First fish in aquarium have ich, help!

[cvpis4me]

I have a 10 gallon aquarium that I'm using as my quarantine tank for a bigger 65 gallon that I'm currently setting up. The QT has some live sand and rock though. Last week I purchase my first fish, a pair of ocellaris clowfish. They were doing great at first but I noticed one fish rubbing against the filter but didn't realize it was a behavior that indicated that something was wrong.

Two days ago he stopped eating and I suspected ich even though there were no signs of it. Yesterday I did a freshwater dip for them both, did a water change and got rid of some of the debris in the sand. This morning he still isn't eating but now I see the salt-like specks of ich on him. Should I do another freshwater dip? A different treatment? I would really hate to lose my very first fish!

 

[Blizzard 123]

First fish in aquarium have ich, help!

Sounds like ich, compare your fish to other pictures of fish with ich, based on your description sounds like ich to me. Pictures would help also.


Well you have a few options to treat ich if you are sure that's what you are dealing with. There is a whole thread on the announcements about ich which should give you an idea of how to cure it and confirm if you have ich.

Basically you have 4 options to treat ich and keep in mind sometimes the parasite will be resistant and still effect the fish after treatment.

Oh and fresh water dips do not cure fish, just will remove some of the external parasite not burrowed in deeply if any.

1. Copper

2.hypo salinity

3. Chlorine phosphate

4. Tank transfer method

Read up on all of these and decide which is best for your situation each has its ups and downs.


You should probably act quickly not eating is not a good sighn, should start feeding them garlic on the food to entice them to eat and feed plenty and healthy food like mysis shrimp and other frozen foods, so they make it through treatment and build a residence to the parasite.

Good luck,


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[SAT]

You should do some reading on Ich... check out the sticky posts here and in the New to the Hobby forums. Blizzard listed the treatments that are likely to work (but it's Chloroquine, not Chlorine). A freshwater dip will knock off some of the parasites but isn't a cure.

Note that copper treatment is hard to manage if you have sand or rock in your tank. It's better for a treatment tank to be bare bottom, using PVC pipes or flower pots for shelter. That way the carbonate sand/rock won't affect medications and you can sterilize the tank between uses.

 

[Blizzard 123]

You should do some reading on Ich... check out the sticky posts here and in the New to the Hobby forums. Blizzard listed the treatments that are likely to work (but it's Chloroquine, not Chlorine). A freshwater dip will knock off some of the parasites but isn't a cure.

Note that copper treatment is hard to manage if you have sand or rock in your tank. It's better for a treatment tank to be bare bottom, using PVC pipes or flower pots for shelter. That way the carbonate sand/rock won't affect medications and you can sterilize the tank between uses.

Oops sorry should have checked my spelling first, thanks


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[JustinM]

FW dips should not be done more than every other day. Copper is easy to maintain but as SAT has said, with sand and rock it will flucuate till it is absorbed.

If your fish is not eating, I would not dose copper yet unless you suspect Velvet or Brooklynella. Can you post a pic or video?

Ich and velvet look very similar in the beginning. Look for symptoms like heavy breathing, swimming into flow, hiding, and flashing(you already noted).