# how do i know if its ich



## ames8534 (Feb 2, 2005)

What does ICH look like, what does it do to the fish? Ive had my tank set up for a lil over a week now and i planned on getting 2 bala sharks but today i relized one of my fish wasnt swimming just kinda floating around. It didnt eat and will swim when bumped by something. It has like a white kinda foam looking thing around its upper lip. It is my first tank so i dont know what this is. Please if you have any idea id like a response



thanks,


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## penpitt (Jan 18, 2005)

Ich looks like little grains of salt. It usually would be present all over the body,not just confined to one area. What you probably have is some type of fungal disease and I have no idea how to treat that, sorry. Maybe someone else will come along and be able to help you


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## penpitt (Jan 18, 2005)

If you can you may want to isolate him if you have another tank handy. Otherwise you may have to treat your whole tank for the disease.


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## ames8534 (Feb 2, 2005)

thats what it looked like... i just noticed it today so maybe it was just starting

what can i do to prevent ich from gettin in my tank...any like meds and what kinda can i put in there



thanks,


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

There are plenty of meds on the market. Just ask your local pet store employees and they will supply you with the proper meds. Even though many times they are not real bright ICK or ICH is a real common problem and they know how to treat it. 

It happens in many fish as they stress and stress is caused by many things. In this case it was probably the move from their origional home to the store than to your tank. 

When using any meds you will need to take any carbon out of any filters you have running. The carbon will only take the meds out of the water and make them inaffective.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

you can also treat with aquarium pharmacuticals salt and raise the temp a bit


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Ich/White Spot
White spot (Ichthyopthirius multifiliis) is caused by a parasitic organism which spends much of its life on the host fish, feeding off the skin by digging into the flesh.

The parasite has a three stage life cycle: 

Growth, spent on the skin of the host fish. 
Cyst, spent on the bottom of the tank. 
Free swimming, the infectious stage.

Each cyst may divide into as many as 1000 spores, which, depending on the water temperature, have up to seventy hours to attach to a host.

An attack of white spot is visible as small white spots over the entire body, including gills and fins.

As length of the white spot life cycle is dependent on temperature, the water temperature should be raised a few degrees during treatment. A wide variety of specific treatments are commercially available, most of which contain malachite green. Care must be taken when treating small or scaleless fish, underdosage is recommended.

Once cured, a host can develop an immunity, but may still be a passive carrier.



I use quick-cure or ICK-gone and it seems to work well.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Waterchanges. Clean water and a healthy environment will prevent fish from succumbing to ich. Ich meds do work but I don't use them.


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

Some folks believe ich is caused when a tanks temp changes suddenly and that the best preventitive is to keep a fairly constant tank temp.

Never medicate to prevent disease, only to cure it. Many meds can have potentially harmful side effects while others become less effective the more they are used. Clean tank conditions and good diet are the best preventive medicines.


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## ames8534 (Feb 2, 2005)

thanks all i will be goin to my lfs this weekend to get some stuff will look into some meds thanks again


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Be sure to get this started as soon as possible. The eairler you catch & treat it the better the chances of survival are for the fish.


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