Extinction Event

[Wolfy]

Okay, thanks.

 

[WILDER]

What do you think Wolfy? Does it look like whitespot to you.

 

[Wolfy]

Looking at pictures, yeah, although clearly a very severe case. And extremely deadly. It's odd how fast the parrot when from looking fuzzy (that was just this morning) to looking like he does now, and how fast the tetras went from acting and looking normal to dead. At least now I can be reasonably confident that treating for whitespot is the best I can do. It may be too late for the parrot, but the angel and gouramis may still be savable.

 

[WILDER]

I've never seen anything like it before.
I think you are doing the right thing,

Good Luck.

 

[Wolfy]

I took the pic to my LFS, and asked to speak to their health expert (it's a big enough store that they have specialists), and he said it was the worst case of ick he's ever seen. He recommended malochite green - already the fish seem to be perking up a bit, even the parrot. I'm guessing that it's at least soothing their discomfit.

 

[WILDER]

Thank you for the update.

How do the fish look today?

 

[Wolfy]

Thanks for asking, Wilder.

Everybody is still alive. The angel and gouramis are acting like they feel well. The parrot is still acting sick and is still covered with ick, but he seems a little more lively today. Everybody ate breakfast, including the parrot - that's the first I've seen him eat in a few days. The corys still appear to be fine.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him. It could take two rounds of medication to clear the parrot fish. Never seen such a severe case of whitespot.

Thank you for the update.

 

[Wolfy]

It's hard to tell, but I think the parrot is starting to get better - he doesn't look as thoroughly infested with white spots as he did, and his forehead even has a few spots where they aren't visible at all. He's spent a little bit of time out and about today - mostly rubbing against things and flashing - but that's better than just hiding in his cave leaning up against the wall.

The Angel and the Gouramis are definitely feeling better.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds more promising.
Once whitespot attacks the gills fish rarely make it. So keep an eye on the parrot fish breathing.

Thank you for the update.

 

[Wolfy]

Everybody still fine this morning. The parrot is nearly ick-free in appearance. I'm going to do a water change later, and launch a 2nd round of treatment, but I think everybody still left is going to survive.

 

[WILDER]

That's great news.

Thank you for the update.

 

[snazy]

That's what we want to hear. Great news

 

[Wolfy]

Everybody is still doing well, and I've finished the double Ick treatments. I have noticed that the parrot fish - who was worst hit by the ick - has some black patches (not black dots), mostly on his forehead where the ick was thickest. I found one isolated forum elsewhere that suggest black patches after a bad case of ick aren't that unusual - it's a sign of healing, or perhaps salt burns. What say you folks? Healing, salt burns, or should I worry about some sort of followup parasite/bacteria diving in when the fish was badly stressed by the ick? He is acting normally - swimming around the tank, giving me the evil eye, eating, etc.

 

[WILDER]

Black patches can be ammonia burns that are healing, parasites, bacterial, injury.

Some information on black patches.

Black Patches

Symptoms:

Black patches, smudges, smears, spots or markings that suddenly appear and are not natural colorings.


Cause:

These markings are the result of skin cell damage. Black markings often appear in areas where the skin has been damaged by ammonia burns, bacterial infections, parasitic infestations, and injuries. These markings are often seen on fish just after a new tank has completed �cycling,� due to the high ammonia levels. These marks are also common in African Cichlids, especially around the mouth. These are scabs that have come from digging in the gravel or from fighting.


Treatment:

No treatment is necessary. Much like scabs, the blackened areas are a sign that the healing process has already begun. Keep water in top condition and the areas will gradually fade in less than a couple of weeks.


fish-disease.net