Ich??!

laurendonatella · Mar 20, 2019

hi all! I’m a newbie to salt water although I’ve been involved with freshwater for a while. I’ve never actually had a fish that has Ich so hoping someone can give me input. Does this look like Ich? I’ve had this guy, along with two clown and an orchid dottyback in QT for 3 weeks. No spots on the other fish and I can’t tell if this spot near his yellow stripe is Ich or just an imperfection. He is feeding fine but does appear to be hiding out and more aggressive in the last two days. No other behavioral changes that I’ve noticed.

Thanks so much for the help!!

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 20, 2019

It’s hard to tell what it is. Is that the only spot on the fish? Can you get a closer shot?
Welcome to R2R!! Sorry your first post has to be in the disease forum but we’ll get this figured out and get you on the road to recovery.

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

I don’t see anything that looks like ich from the photo... though if it’s possible to get a bit clearer one that might help? (I know, easier said than done)

Ich (cryptocaryon irritans) in saltwater fish looks something like this:

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

And yes, welcome to R2R! I’m glad to see you are starting things right with a QT

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 20, 2019

Does it resemble this? Cottony or like cauliflower?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

laurendonatella · Mar 20, 2019

Oh you know it does kind of look like that!! Wow I’ve never heard of this! Sorry i can’t seem to get a clear photo of him- he keeps swimming too fast. Here are two more although not sure they are any clearer.

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 20, 2019

I can’t tell, but if it’s looks like a cotton ball or cauliflower and it’s larger than a grain of salt it is probably lympho. It will go away with high quality food and pristine water. It is contagious but very rarely lethal.
Are you treating these guys with copper or anything yet? Are they new fish waiting to go into the DT or did you QT them because of the spot?

laurendonatella · Mar 20, 2019

Thanks so much for the helpful response- They are new fish (had almost 1 month) so have not been in DT yet. Does kind of look like a cotton ball actually.

I was fearful it was Ich last night so gave the first dose of copper. They have also completed Prazipro which was completed about a week and a half ago. If it isn’t Ich, should I hold off on adding to the DT? Currently no fish in my DT (just getting started in saltwater so tank is totally new). I’m just finishing cycling it now.

Thanks again!

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

Personally, if it were me I’d wait a bit to make sure it’s not something else (like a bacterial infection) sounds like lympho is the most likely diagnosis, but doesn’t hurt to be safe.

Copper is an immunosuppressant, so it may actually get worse rather than better with copper treatment.

laurendonatella · Mar 20, 2019

Oh good to know- perhaps will filter out the copper just in case. If it is bacterial, like lympho, should I treat at all or just watch. The thread I saw looks like it says there really isn’t a treatment for it. Thanks again!

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 20, 2019

laurendonatella said:
Oh good to know- perhaps will filter out the copper just in case. If it is bacterial, like lympho, should I treat at all or just watch. The thread I saw looks like it says there really isn’t a treatment for it. Thanks again!

Yes I’d do a large WC and let the lympho heal (assuming that’s what it is) then start treating with copper etc unless something comes up and the fish need copper.

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

If it is bacterial, treatment would be an antiseptic bath followed by 10-14 days of a wide spectrum antibiotic. But, I don’t generally recommend treating with antibiotics prophylactically, I’d wait for new or worsening symptoms.

If you are interested, this is a solid approach to prophylactic treatments in QT. Not saying you have to do this, but since you are just starting out it might be something to research/consider. You’ve already completed the second portion for flukes, so you would just have 15 (or 30 if using one QT) days of copper/metro and deworming via food soaking. Would prophylactically cover ich, velvet, brook, uronema, flukes, and intestinal parasites.

My Current QT Process
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...ds/My-Current-QT-Process.483371/&share_type=t