# Can fish get itchy skin?



## Warpedpink (May 24, 2014)

Today my fish started rubbing on the gravel & sand floor, rocks, plants, and other things. I got a few new fish yesterday and I don't know if they brought some kind of "itchy skin disease"

I have had 2 snails, 3 guppies, 4 neon tetras and 2 loaches in a 30 gallon tank. Last night I changed the water and added 3 ghost shrimp, 2 endlers and one guppy. Now 2-4 of them (a mixture of new and old) have "itchy" skin and rub on everything. What's up with that?! 

:fish-in-a-bag:


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

Probably the start of Ich.

have a blessed day


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## Buerkletucson (Apr 8, 2014)

Warpedpink said:


> Today my fish started rubbing on the gravel & sand floor, rocks, plants, and other things. I got a few new fish yesterday and I don't know if they brought some kind of "itchy skin disease"
> 
> I have had 2 snails, 3 guppies, 4 neon tetras and 2 loaches in a 30 gallon tank. Last night I changed the water and added 3 ghost shrimp, 2 endlers and one guppy. Now 2-4 of them (a mixture of new and old) have "itchy" skin and rub on everything. What's up with that?!
> 
> :fish-in-a-bag:


If they are "scratching themselves" against objects in the tank....I can almost gurantee you that you have ICH in your tank.
Look closely for small white specs......initial stages may not show much but within a day or two it will. 

That's the main reason you should always use an isolation tank for new arrivals before putting them in our main tank. 
Now you'll need to treat your whole tank.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Sounds like the beginning of ich!
Good luck EFFECTIVELY treating it with shrimp in your tank!
Ich | The Skeptical Aquarist
Read this link so you understand what you are up against and are not fooled into thinking it is gone while it is multiplying.You have to kill it or it will kill your fish.
I have very little faith in the heat and salt method.All for formulin and malachite green(which will probly kill your shrimp),or potassium pemaganante(not very common and tough to learn how to use).


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## Warpedpink (May 24, 2014)

Buerkletucson said:


> If they are "scratching themselves" against objects in the tank....I can almost gurantee you that you have ICH in your tank.
> Look closely for small white specs......initial stages may not show much but within a day or two it will.
> 
> That's the main reason you should always use an isolation tank for new arrivals before putting them in our main tank.
> Now you'll need to treat your whole tank.


Thank you. I now wish I had isolated them. Should I go ahead and buy ich/ick medicine or wait until I'm sure that they have it? I don't know if it's ok to add the medicine if they're perfectly healthy. And I'm wondering about my loaches and shrimp. One of the websites I read says "Caution: Some scaleless fish are sensitive to this medication"


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Start with 1/2 doses with loaches.Depending on what kind they may tolerate full doses.
The shrimp I don't think will fair well with meds.If you can seperate the shrimp to another tank for at least 2-4 weeks then they would be safe to re introduce.They can carry the ich but it will not live on the shrimp over time.Ich HAS to have a FISH host or it will die.


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## Buerkletucson (Apr 8, 2014)

Warpedpink said:


> Thank you. I now wish I had isolated them. Should I go ahead and buy ich/ick medicine or wait until I'm sure that they have it? I don't know if it's ok to add the medicine if they're perfectly healthy. And I'm wondering about my loaches and shrimp. One of the websites I read says "Caution: Some scaleless fish are sensitive to this medication"



Treat immediately...
The longer you wait the harder it is to irradiate. 

Your loaches and shrimp will definitely be at risk...
If you can I would try to get them out of your main tank so you can treat that at full strength. 
Ideally (3) separate tanks would be ideal in this situation...

Isolate shrimp in their own....no medication.
Isolate loaches and treat @ 1/4 to 1/2 dose.
Treat remaining fish and main tank at full strength.


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## alhays31808 (Aug 27, 2011)

I believe snails will eat the parasitic ich in one of its stages... I've been having issues with a Ramshorn snail infestation, accidentally got a fish with ich... In a week the ich was gone, so I only assume the snails ate the ich. I had ich medicine, too... but it had lumps in it and I was afraid to use it... Wish you luck on figuring out your issue.


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## alhays31808 (Aug 27, 2011)

Also... If the ich parasites cannot find a fish host within 48 hours or so, they will die. Hope this helps.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I would just mark the shrimp up as a loss and a learning point...they generally don't thrive in a tank with fish. Been there, done that, a few times - no more. Treat the whole tank with all the fish and you have less risk of one fish or the other still having it when you join them back up together.

If you get Quick Cure or Rid Ich +, which both have the same meds, you can easily half-dose and not risk loaches or any scaless fish for that matter. The Quick Cure label mentions half-dosing for more sensitive fish.


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## Warpedpink (May 24, 2014)

Update:

Hi everyone  I took my fish in to a marine store that specializes in fish (better than pets mart!) and the guy said my ph level was extremely and dangerously high. I have been treating it and it has steadily declined! Unfortunately, my snails and shrimp fell victim to either the medication or the high ph level  The loaches are fine and in a separate tank. The itching has stopped along with the ph decline. 

Just wanted to update yall and thank you for your advice.


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

I'm curious to know what your pH is and how your bringing it down.


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## MriGuy85 (Aug 29, 2013)

My reply was going to be possible ph, but ich is always a possibility and I didn't want to go against others' advice. I have a fish fish that are doing the same but it's not constant. My ph is at 8.2 (damn Arizona water) and will be trying to bring it down with distilled water during water changes. Let me know how your solution goes.

Thought you might like to know that you're jot the only one with diseaseless itching.


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## Buerkletucson (Apr 8, 2014)

Warpedpink said:


> Update:
> 
> Hi everyone  I took my fish in to a marine store that specializes in fish (better than pets mart!) and the guy said my ph level was extremely and dangerously high. I have been treating it and it has steadily declined! Unfortunately, my snails and shrimp fell victim to either the medication or the high ph level  The loaches are fine and in a separate tank. The itching has stopped along with the ph decline.
> 
> Just wanted to update yall and thank you for your advice.


What is considered "dangerously high" PH?
Changing PH can have worse effects than leaving it alone, due to quick changes and rapid rebound.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

MriGuy85 said:


> My reply was going to be possible ph, but ich is always a possibility and I didn't want to go against others' advice. I have a fish fish that are doing the same but it's not constant. My ph is at 8.2 (damn Arizona water) and will be trying to bring it down with distilled water during water changes. Let me know how your solution goes.
> 
> Thought you might like to know that you're jot the only one with diseaseless itching.


I had to research to believe(actually verify) that there is a disease related to pH in excess of either direction(high or low).
Although seemingly rare akalosis(high pH) and acidosis(low pH) can be a problem for some fish.The info in this link sounds a little"bleek" ,but some relavent info nonetheless.
Aquarium tropical fish disease diagnostics. Fish treatment. Sick fish, ill fish, cure fish.


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