Do I Keep Giving My Fish Ick?

[Anthony!]

As some of you may have noticed (Wilder, I still love you for all the help ) I had ick in my 90 gallon (360 liter). Well.... I just thought this through. Ick appeared about a day and a half after a water change (awfully large one, about 45%. This is the regular amount I do in the 90) Well, I have ick in my 10 gallon (40 liter) and in a betta tank..... The problem is, ALL OF THESE HAVE OCCURED AFTER WATER CHANGES. I try to get the water I add as close as possible to the tank's temp. It is usually about 80 degrees, (26 C) Which is within two degrees of all my tanks (except the bettas, their water is room temp, and so is the water that gets added) I rescently read that temperature shock can cause ick... is this why I keep getting it?

 

[newfishaddict]

As some of you may have noticed (Wilder, I still love you for all the help ) I had ick in my 90 gallon (360 liter). Well.... I just thought this through. Ick appeared about a day and a half after a water change (awfully large one, about 45%. This is the regular amount I do in the 90) Well, I have ick in my 10 gallon (40 liter) and in a betta tank..... The problem is, ALL OF THESE HAVE OCCURED AFTER WATER CHANGES. I try to get the water I add as close as possible to the tank's temp. It is usually about 80 degrees, (26 C) Which is within two degrees of all my tanks (except the bettas, their water is room temp, and so is the water that gets added) I rescently read that temperature shock can cause ick... is this why I keep getting it?

Some users will disagree with me but, I feel any change more that 25% will stress fish, and if you dont age your water it will even be worse. I feel I have evidence for this in that, if I do more than a 20% change with non-aged (airstone for 3 hrs is good) water my fry often show signs of stress and start dying. I have been successfully raising corries, tetras, and rainbow fish for the local fish stores here.

The fish take time to re-adjust their osmoregulation and this is why. Also if you do large water changes you need to make sure your dechlorinateor neutralizes ammonia (prime). I do weekly 15% changes and my plants and fish have had no problems but for this to work you need to ensure your plants are growing VERY fast or that you are under stocked. I get rid of ick by taking out 50% of the water, increasing temp slowly 1C a day for as long as it takes to get to 27.5, and I add back 15% daily and repeat.

I have learnt that some aquarists focus on methods for happy fish and some for happy plants; I have mixed the two…

also, do you clean your gravel or substrate? this is important for ick and I never clean more than 50% of my gravel at once to help preserve bacterial populations. also never change your filter the same time you change/clean your filter, wait 5 days....(five days is based on the doubling time the nitrogen reducing bacteria nitrosomonas and nitrobacter and their growth temperatures...this is extra info you dont need)..

good luck

 

[Little Sushi]

what does Ick look like?

 

[kimmers318]

what does Ick look like?

Grains of salt on your fish

 

[CFC]

Temperature is a factor in outbreaks of whitespot but a drop of a few degrees over a period of an hour or so shouldnt have any ill effects, cold usually only induces whitespot when the tank has been running cool for a few days, i.e when a heater has failed. I do 30% water changes with unheated tapwater straight from the faucet every week which drop the temperatures of my tanks from 75f to 71f and never experience any problems even with some of the more delicate fish i have.
What is more likely is that you have never completely got rid of the last outbreak of ICH and the small ammount of added stress from the water change brings about another outbreak, stress being the major factor of all aquarium diseases.
Follow all the steps in this guide http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=128879 to get rid of this current outbreak and your ICH problems should be over.

 

[Anthony!]

Alright, thanks alot. You're a big help