# I think my P might have Ick!



## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Can somebody help me with this? It looks like he might have ick, but Im not sure...my camera software is bugging out on me right now, Im trying to upload a better pic, but for now this is what I have:

View attachment 55541


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

I got this images to be darker, and I think they are a little clearer...

View attachment 55544


View attachment 55545


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

One last pic...

View attachment 55546


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

I dont see any signs of ich. If he had ich you would see white things that look like salt granules in his fins. 
Get a better pic of his right eye though, looks cloudy, maybe it is just the picture.


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

This is a great example of ich


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

So not ich eh...his eye does seem a little cloudy...lemme try and get a good pic of it...thanks though for relieving my fears!


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

This is the best I could do, he really hates the camera...but it looks like he might have heater burn there...near the top middle of his body...

View attachment 55547


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

His eye looks jacked.

I would check out this thread and use the search function to find more information about how to treat a piranha with a cloudy eye. The search function will be your best friend. Let me know what happens


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Thanks for your help, its very much appreciated...he has been ramming into stuff lately for no apparent reason, so maybe its just an injury of that nature...I just did a 10 percent water change, and my water is pristine anyway, so I'll give it a couple of days and if it doesnt improve, I'll go get some meds...


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

hi my rbp's look just like urs with the little silver dots on their backs i have been trying to find out if it is ick or not but nothing on their fins. But they do rub up against the rocks and stuff what else could it be?


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

and i also need to know if ghost shrimp can get ick


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Ya hes always rubbing against stuff these days it seems...


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Do you keep ghost shrimps in with your RB's? Cause I do...maybe they are the cause of my P's odd behaviour...


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

yea but i just got my ghost shrimp in the tank on saturday and my p's have been rubbing against stuff since i had them


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

hey here is something weird at night when i have the tank lights off for a while and then turn the lights on my p's go crazy and swim into to sides of the tank is it because of brightness of the light or because they aren't use to seeing light at night?


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

Your ps are going crazy because of the light but they will soon adjust. To help them adjust I would get the lights on a timer for around 10 hours a day. This will get them on a more constant schedule with the lights. How many hours do you have the light on now?


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Hey, things have gotten worse...it looks like his scales have fallen off, and he has a white spot in the midde of the fin above his body...hes rubbing against everything, and looks very agitated...what should I do? Im freakin out!


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

He seems very very disoriented....and it looks like his gill is starting to detach from his face...


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I havent ever seen anything like you are describing but I would add some salt.....1 tblspoon per 5 gallons.....to help out with that clowdy eye. It is pretty normal for these fish to rub things...and they can also sometimes look like they are loosing scales because of the reflective nature of the fish....but what you are describing....I dont know.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Are you sure your tank is cycled? If he is getting gill curle (dont know for sure) then you might have issues with ammonia or nitrites.


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Ya its cycled...ive had him since january

Will melafix cure this?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

I would start with salt. The symptoms are all pretty consistant with ammonia burn though...including the clowdy eye and the gill curle.

I would check you water parameters incase something happened to disrupt the cycle.


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

I dont have a kit unfortunately....will table salt work?


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Also, will he be alright?


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

as for me i was given some false info from pet store they told me that the cycle was 3 days but after i found out i had already had my p's in the tank. I was told to use bio spira so i did but don't really know if it worked. my perameters 2 days ago were
ph between 7.0 - 7.2
ph high range 7.4
ammonia 4.0 - 8.0
nitrite 2.0
nitrate 5.0

today they are
ph 6.6 
ph high range 7.4
ammonia 1.0 - 2.0
nitrite 2.0
nitrate 5.0

why is one rbp recently alot darker than the others? and ur sure that it is normal for them to rub against stuff?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Table salt will work. If it is just ammonia....you should do another water change and then add the salt. You need to start doing small daily water changes.

John,
It looks like it is working. These fish do strange things like changing color and rubbing things all the time....


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Thanks...i did another change, and how much salt should i add?


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## red&black (Feb 25, 2005)

john1634 said:


> hey here is something weird at night when i have the tank lights off for a while and then turn the lights on my p's go crazy and swim into to sides of the tank is it because of brightness of the light or because they aren't use to seeing light at night?
> [snapback]963512[/snapback]​


piranhas eyes are very sensitive to light.


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## red&black (Feb 25, 2005)

CanadianKeeper said:


> Ya its cycled...ive had him since january
> 
> Will melafix cure this?
> [snapback]964084[/snapback]​


the makers of melafix also make another med for stopping ich and i thing cloudy eye


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## red&black (Feb 25, 2005)

CanadianKeeper said:


> I dont have a kit unfortunately....will table salt work?
> [snapback]964107[/snapback]​


definately don't use table salt


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

1 tblspoon per 5 gallons....and I wouldnt use any other meds unless I found out exactly what the problem is.


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Of table salt grosse?


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

as for me i was given some false info from pet store they told me that the cycle was 3 days but after i found out i had already had my p's in the tank. I was told to use bio spira so i did but don't really know if it worked. my perameters 2 days ago were
ph between 7.0 - 7.2
ph high range 7.4
ammonia 4.0 - 8.0
nitrite 2.0
nitrate 5.0

today they are
ph 6.6 
ph high range 7.4
ammonia 1.0 - 2.0
nitrite 2.0
nitrate 5.0

why is one rbp recently alot darker than the others? and ur sure that it is normal for them to rub against stuff?


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

red&black said:


> CanadianKeeper said:
> 
> 
> > I dont have a kit unfortunately....will table salt work?
> ...


Ummm why do you THINK he can't he use table salt? Please know what you are talking about before you give out information.

You can use good old table salt, as long as it is non iodized and contains no additives.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Table salt is fine, even iodized salt is ok.....at the levels you will use it is not toxic to your fish.


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## doctorvtec (May 15, 2004)

Grosse Gurke said:


> Table salt is fine, even iodized salt is ok.....at the levels you will use it is not toxic to your fish.
> [snapback]964468[/snapback]​


My bad, he is right. Iodized would only be toxic in large quantities.


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Thanks to everybody who has helped me out, I really do appreciate it...I'll keep y'all updated, but hes lookin pretty bad right now, I hope he recovers...should I add tblsp of salt a day? And do minor (Like 10 percent) water changes daily as well?


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

...


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Hes doing much better today, the white coating that was on him has gone, the white dot on his dorsal fin is gone, and his gills are back to normal. His colour is back, I would say hes at about 85 percent now. Should I add a little bit more salt after a very small water change?


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

use aqurium salt i paid 2.50 for a big container at mt lps but people say its used as a preventative for things like ick but i don't know if u are suppose to use everytime u do a water change or every day


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

No dude. I used salt to cure ammonia burns and or nitrite poisoining. It worked, but my fish is still not 100 percent, so I was wondering if I should use a bit more. I appreciate your input though.


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Ok, did a 25 % water change, and added a bit more salt...Im hopin it clears up soon.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Salt does not evaporate with the water so as the level of water in your tank drops the consentration of salt will increase. You should add salt to the ammount you took out for the water change.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

CanadianKeeper said:


> Hes doing much better today, the white coating that was on him has gone, the white dot on his dorsal fin is gone, and his gills are back to normal. His colour is back, I would say hes at about 85 percent now. Should I add a little bit more salt after a very small water change?
> [snapback]965128[/snapback]​


Don't bother. I don't know how much salt you added, but given the fact you haven't changed 100% of the water since you started adding salt (meaning there's still salt present), and that your fish seems to be on the road to recovery, I wouldn't add any more.
Instead I'd focus on keeping the water pristine: regular gravel vacs to remove crap and debris that might start to decay, and regular small water changes (15-20% every 3rd or 4th day), and close observation.
Looks like your fish will be fine, so additional salt isn't needed, and healthy piranha's don't need salt in their tank in the first place...

Good luck: hopefully things will be better soon


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

Thanks alot Judazzz and Grosse...I wont add anymore salt, I only added 2 tablespoons total anyway, I was worried about overdosing...its a 20 gal tank, so I'll just keep an eye on him. Thanks again!


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## CanadianKeeper (Jan 19, 2005)

No improvement today...I get paid today, so Im going to buy a test kit. I will post the results later.


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