# Ick/itch?



## Hierophant (Aug 24, 2013)

So,
I went on vacation for 2 weeks and left my aquarium in the hands of a friend of mine. I was informed that whilst being absent 2 of my fish had gotten white rashes on their sides,ones top fin sort of shredded and white dots on their heads.
Upon reading these symptoms ,I realized it could be itch/ick (not quite sure ,as people write differently). 
BUT, once I got home,the white rashes on the sides had completely disappeared and less white dots than on the picture he sent me.

The infected fish were 2 Hoplo catfish. 
In my planted tank (15 gallons) I have also 5 neons,it didn't spread to them...


MAIN QUESTION,could the itch be leaving my fish or dying ,or...?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Ich | The Skeptical Aquarist
Ich does fall off fish,but then multiplies by the thousands and re infects.Read link and keep close eye on fish.
If the fish have only been "clear" for a day or two I would medicate immediately as you can only kill ich when it is off fish.Once it gets back on the fish you will have to wait for it to fall off again before the meds will work.
Quick cure and kordon rid ich work great.Makes sure to vaccum the substrate thoroughly as that is where the ich lands when it falls off the fish.


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## Hierophant (Aug 24, 2013)

Ok,but does it actually sound like it could be ich? Because looking at some photos on the internet it looks like quite a few of them have little white dots on their head area...


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

If there are white spots that look like grains of salt on your fish then 95% certain it is ich!


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## Hierophant (Aug 24, 2013)

Is it possible to tell when they have fallen off? Because I have just separated the two to a different tank in hopes of it falling off and then me removing the catfish back to the big tank... Could this work?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

If they were in the main tank when they got infected the parasite would be in the tank. I would treat them in there.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

If you actually moved any of the fish to another tank,then I would treat BOTH tanks now.


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## starrysparkle (Aug 4, 2013)

if your fish are rubbing themselves all over rocks or gravel or whatever decorations you have with white spots on them then its probably ich which is a pain in butt to get rid off lots of water changes along with meds kordon rid ich plus worked really well for me ( read the instructions ),, but its pretty labor intensive also if you can turn your temp up in your tank which makes the ich go through their different phases faster so you can kill it with the meds .


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