# If I treat for ich & it's not there, will it hurt?



## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

I added 2 new fish to my established aquarium on Wednesday. All seemed to be going well, until last night I noticed some white spots on one. Having recently read about ich I wonder if it's that. The fish in question has been doing the "shimmying" and his fin is clamped. I did reading last night and immediately started raising the tank temp a little more (I just added the heater Thursday) and turned out the light to reduce stress. When I checked on them later, s/he had the top fin unclamped and was swimming around normally, so I just left them for the night. 

Today the fin clamping has been back. The fish is eating normally/enthusiastically. Everyone else in the tank looks okay and is acting fine (knock wood). I have this black one, 2 platys, 3 plecos, and our original fish, I don't know what kind s/he is though. (I also have one little fry from the platy who I think came to us pregnant, it's in another tank). 

I don't know what to do about the fish. If I treat for something and there is no problem, will it hurt anyone? I have been reading about treating with heat and salt vs the chemical preparations. The heat/salt combo seems like it would be better but with the plecos in there I worry about hurting them. Same when it comes to the chemical treatments. 

Advice? Would a pic of the fish help? The white spots I'm worried about seem different than what I have seen of ich, and I'm not sure but they might have been on him to begin with, meaning they might just be part of his coloring. It just occurred to me now that maybe I should take him to the LFS and ask them what they think. But I'm a little panicky so I'm asking here first, since I just go approved  

The tank temp is about 75, I have been inching it up slowly since adding the heater. They seem to enjoy it. How high can I safely go? I will add some photos here shortly, of the black one if I can and also the fish of unknown type.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum. It shouldn't hurt, and you can probably go up to about 80-82.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

Thank you 

I went down to the LFS and talked to the owner. He was really helpful and when I showed him a photo of the fish he said it looks like cotton fungus something. I know I've seen the name of that but I can't recall it. He told me to treat with aquarium salt, PimaFix and MelaFix. So I have all that and am adding it now.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

Ok, sounds great. Update with your progress.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

If it is ich, medication against fungal infections isn't going to help as ich is bacterial. Pictures would help if you find the time. I would raise the temperature to around 85isch. Just do it slowly and see how the fish react. They are tropical and should be kept at around 78 anyways.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Treating for diseases not showing is usually perfectly fine, and it's the way the pros do it.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

Here is a short video, which I showed the LFS owner; it's the white spots on the back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km4ccpK0IaA


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

Photo, sorry it's not very good. http://postimg.org/image/qaa2efyrd/

I've added the salt, and just done their 2nd of 3 Pima & MelaFix treatments. I think I need to turn up the heat some more though. Everyone is active and eating as normal (even the black one). I'm keeping the light off in the tank unless I am looking at it, s/he seems happier that way.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

This one is a little better I think http://postimg.org/image/itczq8uj9/


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Use methylene blue. I wouldn't treat the main tank. Try doing baths.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

I will look into that. I don't think it's something I can get my hands on before tomorrow. 

I am pretty worried about him. I think he is gasping for air today :-/ I just did a water test and it had some slight nitrites, which is new since yesterday. Did a PWC, and there is more filter splash now too. I did see him eat, at least, and his fin isn't clamped.

Agh.


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

I treat for ich and fungal everynow and then for the heck of it. especially if starting a new tank and adding fish. I use kordon ich attack and kordon fungal attack. both are herbal and don't hurt inverts. you cant overdose the stuff either. raise your temp slowly to 85 degrees and keep it there for 2 weeks and then slowly bring it back down. that will usually wipe out about anything. you can even raise your temp to 88 or 90 if you feel the need, just do it over a couple of days and leave it for 2 weeks and bring it back down. the 2 weeks at high temp is the key. ich is a parasite that cant complete its life cycle in water above 84 degrees and dies completely at 90. also a lot of fungal infections cant survive at those temps and will quickly fade away. I do it in planted tanks with snails, shrimp, and all kinds of fish and never have adverse affects.


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

forgot to add, just fought off ich and a fungal infection about 3 months ago in a tank I recently took over at a nursing home. I didn't add salt due to the corys and plectos. took the temp up to 88 degrees and used the kordon ich first... got rid of the ich. left the temp at 88 and did the fungal treatment, all fish lived minus one who was in really bad shape to begin with.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

It won't hurt my pleco or danio at those temps?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

raise the temperature slowly, see how they react. If they start breathing heavily or gasping for air you have gone too far.


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

Good news, he seems to be feeling better! The white spots have lessened and he is swimming and eating enthusiastically. I am still holding my breath a little though  

I removed some of the old food and waste I could see with a turkey baster late last night in an effort to get the nitrites back down. I think I will do another partial water change, if that's okay to do 2 days in a row? 

I know that removed some of the TBS of salt I added over 2 days, half a TBS Saturday and half yesterday. It was after the other half went in that he seemed not as happy. Could that have been bothering him? Also, would it affect the nitrites?

Today will be the 3rd day of Pima and Mela, per the LFS owner. They open again tomorrow so I will be talking to him to see what he thinks I should do now.


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

another thing with raised temps is to make sure you have plenty of 02 in the water. run an extra airstone or 2. higher temp water has a lower 02 saturation, so supplemental o2 is a must. and no, it wont hurt the fish if, like me and bettaguy said, you raise the temp over a period of days, slowly, and monitor the fish reaction. with ich or fungal infections you may lose a fish or 2, keep that in mind. hopefully you catch it in time and can stop it and don't lose the fish. their breathing may be slightly labored due to ich having a tendency to attach to gills sometimes, but you should see this pass within 3 days. one of the other benefits of raising the temp is that it speeds the life cycle of ich up. where as it may normally stay on a fish for 2 weeks at lower temps, it will fall off in 3 days and fall to the substrate. at that time it reproduces or (splits) into thousands of new organisms then becomes a free swimming parasite. when it is a free swimming parasite is when the medication actually kills it because this is the only phase it is in contact with the water... ( all other phases it is covered in a cyst formed on the fish and a case in the substrate.) leave the temps up for 2 weeks and medicate for 10 days after you last see the white spots and you should kill it.


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

I was posting while you were lol. you have to continue treatment for 2 weeks no matter what. I would not advise you to use salt and medication. its one or the other. the combination can have adverse affects.


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## marcshrimp (Jun 16, 2013)

if you chose to use both because someone says its ok... I would lessen the amount of salt and do a water change. make sure you are thoroughly vacuuming the substrate everyday. if the white spots are disappearing, that is where the parasite is


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## SilverSpring (Jan 23, 2014)

His spots are all gone, and I think I've managed the nitrites. Ammonia is fine. But he still seems a little unhappy. I did about a 50% water change over 2 days to take care of nitrites, and now I have slightly cloudy water. I don't know what's going on there. The filter is new, I've conditioned the water like always.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

That's why the water is cloudy. When a tank gets ammonia buildup, the bacteria grow like crazy to the point we can see them. They disappear in a few days once they've digested the ammonia.


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