Marbled Ancistrus has Ich

[blondeyny]

I am pretty sure it's Ich since I can't think of what else it could be. However, the spots are not as white as I know Ich to be. I've had the bn only a couple weeks. The first 2 pics are when I got the bn...


Then 2 pics now...



Hopefully you can see the spots I am talking about. It's been a couple days like that. I've turned up the temp to 86 and been dosing Ich Attack. I used it on my other bn and it worked well. However there are a lot of spots and it's making me nervous. Should I keep on with the Ich Attack or is something else recommended? I have done salt treatments before, but thought bn's were sensitive to salt.

[andywoolloo]

I have used Kordons rid ich + in a tank with a BN before and no ill effects.

I cannot really see the spots tho that you mean .

I'm sure someone will come on soon and clarify for you.

hi by the way !

[Barbie]

I'd say that looks more like oodinium than ich. That fish is in rough shape. If you don't get him help very soon it will be too late. 86 might be too high, depending on what you can keep your dissolved oxygen levels at. I would use quick cure or a formalin/malachite green based treatment for an infestation that looks this bad. I also always use daily 50% water changes when I am treating sick fish.

Answering the questions in the sticky at the top of the forum might also help us help you with a better course of action ;).

Barbie

[apistomaster]

Bushy Nose have no problem being kept in treatment with 1 tbs of salt/gal for as long as it takes. Less salt will not be of much help.
Oodinuim is easier to cure when you use the recommended medication with salt.

[blondeyny]

1. Water parameters
a) Temerature range. currently 86
b) pH. 7.6
c) GH.
d) KH
e)Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, levels. A-0, NA-5ish,NI-0
f) Water change frequency 50% approx every other day now with illness
(Most LFS's will check your water and give a list of readings).

2. Tank set up
a) Size. 5g
b) Substrate. none
c) Filtration. Aqueon QuietFlow 10 and a bubble bar
d) Furnishings. one plastic barrel cave- did have piece of driftwood but took it out to use Rid Ich+
e) Other tank mates. none
f) How long has it been set-up? a little over a week, just set up for QT
g) When was the last new fish added? this is the only fish added
h) Foods used and frequency? piece of wafer opposite nights of a piece of zucchini

3. Symptoms / Problem description white/goldish spots as in pics above

4. Action taken (if any) have raised temp and used Ich Attack for 3 days with no visible sign of improvement. Just did another 50% wc and added Rid Ich+

5. Medications used (if any) Ich Attack and now Rid Ich+

Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I should have realized I really hope it's not Oodinium. I haven't seen any "gold dust" on him. Will it show up as specs like Ich as well? I have only read info saying it usually looks like gold dust or velvety. I didn't want to take any chances so switched to the Rid Ich+ and added salt. I am so scared I'm going to lose this lil one.

[blondeyny]

So far so good. Checked on it this morning and seems ok. It's hanging out in the little cave thing. I was worried the combo of the Rid Ich+ and the 1tbsp salt in the water would stress it. Temp is still at 86.

RidIch+ says to do a 25% wc before dosing. Do I really need to, or as other instructions I've found dosing it with salt, says you don't have to. I just don't want to screw up the temp and salt in the water going back into the tank.

[MatsP]

It is nearly always a good idea to do a fairly large water-change before medicating, particularly since illness in a tank is most often caused by some sort of water quality issue.

--
Mats

[blondeyny]

As far as I know I don't have a water quality issue. My water tests all come back fine. As I mentioned I have been doing 50% changes almost every other day, but that was before I started the RidIch+/salt treatment. Just nervous I am going to screw up the salt amounts and kill the lil fella. Not to mention getting the right temp since the temp is elevated. If I don't have to do a wc every day, I want to keep the chance of stress down for the bn.

[blondeyny]

It's still alive so that's a good sign!!

[Barbie]

Are the spots or symptoms any better? Is it eating? It's definitely a good sign that he's still hanging in there ;).

Barbie

[blondeyny]

This is a pic of him today. I used flash for this one so you can really see the spots more now. They seem to have gotten more but smaller. At least to me.

I did a 25% wc today and added salt back in for what I took out. Still doing the Rid Ich+ with temp at 86. I can't say that I've seen him eat. I put a bit of wafer in or zucchini and it's never gone the next morning. However there is poo in the tank so he's eating something.

This is the treatment regimen I'm using...
http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=648
I'm on day 5 of treatment and would have thought I'd see some improvement by now, but I can't say that I do. Hopefully I will see improvement soon. When should I decide to try something different?

I also have Paraguard by Seachem. Should I switch to that? http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... Guard.html
If so, I know I have to do a 50% wc, but how long should I run a carbon filter before adding the Paraguard? Will the salt in the water be an issue?

[blondeyny]

Day 6 of treatment...
this morning no real improvement except for the redness in his fins going away. Spots are still there with no visible decrease in amount. The spots don't seem to be going away like I thought they would have by now.
This morning when I checked on him, there seems to be a slight tinge of yellow on his belly.
Also hasn't moved from it's spot next to the thermometer on the front wall of the tank in a lil over a day. Except to poke it's head out of the water occasionally.There is rapid breathing, but not like when it was darting all over the tank in the beginning.
I've kept the tank lights off thinking maybe that would help it's stress level. Also, didn't seem to touch the small piece of veg I put in the tank either.

If it is velvet (never had a fish with velvet before) will the treatment regimen I am doing also kill that? That's part of the reason I am wondering if I should be changing the meds.

[blondeyny]

He died today.

[MatsP]

Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for the fish to recover from these sort of illness.

--
Mats

[blondeyny]

Wish I even knew what was wrong with him. Maybe I could have saved him. I've never seen Ich look like that.

[andywoolloo]

I am sorry you lost him also.