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Ich or false alarm?

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FishHobby99

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It appeared as though one orange cichlid had a flattened white area on the head, above the mouth. First noticed last night. Then noticed white spots today on his fins. Hit the panic button & prepared a 10 G isolation tank. Impossible to catch. Considered removing all tank hiding places. Read more. Wondered if whole tank should be treated.

But! Beginning to conclude I’m seeing enhanced coloration due to the new Fluval Aquasky. These areas are flat, certainly not as described for ich. I have never seen ich, but understand it’s the most common aquarium disease. This cichlid clearly has spotted fins like Tom, my big catfish
E8F820C9-E1D4-405E-A5A9-35CC5D57A365.jpeg
Please take a look at my fish. Thank you.
0D1FD1B9-B0BA-4341-964B-1F7F4295793F.jpeg
 
It doesn't look like ich in the photos. Ich looks like soemone sprinkled salt over the fish.
 
Thanks so much for your reassuring Post! I am beginning to feel more relaxed.
Absolutely doesn’t look like salt or anything deposited on the fish.
All flat. The Fluval does affect colors. I may briefly remove it. I have a cheapie LED that came with the tank & another from Amazo.
 
Doesn’t look like ich to me either. Gorgeous fish!

This was ich on my electric blue acara. Most visible on his fins
CA19AC19-214D-4718-B480-D3BB93F941F3.jpeg
 
OliveFish05 said:
Doesn’t look like ich to me either. Gorgeous fish!

This was ich on my electric blue acara. Most visible on his finsView attachment 144703
Click to expand...
Thanks for the additional reassurance.
Did your fish get better? I’m reading they treat with salt, or salt and some other product. Don’t even keep salt in this house! Unhealthy. Enough in foods we consume.

I do have aquarium sea salt. Toyed with raising brine shrimp. But gave that project up for now. Would table salt & aquarium sea salt be equally effective if a fish had ich?
 
Flashing is usually the first sign that ich may be prsent, though flashing can be due to other issues involving water quality/parameters and other parasitic problems. But ich first attacks fish in the gills where we cannot see the spots, and they flash. I never even think of ich unless I see flashing that is more than once in an hour from just one fish, this can be almost anything even with cories for example a bit of food caught in the gills.

If I do treat for ich, the only treatment is increasing the water temperature to 86F/30C for two weeks. No salt, no "medication." The latter can often worsen the problem because these additives do negatively impact fish, adding more stress which is the last thing you want. Fish deaths attributed to ich are frequently actually due to the medications dumped into the tank, not ich itself.

Ich is believed by many to be present in tanks permanently. I subscribe to this view. There really is no other explanation for an outbreak of ich in a tank that has not had any new fish/plants/wood added for several years, but which goes through some stressful issue like the heater failing overnight.
 
JennySolano said:
Thanks for the additional reassurance.
Did your fish get better? I’m reading they treat with salt, or salt and some other product. Don’t even keep salt in this house! Unhealthy. Enough in foods we consume.

I do have aquarium sea salt. Toyed with raising brine shrimp. But gave that project up for now. Would table salt & aquarium sea salt be equally effective if a fish had ich?
Click to expand...
My boy got completely better! Following the directions Byron gave is the best way to do it!
 
Byron said:
Flashing is usually the first sign that ich may be prsent, though flashing can be due to other issues involving water quality/parameters and other parasitic problems. But ich first attacks fish in the gills where we cannot see the spots, and they flash. I never even think of ich unless I see flashing that is more than once in an hour from just one fish, this can be almost anything even with cories for example a bit of food caught in the gills.

If I do treat for ich, the only treatment is increasing the water temperature to 86F/30C for two weeks. No salt, no "medication." The latter can often worsen the problem because these additives do negatively impact fish, adding more stress which is the last thing you want. Fish deaths attributed to ich are frequently actually due to the medications dumped into the tank, not ich itself.

Ich is believed by many to be present in tanks permanently. I subscribe to this view. There really is no other explanation for an outbreak of ich in a tank that has not had any new fish/plants/wood added for several years, but which goes through some stressful issue like the heater failing overnight.
Click to expand...
I don’t even know what flashing means in this context. Off to GoogleLand. I did see something re elevating temp to promote growth of the parasite thus making it easier to whack with the additives.

This tank has not had any new fish for years. No plants. No wood.
 
JennySolano said:
I don’t even know what flashing means in this context. Off to GoogleLand. I did see something re elevating temp to promote growth of the parasite thus making it easier to whack with the additives.

This tank has not had any new fish for years. No plants. No wood.
Click to expand...
Ok, I know what flashing means now. No way for my fish! Shows no signs of distress whatsoever.
 
Essjay said:
A fish that just flashes once most likely just has an itch (with a t ;) ) and is scratching itself. Repeated flashing is a different matter.
Click to expand...
Yup...I caught one of my Cherry Barbs scratch itself against a piece of wood and spent a whole afternoon watching the little beggar...and he never did it again.
 
Essjay said:
A fish that just flashes once most likely just has an itch (with a t ;) ) and is scratching itself. Repeated flashing is a different matter.
Click to expand...
Don’t think I ever observed a single flash.
 
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