My sailfin has ich, right?

[fixingstill]

It has been in my 30G QT running with full dose cuperamine since day 1. It has been eating swimming actively and it is gaining weight. Beginning week 4, these white spots showed up and came and went every other days or so for 2 weeks. No other fish has ich and if it was ich, cuperamine in the tank should have controlled it, right? Why does it come and go and it doesn't seem to affect the fish? Velvet? Some bacterial infection? I just started dosing kanaplex... Or viral infection that nothing I can do about it?

 

[lagatbezan]

Hard to tell from the picture. do they look like round salt grains on the fish? if not maybe flukes. infection doesnt usually come and go so my guess is that you are dealing with something parasitic. a fresh water dip will confirm if you are dealing with flukes.
have you tested the copper levels to make sure its at a therapeutic level constantly?

 

[Jdub968]

pics should be taken Under white lights it helps us see better. It sure looks like ich, let's get some more info. All other fish in qt show no signs? Is the fish scratching flashing or breathing heavy ? Also what dose of cupramine are you running, ppm?

 

[fixingstill]

Flash light did the trick I hope. It does look like salt grains.
No other fish has such symptom. Cupramine is at full dose (20 drops per 5 gallon) so it is 0.50 ppm (and he has been in there for weeks). He is not scratching or swimming towards the powerhead. No heavy breathing. He eats and swims happily it seems.
I dosed kanaplex yesterday. He seems to have even more dots today.

I will do a fresh water dip tonight and will take more close up pics.

 

[Jdub968]

This looks like velvet, I would continue with the cu @ .5ppm now that you have started Kanaplex you can continue dosing it to prevent secondary infection, make sure an air stone is running in the tank. However we need to address the cu. are you testing the cu levels with a test seachem or salifert test kit? Also if you want give me your water volume in the qt " exact water volume" and I'll calculate you cu dosage in mls and you can dose with a syringe which is much more accurate than drops

 

[fixingstill]

The QT is 30G. Sump is 10G with a protein skimmer running. QT is cured and seneye is watching the ammonia level (currently NH3 is 0.01 ppm). Two fish inside - Sailfin and juvenile emperor.
I just changed 20G of water and redosed 6ml of cupramine and full dose of kanaplex (8 measures of the tiny spoon that came with it). In the meantime, I also did a 5 minute RO dip for sailfin. It is scared a bit and when I put in some brime shrimp, it did not eat.

Cupramine should be in full dose now. Hope it will better tonight.

Oh, I am testing cupramine with the seachem copper test comparing to the reference test.

 

[Jdub968]

For 20 gallons of water the dose of cupramine would be 3.81 mls not 6 mls. I've never treated with cu and a Protien skimmer but that's probably your problem with curing the ick but it's also probably the reason your dose of cu hasn't killed your fish here's the math
(.381)x(.5)x(20)=your dose which is 3.81 mls. Also it's very important that your dosing the water volume not the tank size a 10 gallon tank don't hold 10 gallons of water unless it's filled to the very top. It's equally important that you are using a seachem or salifert test kit to measure cu levels because the fluctuations. You will not be successful in treating with copper if you don't test daily

 

[fixingstill]

Thank you, Jdub968. I am working on it.

 

[Dmorty217]

I believe you have ich from the picture and the spots leaving and returning for 2 weeks time. Velvet would have killed the fish by now even in copper. Formalin baths to sterile tanks or Chloroquine phosphate is much more effective treatment for velvet than copper FWIW. If sticking with copper follow Jdub advise

 

[fixingstill]

I can say the fish is alive and healthy as it has been for weeks. The dots came and gone and currently are still there. I don't see any of the tail or fins thou. I am starting to think these dots are natural for sailfin? If/when I get a chance, I will take it out of water and take some close up pics. For now, cupramine continues.

 

[brianbrainstein]

My sailfin occasionally colors up really strange. He gets very dark and his little white spots are accentuated much more in this coloration. I've had him for over a year and he is fine.

I'm not saying your fish is not sick, but there is a chance it is normal. It's hard to tell from the picture.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fixingstill]

Days gone by and the sailfin is still active and healthy yet the dots are still there. Cupramine is in full dose. I will continue to leave him there but I doubt if he is sick. I will eventually move him to the DT even if the dots are still there. If plan or situation changes, I will update.

 

[OhsCC]

Good luck. That looks like classic ick to me.

 

[Jdub968]

5-7 days is the time frame the ick will fall off the fish. Keep in mind the cu will not kill the ick on the fish it has to fall off encyst and hatch 5-72 days later when hit hatches is when the cu will kill it. This is why it's important to treat the full 30 days then transfer the fish to a sterile tank