• Hello guest! Are you an Apistogramma enthusiast? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Apisto enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your fish and tanks and have a great time with other Apisto enthusiasts. Sign up today!

Have I infected my tank

ggabrielcc

New Member
Messages
11
Hi, I have a 20 gal with some tetras and a agassizii apisto, I added a female today and about 3 minutes after adding her j noticed some Ich/ white spots on her, I have caught her out and will treat but do you think I have infected my tank?
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Treat both tanks. The net can scrape off parasites from the fish, releasing them in the water with the fish.

But first: 100% confirmed Ich?
 

ggabrielcc

New Member
Messages
11
Treat both tanks. The net can scrape off parasites from the fish, releasing them in the water with the fish.

But first: 100% confirmed Ich?
Not 100 % I just saw one or two white bumps on the mouth and fins and didn’t want to risk it
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Not 100 % I just saw one or two white bumps on the mouth and fins and didn’t want to risk it
Then keep observing.
Would increasing salinity help?
If you had Malawi cichlids, livebearers or other hardwater fish, maybe. Apistos and Tetras are softwater fish that do better in low conductivity. Salt raises conductivity, rendering their immunesystems even more impaired.

Do not preemptively treat a fish if there is no clear diagnosis. Make sure it's Ichthyophthirius. If it can't be confirmed, spare the fish any treatments. If it is confirmed treat both tanks. Simple as that.
 

anewbie

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,366
Heat can be used to kill ick but make sure they have ick before you try to treat. There are some similar diseases and sometime it isn't a disease. ick is not something that requires immediate treatment and it is better to be sure before trying to treat.
 

ggabrielcc

New Member
Messages
11
Then keep observing.

If you had Malawi cichlids, livebearers or other hardwater fish, maybe. Apistos and Tetras are softwater fish that do better in low conductivity. Salt raises conductivity, rendering their immunesystems even more impaired.

Do not preemptively treat a fish if there is no clear diagnosis. Make sure it's Ichthyophthirius. If it can't be confirmed, spare the fish any treatments. If it is confirmed treat both tanks. Simple as that.
Alright I’ll keep an eye out and if I notice any sings of it in the 20gal I’ll treat but for now I’ll leave it thanks
 

ggabrielcc

New Member
Messages
11
Now looking at photos of white spot I’m not so sure, one had one quite large spot on its mouth and the other had one of two on their fins, they didn’t really resemble the small white spots common in white spot/ ich
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Now looking at photos of white spot I’m not so sure, one had one quite large spot on its mouth and the other had one of two on their fins, they didn’t really resemble the small white spots common in white spot/ ich
How about you post the pictures for a second opinion?
 

anewbie

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,366
Could be a touch of fungus if the fish scratched itself; if so this does not require treatment - as the wounds heal it will go away on its own.
 

ggabrielcc

New Member
Messages
11
Could be a touch of fungus if the fish scratched itself; if so this does not require treatment - as the wounds heal it will go away on its own.
Possibly but it was on both fish so I’m not sure, away for a week so will keep the fish in quarantine until then, may put one in a bag to try and photograph the spots
 

aarhud

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
343
Google Lymphocystis. Do the spots look anything like those small white pimples?
 

Thirdrock

New Member
Messages
6
Stress from transportation can bring on ich like symptoms alone. Isolate and monitor before treating. All tanks have ich in them it's just diff stresses that bring it out.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Google Lymphocystis. Do the spots look anything like those small white pimples?
Columnaris and Dermocystidium also have phases that people may mistake for Ich.
All tanks have ich in them it's just diff stresses that bring it out.
As it is possible to infect non-stressed fish by introducing infected fish or using contaminated equipment for maintenance, that old theory is kinda obsolete. If the parasite is present, it will infect fish, stressed or not. At best it takes a bit longer to get a better foothold on non-stressed fish.
 

Thirdrock

New Member
Messages
6
Columnaris and Dermocystidium also have phases that people may mistake for Ich.

As it is possible to infect non-stressed fish by introducing infected fish or using contaminated equipment for maintenance, that old theory is kinda obsolete. If the parasite is present, it will infect fish, stressed or not. At best it takes a bit longer to get a better foothold on non-stressed fish.
 

Thirdrock

New Member
Messages
6
I hear what you are saying but I've seen this "theory" go both ways many times. Ick is present in most tanks, it rides along with everything from new fish, plants substrate... you name it. Treating a tank will never get rid of it 100%. Maintaining a balanced tank and having less stresses affecting the fish keep their immune systems/slime coats up and ick held back. Isolating a fish in a quarantine tank helps reduce the amount of treatment needed when the ick is in full swing. But also, to treat a healthy tank because one fish has ick is a waste unless others show signs.
My opinion anyways and it's not always the most reliable, but I have been keeping fish for 20yrs if that counts.. lol
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
I hear what you are saying but I've seen this "theory" go both ways many times. Ick is present in most tanks, it rides along with everything from new fish, plants substrate... you name it. Treating a tank will never get rid of it 100%.
In the Nineties we bred Malawis and Tanganyikas as a family side-business. It was possible to eradicate it from a tank even back then. Our vet tested the quarantine regularly and confirmed environments free of ich and other parasites. When stressed fish tend to get bacterial infections a lot in my experience, columnaris and aeromonas being the most frequently found variants.

Maintaining a balanced tank and having less stresses affecting the fish keep their immune systems/slime coats up and ick held back. Isolating a fish in a quarantine tank helps reduce the amount of treatment needed when the ick is in full swing. But also, to treat a healthy tank because one fish has ick is a waste unless others show signs.
If you go by the assumption it's omnispresent anyways that makes sense. Going by my experience I cannot agree. :-/ Goes against all I know to be good practice dealing with any parasite.

but I have been keeping fish for 20yrs if that counts.. lol
Started 30 years ago, but had a hiatus inbetween, so evens out roughly the same. ;)
 

Thirdrock

New Member
Messages
6
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and sometimes I swear it's these differences of opinions that keep this world turning if not interesting. If there's a way to annihilate those buggers completely I sure haven't found it! I've treated, had it clear up for months and then had a sudden appearances of ick on other fish when a pair in the tank started breeding. . It just made sense to me when I've heard it said before that it's usually present. Good to know it can be killed outright. Salt/heat/ick treatment have always worked for me in the past in one form or all. What's your secret
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
17,915
Messages
116,201
Members
13,027
Latest member
tonc61

Latest profile posts

Josh wrote on anewbie's profile.
Testing
EDO
Longtime fish enthusiast for over 70years......keen on Apistos now. How do I post videos?
Looking for some help with fighting electric blue rams :(
Partial updated Peruvian list have more than this. Please PM FOR ANY QUESTIONS so hard to post with all the ads poping up every 2 seconds….
Top