having the temp up so high. It makes these guys very aggressive. I have already lost one to cannibalism. Anyway thanks for all your help and I'll keep you informed on the out come. Thanks again!!!!!


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Great to here. This is the critical time when you don't see them. If you do a partial water change just add back the percentage of salt removed. For example on a 100 gallon tank (100 teaspoons of salt times 3 = 300 teaspoons) If you do a 33% water change you would have to add back 100 teaspoons, 25% water change 75 teaspoons and so on. Just an example. Too bad you lost one to cannibalism, but it beats losing your whole stock to ich.


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## ihavtats29 (Jun 25, 2007)

i used QuICK CURE on my rbp's cause they had gotten ick from the feeders the lfs was feeding them
just pull your carbon filters and 1 drop per gal the instructs say every day till cured i dosed mine 1 time put my filters back in after a 24 hrs and repeted dosage every 2 weeks for 6 -8 weeks, ick cycles from the fish and falls to the substrate then back to the fish every 4 weeks, and it reproduces in the same time frame , adding the salt and weekly 20 - 30 % water changes help too.
r/o water will fix your water problems


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