New with Ick?

[Buckaroo]

Hello all,

I am new to this hobby and am wondering if my fantail goldfish has ick...

Background info:

I have a new 44 Gallon tank
AquaClear 200 filter
I have real plants in the tank and doing well.
No Heater

Cycle might not be completed.  The tank was started about 6 weeks ago and we were advised to use goldfish to help with the cycle process.  We are adding Cycle weekly to help with this.  We have 11 (had 12, lost 1) small goldfish babies,  3 fantail Goldfish and 1 Beta.  The temparature of the tank is 22C (71F).  Did a water change (Cleaning the tank) a week ago and added the Beta.  The next day I noticed some small white dots on the tails of the 3 fantails.  All the other fish do not show any sign of Ick.  I have been adding QuickCure to the tank for the last 7 days and did not notice any change.  Attached is a picture of the worst one.

Hope someone can guide a newbie.

PS:  Could not highlight the white dot...Sorry, did not have the correct software.

[BigDaddy]

First off, stop adding Cycle to the tank.  It's a waste of money.  Your goldfish will produce more than enought ammonia to cycle the tank.

Second, give up on the Quick Cure.  Ick can be treated cheaply and easily by using salts in the tank.  As well, increase tank temperatures affects the parasites life cycle, making it much quicker to kill off.

Remove carbon from your filter, add aquarium salt at recommended doses, and put a heater in there to speed up the process.

My black moor got ich once... with that treatment it was gone in a little under 2 weeks.

[postman]

I'm curious, what's the recommended dose of salt needed let's say, per 10 gallons? and I assume that aquarium salt can be found in the LFS ...

[Aiglos]

I killed my first case of ick on a sword tail and 2 ottos by isolating them in a 2 gallon tank, increasing airation raising temperature to 84 degrees (high as i could raise it with my heat) and by reducing feeding drastically.

Ick was gone in 2 days.

[BigDaddy]

I'm curious, what's the recommended dose of salt needed let's say, per 10 gallons? and I assume that aquarium salt can be found in the LFS ...

Here's the directions from the producer of the salt I bought:

Directions for Use:

Once added to the aquarium, salt does not evaporate and is not filtered out! After making the initial treatment with Aquarium Salt, add more salt only when making a water change. If, for example, you remove five gallons with a water change add only enough salt for five gallons.

Add one rounded tablespoonful for every 5 U.S. gallons (19 L) of aquarium water. To treat goldfish bowls add ½ teaspoonful for each U. S. gallon (3.78 L).

Aquarium Salt may be used as a short-term bath to treat external parasites (Tricodina, Ichthyobodo, or Epistylis). Dissolve 2 ½ cups (370 g) for every 10 U.S. gallons (40 L) of aquarium water. Carefully place the infested fish in the container for 5 to 10 minutes, and then put the treated fish back into the aquarium. The bath may be repeated in 24 hours if necessary.

[Julie]

You can also find Sea Salt at Bulk Food Stores.

[luvfishies]

1 TableSpoon per 5 gallons is recced IN TANK for up to 3 weeks, with elevated temperature. This wont hurt loaches, plecs, or other "sensitive" fish, and it WILL get rid of the ich.

[postman]

Great info. Thanks a lot guys

[BigDaddy]

Yeah, I don't understand the bath concept... as any free floating parasites that are still in the aquarium would be unaffected.

So you kill the parasites in the fish... put it back in the tank, and the it gets re-infected again... go figure.

[ambushman2j]

ick is in all water tho