Is this ich?

[VerbT]

Fish noob here seeking Ich help urgently! Just saw it on 2 neons, I have started to increase the temperature just now - what about adding salt, and what's the best way to do this?!?!

Or shall I increase the temp and leave it at that?

tank info: 10-gallon/40l tank, 5 neons, and 1 guppy currently. TIA!!

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Just do a big (75-90%) water change and gravel clean the substrate. Then raise the water temperature to 30C (86F). The water change and gravel clean dilutes the number of parasites in the tank so fewer affect the fish.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Don't bother adding salt or anything else to treat the disease, just raise the temperature.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence when raising the temperature or using salt or medications, because they all reduce the oxygen level in the water.

 

[VerbT]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Just do a big (75-90%) water change and gravel clean the substrate. Then raise the water temperature to 30C (86F). The water change and gravel clean dilutes the number of parasites in the tank so fewer affect the fish.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Don't bother adding salt or anything else to treat the disease, just raise the temperature.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence when raising the temperature or using salt or medications, because they all reduce the oxygen level in the water.

Cheers! Thankful for somewhere to seek help & advice! OK - I need to wait for my water to get to room temp then I will do exactly that. I already put salt in the bucket ready to add but I'll leave it out. I put in an extra filter I had as well to hopefully help with the oxygen.
How long you think before I can expect to see a change? Some sites are saying around 8 days? Thank you!!!!!!

 

[Essjay]

The spots should drop off in a few days, but that's just the end of stage #1. Stage #2 is where the parasite sits inside its casing on the bottom of the tank and multiplies. Stage #3 is where the casing opens and hundreds of new parasites go swimming off to find a fish to infect. This last stage is when it can be killed so the temperature must remain at 30C/86F for two weeks, or a week after the last spot disappears, whichever is longer.

 

[Colin_T]

You can add some boiled water to a bucket of tap water if you need to warm it up. Just mix it well before adding to the tank.

 

[VerbT]

The spots should drop off in a few days, but that's just the end of stage #1. Stage #2 is where the parasite sits inside its casing on the bottom of the tank and multiplies. Stage #3 is where the casing opens and hundreds of new parasites go swimming off to find a fish to infect. This last stage is when it can be killed so the temperature must remain at 30C/86F for two weeks, or a week after the last spot disappears, whichever is longer.

Awh ok thank you!! So the temp should kill it when it gets released.

 

[VerbT]

You can add some boiled water to a bucket of tap water if you need to warm it up. Just mix it well before adding to the tank.

Awhh ok I didn't know you could do this. I have to leave it anyway for another few hours to let it stand right? I also don't have a bucket big enough to do that big of a water change I realised so I'll get another one today

 

[Colin_T]

If you are using tap water that has chlorine or chloramine in, you should fill a bucket with water and add a dechlorinating agent to neutralise the chlorine/ chloramine. This mixture should be vigorously aerated for at least 5 (preferably 30) minutes so the dechlorinator can come into contact with all the chlorine/ chloramine molecules in the water.

If you only have chlorine in the tap water and don't have a dechlorinator, then aerate the water for at least 24 hours before using it in the aquarium.

 

[VerbT]

Ohh right I didn't know that. I have been adding the dechlorinator to the water and then just leaving it in the bucket for around 1-3 days before adding to the tank. So essentially I don't need to wait 24hrs when I add the dechlorinator, just 5-30 mins.

 

[Colin_T]

You can wait 24 hours if you like but the dechlorinator works as soon as it comes into contact with the chlorine/ chloramine. Aerating the solution helps them come together quicker and increases the chance of all the chlorine/ chloramine being neutralised.

Aerating tap water or well water also helps get the dissolved gasses back to their normal level in the water. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas are normally in water at certain levels. When water is under pressure or sitting at the bottom of a well, the gasses can come out or end up in the wrong amounts and that can harm the fish.

 

[VerbT]

Ahhh ok! I will leave it just to be on the safe side in this case. Thank you!!!!!
And your certain 30C won't harm the fish... I know you've both said it, it just seems so warm!

 

[Colin_T]

unless they are in cold water (temperature below 20C), they will be fine as long as you keep the oxygen level up with aeration.

 

[VerbT]

Alright, thank you!! I'll let you know how I get on with it. Thank you so so much

 

[VerbT]

There has been a casualty one of the neons who had the white spots has sadly passed