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Is there any immediate way to help fish that are totally infested with ICH???? I feel so bad and helpless for these poor guys.

I have 4 (had 5) pictus catfish, and a columbian shark who are suffering so bad and I want to give them some relief now as the super ich cure is not working that quickly. I've added salt and raised the temp a bit but it's been 4 days now and they show very limited progress. The other scaled fish in the tank don't seem to be botherd by it yet and I don't think the one pictus is going to live much longer.

I have always put in salt so I'm fairly surprised that they have it, and that bad too.
The only thing I can think happened is that I bought these shrimp pellets for my Banjo catfish to eat at night, these stupid things turn into mush within about 30 sec to 1 min. By the time I noticed that and tested the water the ammonia was horribly high. I did a massive water change, then a smaller change two days later, and then again today, the ammonia is now between .25 and .5, the nitrite is 0.

I would really appreciate any ideas that may help these poor guys right now. (I have already increased the amount of salt, and it may have helped a little I dont' really know).

Thanks in advance

what size tank are these fish in?

everytime i've gotten any kind of catfish, they've gotten ich... and ive heard scaleless fish are perticularly hard to treat.. i dont really have any advice, i've lost everyone i've ever bought... i guess im a bad fish-keeper.

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

If you're doing water changes while treating for ich you need to make sure that the ammout of water you add back has the ammout of meds that you took out. Not sure I'd treat pictus with salt, most bottom dwellers have issues with many meds and I'm not entirely sure (sorry) if that includes salt or not. I'd suggest getting rid ich plus as it was specially fomulated for the sensitive fish.

The problem with treating ich is that it needs to have the meds in the tank when the cysts drop off the fish. That's actually the only time that the parasite is susceptible to medications, the stage right before they reproduce. Since you mention it's so bad I wonder if you somehow missed a few stages . The times I've delt with ich it's always only been a few cysts that were visible. I mention missing it since it happened to me, almost didnt notice them on one of my goldfish .
Keep up with the medications, you should see the cysts fall off, then a few days more. If you do switch meds run carbon for a few hours and do a water change before switching to help eliminate cross medication issues.

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Hey there,
for scaleless fish and ICH there is one cure of choice
for me: Kent Marine RX-P.
Safe for all fish and works excellent.
I could not recommend more highly any ICH
medication.
I would give it a go.
Its 1 dose every 2nd day for 13 doses total.


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You can increase the temp gradually this speeds up the life cycle, turn off the light, and reduce the fedding.
I would also be very concerned on how it got into the tank as well. Remember prevention is better than the cure.



White-spot” Parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

This disease is easy to recognise, as the skin of the infected fish becomes covered with white spots, each the size of a pinhead. Each spot represents the site of one, or sometimes two, parasites. All parts of the body gills, may be attacked.

The causative agent is named Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. It is a spherical and large by protozoan standards, measuring up to 1mm in diameter. Short, hair-like processes known as cilia are spread densely over the surface. A horseshoe-shape nucleus is also present which is clearly visible under the microscope.

By the means of the cilia the parasite rotates vigorously and burrows into the surface layer (epidermis) of its host. It feeds on skin cells and surface debris. The burrowing action causes a local irritation and the epidermis grows across the parasite to enclose it, thus forming a “White Spot”

Reproduction occurs away from the host. After maturing in the skin, which takes a few days to three weeks, depending on the temperature, the parasite bores out, swims away and comes to rest on a submerged object such as a stone, or plant. Here it forms a jelly-like cyst within which a series of rapid cell divisions take place. In a few hours, several hundred daughter cells or swarmers, are produced, which break out of the cyst to find a new host. Alighting on the skin, they burrow in to recommence the life cycle. If they fail to find a host within three to four days, they perish.

Symptoms
If the protozoan is introduced into a tank containing healthy fish, little harm may occur, other than a fleeting infection with a few parasites. If however, the fishes are already weakened for some other reason, e.g. lack of oxygen, the parasite will quickly cover the whole body surface, causing irritation and opening up wounds for secondary infections. The host mobility may become affected. In sever cases, death may result.

Prevention
If white-spot appears in an otherwise healthy tank, the parasite “must” have been introduced either as an adult on a newly acquired fish, or as the cyst form on, for example new stones, a plant or even added water. The only certain method of prevention, is to quarantine all new stock, including stones, plants etc; preferably in water at a temperature of 77F. Allow one week’s quarantine.

Treatments
There are too many treatments today to recommend any specific one. Many can be bought easily at aquarium outlets.


Several very interesting points to think about.

Very easy to recognise.
Its reproduction cycle.
No host they will die.
If introduced into a healthy tank little harm may occur.
Pay attention to all tank details.
Weakened fish, and lack of oxygen can/may and will cause sever deaths. All this is usually caused by poor tank maintenance and/or incorrect and faulty equipment.
Prevention is the best cure
A Parasite “must” be introduced into the tank.

This information was collected from Fresh Water Tropical Fish


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Cool!!! :-)

That is great info guys, thanks very much. I guess my pictus catfish, and columbian shark were abit on the stressed side because no other fish in that tank have any spots at all, so far I have lost 2 pictus catfish, and I'm still not sure about one more, the other 2 and the shark are clearing up really good and obviously feeling alot better.

thanks again