Does this mandarin has ich?

[Liftoff]

Hi all,

I am new to the hobby and just wanted to post my build thread; however, a more urgent issue has arisen.

I bought mandarin fish, and one of them has a hint of white dots on it. From research here in the forum, it might be ich, but I am not sure.

Before taking any further steps, I want to be certain about the diagnosis. It might also be nothing(?).

Can you help me?

Kind regards,
Liftoff

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hard to tell

Hi all,

I am new to the hobby and just wanted to post my build thread; however, a more urgent issue has arisen.

I bought mandarin fish, and one of them has a hint of white dots on it. From research here in the forum, it might be ich, but I am not sure.

Before taking any further steps, I want to be certain about the diagnosis. It might also be nothing(?).

Can you help me?

Kind regards,
Liftoff

with a dark fish in dark lighting but they’re generally resistant
Assure it’s not sand and repost pics under bright white lighting

 

[Liftoff]

Here a few more

 

[Naekuh]

Im gonna say the bad news and say i think so... look at the base of the tail, unless its a lympocyte.
And the bottom picture next to the dorsel fins also do not look good.

 

[Liftoff]

One more pair of pictures

 

[Naekuh]

do you want me to say it or wait for @vetteguy53081

 

[vetteguy53081]

One more pair of pictures

They are mucus cones mixed in with ich
These guys don’t do well with coppersafe
Treatment with general cure or chloroquine phosphate

 

[MnFish1]

Agree - it looks like Ich. If I had a choice of copper or nothing I would use copper. However if you can get something else - all the better. IMHO - its rare for mandarins to get Ich - and - it may be that by the time that a Mandarin gets ich - its weakened - and it may not be the copper that is the 'killer'. This is just an opinion. If I had nothing else - I would treat it with copper safe (or a chelated copper). Additionally, your other fish should be treated as well - and the tank left fallow no matter which treatment you choose

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Looks like ich to me. What other fish are in with it? Watch for spots on them over the next few days.

 

[Liftoff]

Many thanks for the fast replies.

Alright, based on all replies, it does look like ich.

Besides having a few corals and invertebrates, I got a pair of mandarin (one visibly having ich) and two banggain cardinalfish.

I will now monitor the other fish, as suggested by Jay.

Can you guys help me with the next steps? From what I read here in the forum, I think I have two options now:

1. I could go fallow in the DT and quarantine all fish for several weeks. But then I wonder what are the chances that the ich in the display can die off in that time? (76 days)

2. Or can I find a way to live with ich? (Management) I am a beginner, but please keep being honest with feedback, I am confident that with your help, I can somehow manage this and find the best solution.

Best

Lifotff

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Many thanks for the fast replies.

Alright, based on all replies, it does look like ich.

Besides having a few corals and invertebrates, I got a pair of mandarin (one visibly having ich) and two banggain cardinalfish.

I will now monitor the other fish, as suggested by Jay.

Can you guys help me with the next steps? From what I read here in the forum, I think I have two options now:

1. I could go fallow in the DT and quarantine all fish for several weeks. But then I wonder what are the chances that the ich in the display can die off in that time? (76 days)

2. Or can I find a way to live with ich? (Management) I am a beginner, but please keep being honest with feedback, I am confident that with your help, I can somehow manage this and find the best solution.

Best

Lifotff

I missed that you had a second mandarin. It is pretty unusual to have two fish, of the same species in a tank and one have ich and the other not. I think observation is in order here, just to rule out mucus plugs. Take a picture of the mandarin with the spots and then use that as a "chart" and look at the fish each day. If the same spots are in the same locations for 2 or 3 days, it isn't ich.

Ich will die off in a tank with no fish in it, that takes 45 to 60 days. I prefer 60 days, just in case there are other diseases at work.

Ich management works in some cases, but the key is that you have to actively manage it. Too many people think "ich management" consists of crossing their fingers and hoping (grin). Here is my post on that:

"Ich Management"

Because this topic continues to come up, I wanted to create a sticky thread so that it is more easily referenced. Please understand that I am NOT presenting this as an optimum method for controlling marine ich, just putting it out there for people who want to try it. Also, do not pick and...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[Liftoff]

Thank you Jay, and thank you all so much for the help.
I will monitor the spots on the mandarin and observe the others as well.

Do I understand correctly:
1) Spots at the same location within 2-3 days: no ich.
2) Respectively, spots vanishing/moving: ich.

Best and many thanks
Liftoff

 

[MnFish1]

Thank you Jay, and thank you all so much for the help.
I will monitor the spots on the mandarin and observe the others as well.

Do I understand correctly:
1) Spots at the same location within 2-3 days: no ich.
2) Respectively, spots vanishing/moving: ich.

Best and many thanks
Liftoff

It is basically that the life cycle of Ich is parasites are on the fish they fall off and new ones jump on - so that the spots are constantly changing. If it is not ich, the spots stay where they are and slowly resolve over time. if it turns out to be ich - all the fish in your tank will need to be treated (in a hospital tank) - and as Jay said - the tank left fallow