# White substance on my pygos!



## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

I noticed whitening of the eyes and some white substance that looked like white sand or salt and as time went on it began to look like white skin peeling off the body of my tern three days ago and now it's dead. Now I'm starting to notice the same thing on one of my pirayas. Amonia levels are fine and all other water perametres. Whatever it is it seems to progress really fast, anybody knows what it could be? I've used Melafix and Pelafix. I've been doing kind of a crash course over the internet on fish diseases and I'm thinking it might be ick. I've never had a problem with diseases befor so this is unchartered waters for me. I also noticed a loss in appitite.


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Ick wouldn't cover the eyes, it isn't ick.

PH didn't crash or anything?


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## Piranha Dan (Nov 11, 2007)

I've only seen one case of ick (at my LFS, poor pleco was covered in the sh*t), but your description of white grains of salt or sand and then skin peeling off sounds exactly like what I saw (Twitcho, yes, it can get on their eyes the pleco mentioned above had it's eyes crusted over).
I think you're supposed to up your water temp to 83 deg and add salt per instructions (maybe melafix too?). 
Sorry about your Tern man, good luck saving the others.


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

I double checked and it looks like you're right, it can affect the fish's eyes after all.

I've killed off ick twice before, salt is the best way to do it.


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

I didn't mean that the skin of the fish was peeling I meant that the substance after a while looked like white skin peeling off of the fish. I've been reading up on ick a lot over the past few hours and they keep saying to use a product called Quick Cure they say it's supposed to be the best. Thanks for the responses so far guys!


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

I wouldn't use Quick Cure, it's got Malachite Green in it which is specifically advised against using for piranhas. You're likely to end up killing your fish.

Just use salt


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

They say to use half doses for tetras. Can you suggest another medication if salt doesn't work?


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Ja said:


> They say to use half doses for tetras. Can you suggest another medication if salt doesn't work?


Salt and a bump in temp should be all that is needed to cure Ick-----N e thing else is just silly


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

Ok just added 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons and raised the temp to 83 degrees. Tablespoon for every 5 gallons sound right guys?


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## pirayaman (Nov 3, 2007)

i agree aquarium salt and turn up temp to like 85 it will work my old pirayas had it 3 times before i used to feed them alot of feeders sooooooo my own stupid falt but still salt and higher will cure just dont stop it for a while after it apears gone cause thats what i fdid and it just came back


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

Another thing is the salt a one time dose or a daily one? Like I said befor this is my first time dealing with a disease problem so don't mind the rookie guys lol!


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

I've done 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons before, and that worked. Wait a day and then double the amount of salt you just put in.

The salt stays in the tank so you don't need to add anymore. However, when you do a water change you will need to add more salt to the tank with the new water. The ick won't get worse with the salt in it but it will take up to two weeks to really start clearing up because of the lifecycle of the parasite.


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

I know carbon removes meds from the water but does it remove salt too?


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## swack (May 29, 2007)

I had this same thing happen to me, scary as hell. I ended up getting rid of it in a couple of days by increasing the temp and dosing with salt, using nothing else


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Nope, your carbon will be fine


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

elTwitcho you've been a big help and everyone else thanks I really appreciate it. I'm 99% sure it's ick but if it turns out to be something else is the salt a remedy for other types of diseases as well?


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Salt kills most of the common external parasites and infections so it's usually the best place to start treatment with your fish. It's actually why saline wash (salt water) is the best thing for you to wash out an injury with as well


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

External but what about internal because ick starts as an external organism and I believe works it's way to the internals of a fish if I'm not mistaken, don't quote me because I could be wrong.


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

ick is an external parasite. It's life cycle is like this

1) Free swimming parasite
2) Stage where it infects under your fish's skin/scales and in it's gills
3) Forms white cysts (the visible infection) 
4) Cysts fall off your fish and land in the gravel
5) Cysts hatch into more of the free swimming parasites

The only time the parasite is vulnerable to salt is when it is free swimming. That's why it takes a couple days to a week to get affected by the salt. It has to progress through it's lifecycle to a stage where it is vulnerable.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

You should post pics because if we tell you to treat for ich the next week or 2 and it turns out that it is a bacterial infection or fungus you will lose some valuable time in saving him. If you sure its ich there is a salt topic in the information section that tells you exactly how to administer salt for ich and for how long

Another possibility is "velvet". The fish would look like it was dipped in flour compared to ich with white spots that looks like grains of salt on the fish


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

How is velvet treated? The tern that died looked kind of like that too when it died but that was in the last few hours of life. What are the early simptoms for velvet?


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

Dr. Giggles said:


> You should post pics because if we tell you to treat for ich the next week or 2 and it turns out that it is a bacterial infection or fungus you will lose some valuable time in saving him. If you sure its ich there is a salt topic in the information section that tells you exactly how to administer salt for ich and for how long
> 
> Another possibility is "velvet". The fish would look like it was dipped in flour compared to ich with white spots that looks like grains of salt on the fish


The first places I noticed the substance was at the end of the fins and cloudyness of the eyes befor spreading to the body and mouth. I read that velvet begins in the gills but this is the one place where it doesn't seem to originate. I know both diseases have simular symptoms but I pray that it isn't velvet because I know than the chances of survival are most unlikely.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Ja said:


> How is velvet treated? The tern that died looked kind of like that too when it died but that was in the last few hours of life. What are the early simptoms for velvet?


Velvet appears to look golden in color and will have the fish appear like it was dipped in flour. Once the gills are affected like any other disease mortality rate increases. Acriflavine I hear is effective against Velvet but not sure how safe it is on tetras, piranha, catfish, etc...


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

The color was definately white no gold but I'm not going to rule out velvet just yet.


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## badkarma2010 (Dec 24, 2007)

i have the same problem with my caribes, at least it sounds similar. what has worked for me is quick cure (full dose), if they are otherwise healthy they can handle it, and salt for about 3 days as soon as i start to see signs of it. I can't seem to rid the tank of it 100% though but the quick cure definitely takes care of it until the next time. if yours are still eating and acting normal this treatment has worked for me. If you are using a U/V and carbon make sure to stop those and you might want to discontinue the aquarium light too as all of these will break down the medication faster than you would want. post some pictures if you can.


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