Suddenly Ick...?

[mdfa.ca]

My guppy harem has been suddenly struck down with a bad case of ick. I'm treating them with Maracin but I'm just surprised as to why? Why now? They have been healthy and happy for months (yes, knocking on wood and crossing fingers and toes), the water has been changed regularly, and there were no changes to the tank other than an addition of 5 Kuhli loaches a couple of weeks ago which, strangely enough, don't seem to be affected at all. The worst are the two juvie BN albino plecos.

This tank is right beside a kitchen window so it has had the heater in just in case for weeks now and I check it daily to make sure the temp stays stable.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could have caused this sudden outbreak? Is there anything else (better meds ?) I can do to help them fight this?

Margaret.

[susankat]

All it would take is a little fluctuation in the tank temp to cause an outbreak. Sitting next to a window can cause it pretty easily. A heater will come on once it drops below a certain temp.

[Gobies et al]

Hi Margaret, sorry for your trouble. ::(:

I can't explain why your outbreak of Ich.

Ich( Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) is a parasitic protazoa so antibiotics do not cure it. Maracin is the antibiotic Erythromycin, so won't help. Some people chose to treat Ick with heat and salt (pleco's don't tolerate salt well), some with Melafix, and others use medications such as Rid Ick or Super Ick Cure. I believe, could be wrong, that Kuhli Loaches are scaleless so use half strength if you medicate.

It is important to understand the life cycle of Ich so that you treat it for the appropriate length of time. Here is a good article on Ich: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA006

I hope this helps.

:SmileyWitch:

[CACAdmin]

Thanks for the link to the article, Gerry. Another one which I have found helpful in understanding the lifecycle and treatment is: http://www.aquamaniacs.net/forum/cms_view_article.php?aid=27

We also have a thread with links to previous discussions in ich if it helps: http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1664

I have used RidIch+ but not with loaches. As Gerry indicated, only 1/2 dosage and observe them as they will be sensitive to treatments like that.

You have a UV Sterilizer correct? Is it in this tank or a different one?

[mdfa.ca]

Thank you all, and thank you especially for the links. Lots of reading and information. I've only had a very limited experience with ich so this sudden infection has really surprised and baffled me.

Jay, yes I do have a UV sterilizer, in another tank. Should I move it to this one? Will it help?

margaret...

off to do some more reading...

[amaruq]

Oh boy!

I had an ich outbreak a few years back and wiped out a whole tank!

Listen to these guys as they know what their talking about and up the temp on the tank!
Good luck!!!!!

[mdfa.ca]

Thanks Amaruq, but now you've got me scared. This is a pretty bad outbreak I think. Most fishies, especially the juvies, look like they've been rolling in salt. Will stop by Big Als on the way home and get some Ridich+. I honestly didn't know ich can be so serious as to actually kill fish. Darn!

[CACAdmin]

Jay, yes I do have a UV sterilizer, in another tank. Should I move it to this one? Will it help?



It should help. How much will depend upon the size of the tank and how powerful the UVS is. It's not guaranteed to kill all the ich but it will certainly help. (remember they are only killed in the free swimming stage so treat for the fully cycle and if you move the UVS to the tank, keep it running in there for a time afterwards to be sure you've gotten rid of it.)

[amaruq]

Sorry mdfa!:hugs:

I had an extreme case and to be honest had no idea what the heck I was doing!

I know better and have learned a lot from here.

Treat it right the FIRST (not like me) time and I'm sure all will be well!

[OldMan]

Many of the ich treatments are very effective Margaret.
One of the most important things to understand from all of your reading is that you must continue to treat for a few days after all signs of the parasite are gone. The parasites are constantly falling off the fish and going through the process that returns them to cause new infections. Unfortunately only the free swimming stage is vulnerable to the medications. That means that you have tons of the free swimming stage in the tank for a few days after the last spot is gone from the last fish. If you have not kept treating during that time, you will get a new outbreak and need to start again. That is the kind of thing that can turn ich deadly by repeatedly weakening your fish.

[mdfa.ca]

Well, the fishies are still very very hungry. They are eating like horses, I swear. Hopefully that is a good sign. Just got a huge bottle of Ridich* (LOL, makes me thing of Chronicles of Riddick) and after a water change gave them their first treatment. I will treat them for 7 days and will also put that UV filter in this tank tomorrow. I am so glad that I have been paranoid after the Camallanus infection and have been disinfecting the syphon by soaking it in H2O2 after each water change. Hopefully that helped to limit the infection. Would that be effective against ich?

[mdfa.ca]

Continuing with daily 25% water changes and Rid Ich+ treatment. Some fishies appear to be a little better (as in less spots and more active) but alas we also had three casualties. This was a bad infection. I've lost my favourite long fin BN male Spot, one of the two Yoyo loaches and the smallest of the guppy female juvies. The second loach was not looking too hot last night - hanging right at the top of the water breathing rapidly - and I could not find him this morning. He is either dead or feeling better and hiding in his usual spot. I think the ones that died had the ich mostly in their gills because they were swollen and inflamed. Keeping my fingers crossed for the rest.

Margaret.

[CACAdmin]

Sorry to hear of your losses Margaret... especially your favorite longfin BN. I hope everyone else makes it through this. It's a tough battle and it seems to take forever, but be persistant. You will get past this. (I made the mistake years ago of stopping treatment too soon and then kept having recurring infestations. I was almost ready to throw in the towel until I found info explaining the lifecycle of ich and thus understood why it kept coming back.)

[susankat]

The bad thing about loaches they are pretty sensitive to most meds for ich. and with those fish you need to use half dose.

[CACAdmin]

Try feeding them some food with garlic in it or soaking some food in garlic juice. It will help boost their immunity. Best of luck, Margaret.

[OldMan]

I find the article here (http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml)to be better than most at explaining the life cycle of ich and the treatment. The only time I have seen ich since I found this, I used the simple salt treatment and never looked back. It worked a charm in my betta sorority.

[mdfa.ca]

Good news - the remaining Yoyo loach was just hiding. He looked much better last night and was in his hidey hole, breathing normally, with a lot less spots on him. No more dead bodies in the tank, whew!

The brine shrimp soaked in garlic juice were a big hit and disappeared fast. The ich must have really sucked the nutrients out of the fish - they are still eating like there was no tomorrow. I've never seen such famished fish in my life.

OM - thanks for that article link - it IS awesome. I've bookmarked it for future reference. This morning I checked on them quickly and most of the spots are gone. But not to worry, I will continue treating for another 4 days.

Now that I think about it I'm wondering if the new Kuhli loaches were the hosts. I (stupidly :wideeyed:) put them in without quarantine... That will teach me. No matter how clean and well taken care of the LF store seems, you never know what lurks on the fishies or the water they are from...

[CACAdmin]

Glad to hear things are improving. As for adding the loaches without quarantining them, we've all done that and suffered the consequences.:Nobodys_Perfect: Sometimes you can get away with it, but then other times, unhappily you introduce a bug into the tank.

Just think how much more knowledgable you are now about ich. :rolleyes: ... of course, you'd rather have just learned by :Research: , than by personal experience, I'm sure?

[mdfa.ca]

Yeah :laugh:, but then again, I learn much better by doing than just reading LOL.