# Ick, courtesy of the "other" lfs....



## jsm11482 (Aug 8, 2006)

So I got 2 catfish and 2 clown plecos from an lfs from which I have never purchased anything before. I was unsure if I should buy fish from there since the fish in the tank were questionable. However, I ended up buying them anyway (why?).

Today (a week later) I noticed the carcass of one of the plecos - who must have been dead for a few days at least. I also noticed that the two catfish are covered with ick. I started a hopsital tank and moved the catfish to it and am treating it with QuickCure. I plan on taking the catfish back asap.

The question is, I still have 4 danios and 4 amano shrimp in the main tank. QuickCure will kill the shrimp, right? The danios don't show signs of ick yet - what should I do with them? The main tank has at least a few ick-sacks on the glass and on the plants.

Thanks!


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi Josh.:wave:

Not familiar with QuickCure. If it has copper contents, I would try other medicines other than that. Copper can greatly harm your shrimps.

Try to increase the tank temp to 30C. Treat your whole tank and try to avoid stressing your fish. The more stressed your fish, the weaker their immune system will be thus the ich will succeed in killing your fish. Continue treatment for 2 weeks. The longer, the better just for precautionary measures.

Consider giving your fish nutritious foods to strengthen their immune system to fight off ich.

On the side note, ich is at its most vulnerability if it is in free-swimming phase. Meds are not effective when ich are encrusted under the fish's skin. The warm temp should speed up their lifecycle thus enabling them to go to free-swimming stage in which meds can destroy them easily.

Good luck.


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## fish_4_all (Nov 13, 2006)

I have to agreewith the higher temps. Most on AA recommend keeping it at 86-88 for 3+weeks or until there has been absolutely no signs of Ich on the fish for a week. 

I have never done this because I don't have a heater that is that adjustable, cheap heaters and didn't know before I bought them. One more reason to spend a little more on the heaters with the marked temperature controls so it is easier to treat Ich.


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## jsm11482 (Aug 8, 2006)

I have eheim heaters with marked temp so I turned them up to ~84 for now.


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## crazie.eddie (Sep 1, 2006)

Ich do not have sacks. They maybe fungus, detritus, debris, or even planaria. The temp should be high enough. Just keep the water clean with frequent water changes. Reduce feedings so there isn't so much waste produced.


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## jsm11482 (Aug 8, 2006)

according to this post:

http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1648

they do have sacks....which is correct?


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## crazie.eddie (Sep 1, 2006)

She may have new info, but all the info you find on the net do not state any kind of sacs. If they do, then I would assume it's not visible.


EDIT: Here's a good site containing ich information...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1977&articleid=2421


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Can you please describe the "sacs"? Ick is a parasite that needs a living host to survive. It can fall down to the gravel, but will not adhere to glass, rocks, plants, etc. What it sounds like is snail egg sacs... did you put any of the LFS's water into your tank with the fish?
If the danios are not showing signs of ick, I wouldn't worry about them too much just yet.
Quick Cure will surely wipe out your shrimp due to the malachite green in it's contents. The safer medication to use would be Formalin, dose according to directions. I must warn that most medications are not safe for shrimp or other inverts. Quick Cure is a combination of formaldahyde and malachite green, Formalin is the formaldahyde without the malachite green, and tends to work very well.
What kind of catfish are they? Formalin is safe for most fish species, but depending on the species of catfish in your tank, you may need to use it at 1/2 strength to be safe. If I know the species of the catfish, I can let you know which is the safe way to go.
Please take a look at this thread, the truth about ick! http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1648


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## jsm11482 (Aug 8, 2006)

The sacs are clear gel with white dots throughout, I did not pu tany of the LFS's water in the tank.

The 2 catfish (pictus cats) died - I had them in the hospital tank and had treated them with the QuickCure for two days but now they are dead. So out of the 4 fish I got from this LFS, only one is left. The danios and the one pleco that is left are showing spots now. I have been changing the water for a couple days now and the temperature is up around 84 degrees. I have not (and don't plan on) medicated the tank. I did add a bunch of salt (1 tbsp/5 gal.). I really hope the danios and the pleco make it!


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

jsm11482 said:


> The sacs are clear gel with white dots throughout, I did not pu tany of the LFS's water in the tank.


It sounds more like snail eggs.:squint: I've seen snail eggs in sacs before. The snails I got before are Physas species/common pond snails. Have you seen any snails in your tank?


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## jones57742 (Oct 31, 2006)

Blue said:


> It sounds more like snail eggs.:squint: I've seen snail eggs in sacs before. The snails I got before are Physas species/common pond snails. Have you seen any snails in your tank?


Yea I believe that this is what is being observed also.

GOK I've had my share of them on the tank walls before I purchased my Yoyo's.

TR


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

The pictus cats wouldn't have had a chance if treated with Quick Cure. They are sensitive to the malachite green in it. Pictus cats are scaleless fish, and very sensitive to everything.


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