Ich? Or just Albino Cory?

Sorry I’m back again. I haven’t had alibno fish, or Cory’s before.

So I noticed these on my corys. Just the albinos. The jullis and albinos actually mingle quite a lot in my tank, but I’m obviously worried it’s the dreaded ich even if the jullis don’t have it (yet?)

It is only on the very edges of their fins. I’m not sure if this is visible, but it’s on the end of each “spike” for lack of a better term. Where the fins would be a bit bumpy? That.

There has been no behavioral problems, and, if anything, everyone is finally at a normal behavior level after an ammonia spike due to a deceased mussel (resolved) and being introduced to the tank. The Cory’s are foraging happily, taking their breaks, and having the Cory cat zoomies to grab a gulp of air periodically. Their whiskers look fine.

Sorry if I’m over worried. I don’t want to lose them and I’m happy to get whatever I need for them if it is ich. Please let me know if you need more pics. They’re hard to catch a photo of due to the fact I am blind, but I’ll do my best.

Note- water is a bit grainy in the pics as I used them chomping on food as a chance to get photos

Here’s a julli

That looks like ich.

Solutions you stand by? My shop is closed today but I can get out there asap tomorrow morning, maybe about 11am EST which is about 15 hours from now.

Most people suggest a good clean of the tank (water change)

Turn the temp up in the tank for ich

powerdyne6 said:

Most people suggest a good clean of the tank (water change)

Turn the temp up in the tank for ich

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So no need for medicine? How much of the water should I change?

bivalvelover said:

So no need for medicine? How much of the water should I change?

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Ich is typically stress related.. it could of been brought in from recently purchased fish or something in your tank is possibly stressing them out. I am sure there are other reasons as well.

What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, etc…

I would suggest at least 50% and turn the temp up to about 86-90 for a couple weeks. The life of the bacteria is shortened with heat.

Cleaning tank, elevating temp are common and effective methods. Some people also recommend salt.
It is true that raising temperature speeds up the life cycle of ich. It is incorrect that it is a bacterial disease. Rather, the agent is a Ciliate (Eukaryota, that is with a nucleus and organelles).

powerdyne6 said:

Ich is typically stress related.. it could of been brought in from recently purchased fish or something in your tank is possibly stressing them out. I am sure there are other reasons as well.

What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, etc…

I would suggest at least 50% and turn the temp up to about 86-90 for a couple weeks. The life of the bacteria is shortened with heat.

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I knew stress can heighten it.
As I said we had an ammonia spike. It’s back under control now, nitrites & rates are at 0.

Okay I will! Thank you. Should I. Gradually turn the temp up? Like, mine is self regulating right now at 76. Should I simply turn it up to 86 ish and Let it go up or gradually do it- say 5° Every hours? So 80, then after another hour set it to 85?

FranciscoB said:

Cleaning tank, elevating temp are common and effective methods. Some people also recommend salt.
It is true that raising temperature speeds up the life cycle of ich. It is incorrect that it is a bacterial disease. Rather, the agent is a Ciliate (Eukaryota, that is with a nucleus and organelles).

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so what does this mean treatment wise? Are all those medicine solutions for it just kind of speaking out of their ass?

Sketchy advice here, I am very sorry to say.
Ich is an animal - a parasite. Cleaning the tank will do nothing. It likes a clean tank. It is certainly going to take advantage of a dirty tanks, but it comes in on new fish.. Which fish are new, the albinos?
A temperature elevated into the 30c/85f plus range will hasten its life cycle, and if it isn't a heat related form, will eventually kill it. Your Corys will be severely stressed at those temps, so it is a trade off.
Salt is a harsh chemical treatment for fish whose ancestors haven't encountered it in millions of years. Corys are in that group.
I have had fish fror 50+ years, and have seen Ich. From the photos, the albinos are seriously hit. The parasite has the upper hand. I use a malachite green treatment as quickly as I can. It's about as natural as salt (derived from a mineral), hard on fish but not as hard as salt of fatal parasites, and effective. I would not be surprised to see you lose fish though. With no treatment - the whole tank, whether it's heat, salt or a med. When ich gets a head start, it kills. Get it on the first spot, and it's easy to eliminate.

GaryE said:

Sketchy advice here, I am very sorry to say.
Ich is an animal - a parasite. Cleaning the tank will do nothing. It likes a clean tank. It is certainly going to take advantage of a dirty tanks, but it comes in on new fish.. Which fish are new, the albinos?
A temperature elevated into the 30c/85f plus range will hasten its life cycle, and if it isn't a heat related form, will eventually kill it. Your Corys will be severely stressed at those temps, so it is a trade off.
Salt is a harsh chemical treatment for fish whose ancestors haven't encountered it in millions of years. Corys are in that group.
I have had fish fror 50+ years, and have seen Ich. From the photos, the albinos are seriously hit. The parasite has the upper hand. I use a malachite green treatment as quickly as I can. It's about as natural as salt (derived from a mineral), hard on fish but not as hard as salt of fatal parasites, and effective. I would not be surprised to see you lose fish though. With no treatment - the whole tank, whether it's heat, salt or a med. When ich gets a head start, it kills. Get it on the first spot, and it's easy to eliminate.

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Thanks for your reply.

Will a higher temp than 74 but lower than 85 do anything ?

I can get malachite green. I know ich is a serious thing and if I was able to drive I would have gotten something for them the day I noticed it but I am unable to.

The only good news right now is that the fish are still behaving normally, and nobody else seems hit. I’ll do a water change today.

Thanks

Also, the entire population is new.

Corys can be hard to cure of Ich. There are reasonable people who fear the chemical meds, but they are needed. I wish it weren't so. There's an illogic in calling for salt and denouncing malachite green, as malachite is a mineral. A lot of things that can harm are, and an overdose of any med is dangerous. You have to follow the instructions exactly.

The heat approach only kicks in at 85. The parasite feeds on the fish inside the cyst (the white spot) and can't be killed when it's in the 'dome'. If you rush its cycle, it comes out weaker and can't always spread. I prefer using malachite green based meds because still less common heat resistant strains have evolved, and heat takes time. It kills the parasite, but it can get a few rounds of feeding in sometimes.

Good luck. You'll learn to handle ich easily, but that first attack when you bring home infected fish can be discouraging and difficult. Now, I see it, wallop it and don't worry.

Thank you all!

great update!
The fish are looking wonderful. I understand it may simply be due to the parasite falling off of them, but their personalities are really shining through. I’ve been using a malachite green medicine and upped the heat to 80-82. I know it’s not high enough but I’m trying to balance speeding the cycle and not overly stressing them. I do a 25% water change daily.

The jullis still have 0 sign of the parasite. I noticed two “grains” on one of the albinos, but the others are currently clear.vine of the albinos is looking much better than the other two, but I can’t tell if that’s due to the parasites strain or simply age differences, maybe even sexual dimorphism. By looking less healthy they are thinner and smaller than the other albino.

Behaviorally it has not been better watching them. They’re so eagerly foraging and nivbling at the plants, one of them even started exploring the mussels foot. It’s really awesome to see, but I am holding my breath on the smallest albino.

understand it’s life cycle, for how long should I be dosing them? I know that the parasite wi fall off the of the fish, and to not be too exited by the lack of it on them.