Proper diagnosis of Ich

aflipfly · Nov 18, 2013

I have had a Royal Gramma for almost two weeks. I believe that it has ich. I have READ, and read, and READ about ich and how important it is to properly diagnose the problem before treating. So I'd like someone with a little more experience to "hear me out" and give me some advice. "She" is the only fish in a 30 gallon tank. Just a few days after purchase she starting diving into the sand with her right side. From what I've read this is called flashing and it is her attempt to rid herself of the parasite. This has gone on for over a week and 4 days ago I noticed a small white spot near the gill area on her right side. It is about the size of a small English pea and doesn't seem to be spreading. I have also noticed that part of her tail fin is missing. It doesn't look nasty, just missing. I have noticed what looks like a few grains of salt or sand on her fins. I initially thought this might be sand due to her diving into it so often. She is still eating and swimming, however she is now swimming much higher in the tank than before, in the highest current area. I was told that she probably didn't have ich and the white spot was probably from her diving into the sand. I have watched and waited another day and at this point am ready to put her in the Qtank and treat her with a copper based medication and leave her there for 2 months while the parasites die off in the main tank. Any advise or confirmation of my rookie diagnosis is appreciated. Thanks

Reefing Madness · Nov 19, 2013

Doesn't sound like ICH to me. The salt on her fins may be the fisrt signs of malnutrition from the LFS, and if you continue to feed properly this will go away. The ICH parasite will not be subtle, the fish once it gets it, will break out in white or black salt bits all over her body, even a small case will have more than one spot. What you may have witnessed on the fish by the gill may be a spot she dinged whilst sand diving.
Sounds like new fish in a new tank. Sounds like she'll be ok from your descritpion.
Do you have a water parameter reading?

rworegon · Nov 19, 2013

Could be ich, but maybe not. Flashing is a symptom, as is swimming in high flow areas. Your fish may have the parasite attached to its gills making it more difficult to braethe therefor swimming in high flow areas to push more water over its gills. Since this is you first and only fish in the tank I would wait and observe the fish very closely for a few days to a few weeks. If it is ich the life cycle will progress and before long you will probably see more cycts appear on more areas. Don't add any more fish to the tank until you have a clear diagnosis and please QT all fish for 4 to 6 weeks before adding to your display. This will do more for your enjoyment of the hobby long term than almost anything else.

Palting · Nov 19, 2013

Here's my perspective, but first a disclaimer. I had the unfortunate experience of ich developing in a mature tank with 11 fish already in it. Took quite a bit of doing to rid the tank and fish of ich. Since then, I not only QT but prophylactically treat everything in QT: hyposalinity for fish, and a fallow period for rocks and coral. Over 3 years now and my tank remains Ich free.

With that as a disclaimer, my recommendation is to treat the fish. Whether it is Ich or not is beside the point. We as hobbyists are not expert enough to say with absolute certainty that this is NOT Ich, and Ich can reside in fish sight unseen (as they did in my tank for several months). I would treat even healthy fish in QT, so there is no doubt I would treat your fish, a fish that may have Ich.

TJ's Reef · Nov 19, 2013

+1 on advice from Palting ^above^ a bit of a PITA but you will not regret it down the road.

Cheers, Todd

aflipfly · Nov 19, 2013

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I REALLY appreciate it. I realize now that I should not have placed her directly into the display tank. My thinking at the time was that there was no other fish for her to pass anything on to. I hadn't considered how the parasites life cycle works, etc. Live and learn the hard way! I have everything prepared and ready for treatment if she begins to look worse. I am just home from work and fed her and she ate like a champ and is swimming in all areas of the tank. I had no idea that the little grains on her fins could be from malnutrition. Perhaps I have not been feeding her enough. I had a trace of ammonia shortly after introducing her and I thought it was due to overfeeding. Someone asked about parameters: Salinity 1.025, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, and pH is either 8.2 or 8.4. I have trouble reading that test but I think it is closer to 8.4. Also, @Palting, would you mind giving me a little more detail about your QT protocol? Thanks again.