Maybe Ich? help!

[FlucKe3]

I'm worried i MIGHT have ich

I have a colombian tetra that may have appeared a faint white spot on the tail just 1 spot on the tail and no where else, NOT CERTAIN though, could have been there before as i purchased them quite recently too.


Just a few questions:

Does ich spread fast?
if so how fast?
Do you think i should proceed with the Ich killing process with salt/high temp.?
or shouldn't i need to worry? please give suggestions. as i'm in deep concern

Please reply quick as i do not want ich lurking in my tank

Thanks in advanced

Here's what it look's like

[louistheloach]

first, dont panic. ick is always there but only becomes apparent when the fish's immune system is too weak to handle it.

I am not an expert, but when my tank got ich, immediately it was more than just one white spot on the tail, it was over the whole body and it looks more like fine salt crystals.

There have been rare occasions that I have noticed what looked like a spot on one of my fish (hifin tetras) that later in the day or the next day it was gone....I can only attribute it to something in the water that he got on him and later fell off as there were no further signs of the spot.

IMO I would watch the fish for signs of stress, (not eating, abnormal behavior, clamping of fins etc). You really want to be sure it is something that needs to be treated, many things resolve themselves by maintaining appropriate water parameters.

hope this helps

louistheloach

[FlucKe3]

thanks alot that helped me calm down, i think i'm just over reacting.

all my fish seem normal and healthy just swimming about, no clammed fins, eating well etc.
yea it's only 1 white spot on tail, i can't see anything else so i think it's just me worrying too much

i'll give you an update if anything changes

water parameters are normal
pH 7.0
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate <5

thanks alot

other people give suggestions??

thanks in advanced

[FlucKe3]

thanks guys
since it's already been a day and nothing has changed with any of my fish i think ill take that ich isnt around in my tank. If there ISN'T ich in my tank and proceed with the salt/high temp ich treatment just because i don't want to risk it, will it harm my fish? i have 2 colombian tetra and 1 angelfish at the moment.

thanks for your help

[louistheloach]

tommygun,

I have had several reputable sources tell me that the ich parisite is always present (maybe not in large numbers, but present), but when the fish are healthy, they do not become hosts.

If this were not true then can you explain why my synodontis got ich. He has been the sole occupant of his tank for close to a year and did not develop ich until after I moved some plants around from one of my other tanks....and no, no one in my other tank had ich. There had been no new additions to any of the tanks for several months, no fish, no plants. This was the first, and so far the only occurence of it in any of the three tanks that I have had set up for over a year. He just got really stressed with the plants and the new layout of his tank.

curious,

louistheloach