Fast killing ich?

[NoLa24]

I have a 40 gallon planted aquarium with 1 angelfish and 9 rummy nose teras. About a week ago I added 3 banded loaches (I know, I should have quarantined them but didn't). It's been established for about a year.

Yesterday I did a routine 5 gallon water change (I change 5 gal every week, and 15 gal about once a month). All fish looked normal from just looking at them real quick while vacuuming.

Today, all of my tetras were covered in white spots and one was dead. I ran to the pet store and got some medicine for bacterial infections. By the time I got home, three more were dead. The angelfish doesn't have any spots but was hanging out at the surface. The loaches from what I could see (they hide well) don't have any spots either.

I tested the water for ammonia and it was zero. I removed 10 gallons of water and replaced with medicated water and turned the heater up. I've been at work since then and I'm scared of what I'll find when I return.

Does ich usually kill so fast? I've only dealt with it once, with a Betta years ago and he recovered quite easily despite being covered in it.

UPDATE: So when I got home the rest of the tetras were dead. This morning after I left an appt I went to a different pet store and got ich specific meds (the first didn't have any). The angelfish was side swimming so I moved him to a half gallon bowl with a 10 watt heater and a bubbler set on low, medicated with the new one. We will see what happens but I'm not hopeful he will pull through which is sad since I've had him since I started this tank and he had spectacular koi color markings

 

[GaryE]

Sometimes it's fast.

It isn't bacterial, but is a parasite. So antibacterial meds are no meds at all with this. I hope some fish get through. An aggressive Ich outbreak is discouraging, and it can take out a lot of fish.

 

[FranciscoB]

Another thing to keep in mind is that ich doesn't only attach to fins and bodies of fish. In fact, they have a preference for 'hidden' parts, such as gill arches and others. The implication is that by the time the first spots are seen on fins and such, they probably have been in other places for some time (hours or days). That may explain the angel with no spots but gasping for air at surface. In gills, they limit the affected fish ability to ventilate and hence, gas exchange. Also, with ich, if one has it, it is in the tank, which means all have it.

 

[NoLa24]

Another thing to keep in mind is that ich doesn't only attach to fins and bodies of fish. In fact, they have a preference for 'hidden' parts, such as gill arches and others. The implication is that by the time the first spots are seen on fins and such, they probably have been in other places for some time (hours or days). That may explain the angel with no spots but gasping for air at surface. In gills, they limit the affected fish ability to ventilate and hence, gas exchange. Also, with ich, if one has it, it is in the tank, which means all have it.

So then does that mean it could have come from the loaches, despite not having any visible spots?

 

[GaryE]

It travels into tanks, as a hitchhiker, so I would expect the loaches to be under attack. They are very hard to treat as scaleless fish.

 

[NoLa24]

I have a 40 gallon planted aquarium with 1 angelfish and 9 rummy nose teras. About a week ago I added 3 banded loaches (I know, I should have quarantined them but didn't). It's been established for about a year.

Yesterday I did a routine 5 gallon water change (I change 5 gal every week, and 15 gal about once a month). All fish looked normal from just looking at them real quick while vacuuming.

Today, all of my tetras were covered in white spots and one was dead. I ran to the pet store and got some medicine for bacterial infections. By the time I got home, three more were dead. The angelfish doesn't have any spots but was hanging out at the surface. The loaches from what I could see (they hide well) don't have any spots either.

I tested the water for ammonia and it was zero. I removed 10 gallons of water and replaced with medicated water and turned the heater up. I've been at work since then and I'm scared of what I'll find when I return.

Does ich usually kill so fast? I've only dealt with it once, with a Betta years ago and he recovered quite easily despite being covered in it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that ich doesn't only attach to fins and bodies of fish. In fact, they have a preference for 'hidden' parts, such as gill arches and others. The implication is that by the time the first spots are seen on fins and such, they probably have been in other places for some time (hours or days). That may explain the angel with no spots but gasping for air at surface. In gills, they limit the affected fish ability to ventilate and hence, gas exchange. Also, with ich, if one has it, it is in the tank, which means all have it.

Ok, I purchased some ich specific meds, but my question now is how likely can it cross to another tank? I have a 25 gallon yo yo loach tank, the only things that get used between both are the siphon and the bucket to refill water. Should I preemptively treat the yo yos too?

 

[Essjay]

Since the siphon goes in both tanks, then yes the ich could transfer between tanks.


Read the ich med instructions carefully as some need different dosage for scaleless fish. Most ich meds also kill shrimps and snails, so if you have any of those don't use it.

Ich can be treated by heat alone though there is a heat tolerant variety around. The tank temperature is raised to 30 deg C/86 deg F and left at that temp for 2 weeks. When water changes are done during this time, the new water should also be at the higher temperature. After the two weeks are up, if the spots have gone turn the heater back down and allow the water to cool slowly.

 

[MaloK]

I have a 40 gallon planted aquarium with 1 angelfish and 9 rummy nose teras. About a week ago I added 3 banded loaches (I know, I should have quarantined them but didn't). It's been established for about a year.

Yesterday I did a routine 5 gallon water change (I change 5 gal every week, and 15 gal about once a month). All fish looked normal from just looking at them real quick while vacuuming.

Today, all of my tetras were covered in white spots and one was dead. I ran to the pet store and got some medicine for bacterial infections. By the time I got home, three more were dead. The angelfish doesn't have any spots but was hanging out at the surface. The loaches from what I could see (they hide well) don't have any spots either.

I tested the water for ammonia and it was zero. I removed 10 gallons of water and replaced with medicated water and turned the heater up. I've been at work since then and I'm scared of what I'll find when I return.

Does ich usually kill so fast? I've only dealt with it once, with a Betta years ago and he recovered quite easily despite being covered in it.

UPDATE: So when I got home the rest of the tetras were dead. This morning after I left an appt I went to a different pet store and got ich specific meds (the first didn't have any). The angelfish was side swimming so I moved him to a half gallon bowl with a 10 watt heater and a bubbler set on low, medicated with the new one. We will see what happens but I'm not hopeful he will pull through which is sad since I've had him since I started this tank and he had spectacular koi color markings

OMG !!! I'm so sorry for what happened to you

I hate these Ichthyophthirius multifiliis from hell. I had to deal with them a couple times... Speed is really an issue in theses cases. After a couple years of fish keeping. I have all the time in my fishy Pharmacy.

Medication for:
Ectoparasite and fungal infection.
Bacterial for internal and external uses.
Fluke and lice eliminator.
Strong Ich medication
Mercurochrome

I also like you, found out that Bettas are really more resistant to Ich than many other fishes, probably because of their breathing capabilities... they can still breathe while their gills infection propagate.

I have found this little paper on "The white spot disease" a very interesting lecture.

University of Kentucky - srac_476_ich_white_spot_disease.pdf

After reading it I realized, the importance to have medication on hand all the time, With these kind of menace lurking around, waiting to hit your tank...

Medication like Kordon Rid-Ich plus, give you the option to give a small bath in high concentration to the fishes and also can treat the whole tank. I used that in a pond and it took 3 minutes and you could see the Ich falling off the fishes...