# Ugh... PLEASE Tell Me This Isn't Ich...



## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

It's been about a week or so since all signs of ich were eradicated from my tank. I've kept the temperature at a constant 86 degrees F to make sure it doesn't come back. After 10 days of this temperature and a week of being ich-free, my platy now has two small white spots on the left side of her caudal fin. 

The thing is, about a week ago the betta suddenly went berserk and chewed off almost all of her fin. I separated them immediately with a divider, and her tail has been healing ever since. The white spots are close to the spot where most of the healing is taking place, which is white and filmy anyway (but getting bigger by the day). 

Could they possibly be just some spots where her fin is healing? Or is the ich really back? How the h*** can the ich come back when the temperature is at 86?! It looks very distinctive, but maybe there's some sort of injury or healing process that I don't know about that looks just like ich. Please tell me that's the case... I don't know what I'll do if that nasty parasite comes back...


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## carpus (Oct 16, 2010)

I am not an Ich-xpert, but I have found, and read that it can be a pain to get rid of.
Even when you do everything right, you may find spots. 
To keep it at bay you can consider some combo of:
1. Vacuum the bottom gravel/whatever every day. Gets rid of part of the life cycle of ich.
2. Add some salt to the water. Fish dependent.
3. Keep the meds coming!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You need to post a pic if you can.


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## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> You need to post a pic if you can.


I've been trying to catch her on camera so I could see the spots better. She's been swimming almost nonstop, but I'll try to get her today.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

A week or so does not rid your tank of Ich. 6 weeks on does. After that you should be on the safe side, anytime before that and the cycle just keeps going.


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## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> A week or so does not rid your tank of Ich. 6 weeks on does. After that you should be on the safe side, anytime before that and the cycle just keeps going.


I'll keep that in mind. It's just frustrating, because I hadn't lowered the temperature. I thought that ich stopped reproducing at 86 degrees, so I've kept the tank at 86. It had disappeared for a while, and now this... Should I raise the temperature even more? I did have it at 89 for a few days to kill the ich, but the fish didn't like that very much. At this point, I might just give in and buy a chemical medicine... I REALLY wanted to avoid that (I'm a bit of an all-natural purist, so I avoid synthetic medications when I can).


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## sion342 (Jul 31, 2011)

Use Super Ick Cure is the fast thing I use to my corys


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## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

sion342 said:


> Use Super Ick Cure is the fast thing I use to my corys


lol Actually, that was the very product I had my eye on. It seemed a lot less dangerous than the others with formalin and formaldehyde in it. Do you use the liquid, or the powder?


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## sion342 (Jul 31, 2011)

I'm used the powder


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

MissPisces said:


> I'll keep that in mind. It's just frustrating, because I hadn't lowered the temperature. I thought that ich stopped reproducing at 86 degrees, so I've kept the tank at 86. It had disappeared for a while, and now this... Should I raise the temperature even more? I did have it at 89 for a few days to kill the ich, but the fish didn't like that very much. At this point, I might just give in and buy a chemical medicine... I REALLY wanted to avoid that (I'm a bit of an all-natural purist, so I avoid synthetic medications when I can).


You don't kill off anything, you just speed up the process and development of Ich. Ich Attack.


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## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> You don't kill off anything, you just speed up the process and development of Ich. Ich Attack.


Well, raising the temperature was what most people on here suggested. And it seemed to work for a week.... What's your suggestion?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

MissPisces said:


> Well, raising the temperature was what most people on here suggested. And it seemed to work for a week.... What's your suggestion?


It speeds up the process. Once it dies, the eggs still will hatch and try to find a host. When this process fails, then you have rid yourself of ICH. The object is to break the cycle.


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