Death Due To Ich

Re: ICK

Ich is a disease that is the equivalent of a skin infection, it can easily be fatal to a fish stressed by poor diet or habitat.

Symptoms:

* Small white spots resembling sand
* Fish scratch against rocks and gravel
* In advanced stages fish become lethargic
* Redness or bloody streaks in advanced stages

Infected fish are covered to various degrees with small white spots. Severe infestations are easy to spot, but small occurrences often go unnoticed.

The adult parasite burrows into the skin of its victim, feeding on blood and dead epithelial cells. The irritation caused by the burrowing parasite causes the skin of the fish to swell and produce white cysts seen as a small spots.

The fish feels as if it's been bitten by a mosquito. It's not unusual to see infected fish scratching against rocks and gravel in an effort to get relief.

After several days of feasting, the engorged parasite develops into a trophozoite, burrows out of the fish and sinks bottom of the tank. Secreting a soft jellylike substance, it forms a protective membrane inside of which it divides into hundreds of baby parasites, known as tomites. The hungry tomites soon leave their home in search of a fresh fish to dine upon.

It is during the free-swimming stage, which lasts a mere three days, that the parasite is vulnerable to medication. Once it has burrowed into a new host fish it is safely protected from chemicals in the water.
Treatment:

* Raise water temperature to about 86
* Medicate for 10-14 days (Ich meds or salt)
* Reduce medication when treating scaleless fish
* Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment
* Perform water changes between treatments

The entire cycle takes about two weeks from start to finish. Higher temps will shorten the cycle, while low temps lengthen it. Temps above 85 should actually kill the parasite, not just shorten the life cycle. Therefore, raising the water temp shortens the time it takes for the parasite to reach the stage in which it is susceptible to medication.Treatments must be given for a long enough period to assure that all parasites are gone. Watch carefully for other infections, as secondary infections often occur where the skin has been damaged by the parasite.

Although nothing kills the parasite once it has checked into it's fish "hotel", several chemicals kill ich once it has left the fish. Malachite green, methylene blue, quinine hydrochloride, and mepracrine hydrochloride are all effective, and are available under several brand names

Prevention:

* Quarantine new fish for two weeks
* Treat plants before adding to tank
* Maintain high water quality
* Provide fish with a nutritionally balanced diet

The best way to avoid ich is to quarantine all new fish in a separate tank for two weeks before moving them to the regular tank. When quarantine is not possible, a prophylactic treatment may be used. Either methylene blue or malachite green given when new fish are introduced and again four days later will help reduce incidence of infection. New plants should also be treated, as they can carry ich cysts.

Maintaining high water quality, avoiding temperature fluctuations,and providing a robust diet is the best preventative for ich and other diseases. This is key to keeping healthy fish.

 

Re: ICK

Its very common when you throw new fish in your tank.

 

Re: ICK

Yeah, I had it once when I put 3 new female peacocks in my tank that had the very early stages of it. I got rid of it in a few days though.

 

Re: ICK

Just put 1 drup of chloor in the water and they won't get it.
Not to much, because your fish will die then.

 

Re: ICK

If it was ich it wouldn't have cleared up on it's own. Eventually it would have killed all your fish. Crayfish are hard to keep with Cichlids. They will eat them the first chance they get.

 

Re: ICK

hmm
i saw somewhere a post over the tank syndrome , is that the same as ick or is that a huge differend ??

here is the post i founded over tank syndrome

Greets From The Crasher

 

Re: ICK

No that's not the same. "New Tank Syndrome" is generally ammonia, nitrite and nitrate spikes that newly setup aquariums have while the water is cycling and good bacteria is starting to grow.

 

Re: ICK

ICK is a sickness I believe, not sure tho.

Tank syndrome is this:


To less space for to many fish. They can only swim round and round again.
They are simply bored to dead.

 

fish moved on to bluer waters as a result of ich.
for those newbies here's a link on ich cure for fish