# Ich?



## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

I have a sucker fish (pleco I think) in a ten gallon that I think might have Ich. I spotted it today and am not sure. Does this look like Ich?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Yep, that looks like Ich. Do you have an adjustable heater and what other fish are in the tank?


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Two platys and no the heater is not adjustable (sadly)

Btw, Thanks for responding.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Well, the easiest way to treat Ich is by raising the temperature to 86°+ in the entire tank. Ich will stop reproducing at this temperature thus ending their life cycle in about two weeks. You are going to need an adjustable heater to do this. 

I would also add aeration. The high temperatures will deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water and stress the fish. You should have some form of aeration with a pleco anyway, they seem to enjoy the water movement. You will need to change 50% of your water with a gravel vacuum every other day. When the tomites fall off the fish to find a new host, that's when they are vulnerable. You need to vacuum out as many as you can at this point. No salt with plecos, they do not tolerate it well.

There are reported to be rare, heat resistant strains of Ich going around. If this is the case you should treat the tank with something like API Super Ick cure, Jungle Ick Clear or Mardel Coppersafe. 

You are going to have to raise the temperature for the medication as well to speed up the life cycle, so I would get the adjustable heater and try that first.

I'm sorry to tell you that a ten gallon tank is too small for a common pleco. It's going to grow to over 2' long and produce a massive amount of waste. They also have a specialized diet and cannot survive on aquarium algae alone. They need driftwood and their diet should be supplemented with algae wafers & fresh veggies. Even the smaller types, zebra, rubberlips, bushsynoses, & clowns (my favorite) are not suitable for a 10 gallon tank.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Oh. The people at the pet store said that he would only grow four inches and would be okay in my 10 gallon. I never really believe them but it said that in a sign underneath the tank with plecos. I don't have a gravel vacuum or an adjustable heater, and I am 99% sure that my pet store doesn't carry either. I've been looking for an adjustable heater for a while now. Can I use the one I have and just watch the temperature? How hot is too hot? I do have an air stone. Would doing daily tank cleans or taking out the gravel all together until the Ich infestation is gone help? I don't have algae wafers, but I can do the fresh veggies; what type is best?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

I can't tell for sure exactly what kind pleco you have, it may be a rubberlip. Still, it will require at least a 30 gallon tank. If it's a common pleco, you are looking at over 100 gallon long term. I keep my clown in a 40 breeder and she's only 3". Plecos create a huge bio-load no matter the size.

You need a adjustable heater. It's important to keep the temperature between 86-88° for about two weeks. There is no real way to control a preset. If you can't get the heater you'll have to medicate. You still should try to get the temperature up to the low 80's to speed up the life cycle.

Try a turkey baster in place of a gravel vacuum.

The airstone you have will be fine.

Parboiled Zucchini is a good place to start. I also feed yams & cucumbers.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

I will try to get the Ich medicine; what type is best? 

How do I feed the pleco? Is it okay if the platys eat the vegetables too?


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## Kyle15 (Apr 22, 2015)

Try broiling water everyday day a 20% change and use boiling water. Or just add 10% boiling water morning and night


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Try to get Kordon's Rid Ich Plus or Mardel Coppersafe. If that's not available try API super Ick Cure, you can find that at Petsmart. Walmart should carry Jungle Ick Clear. Follow the dosing instructions on the package.

Plecos are nocturnal so it's best to feed them after the lights go out. Platys will eat veggies too, it's perfectly fine. Vegetation is part of their natural diet, especially algae. Place a slice of zucchini near their territory after lights out and remove it in the morning so it doesn't foul the tank. You can put the zucchini in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds to soften it up or boil it for about 2-3 minutes then run it under cold water. If it floats you can weigh it down with a small rock or use an algae clip near the bottom of the tank.

Can you take a picture of your pleco from the top so I can ID it?

Don't add boiling water.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Can I feed cucumber, and if so, do I boil/microwave it the same way?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Yep, you can prepare it the same way. 

Ich usually springs up when a fish is kept at lower than normal temperatures. What temperature are you keeping the tank? I really recommend buying a better heater. A 50 watt Theo Hydor really isn't going to cost that much more than the medication and will keep your fish healthier in the long run. It's up to you.

I'd also suggest adding a small piece of driftwood. Plecos have trouble digesting protein and need some wood in their diet for long term health.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

MikeG14 said:


> Yep, you can prepare it the same way.
> 
> Ich usually springs up when a fish is kept at lower than normal temperatures. What temperature are you keeping the tank? I really recommend buying a better heater. A 50 watt Theo Hydor really isn't going to cost that much more than the medication and will keep your fish healthier in the long run. It's up to you.
> 
> I'd also suggest adding a small piece of driftwood. Plecos have trouble digesting protein and need some wood in their diet for long term health.


Ok. The tank might be at a lower than normal temerature, as it is summer where I live and I had unplugged the heater to keep it from over-heating but it sometimes gets cooler at night; last night I plugged the heater in, and the tank is currently at 87*. 

Is drift wood sold at pet stores or do I need to go to a store specifically for fish? 

I think the Ich has gotten worse, as the pleco is now covered in little white spots, and the platys both have some on their fins...

Also, I believe that my pleco is a rubber lip... I'll try to get a picture from the top, but he spends a lot of time on the bottom of the filter so I might not be able to.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Here's a picture. I have more with a top view, but they're not the best... The white behind him is a logo on the heater.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Update: I closed the curtains and turned off the room and tank lights and left them for about 15 minutes. I just Put a slice of cucumber in the centre of the tank, so hopefully they enjoy it.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Yep, that's a rubberlip or bulldog pleco. They stay much smaller than a common pleco topping out at anywhere between 5-7". Petsmart does recommend putting them in a 10 gallon tank if I recall, and that's just incorrect. You might be able to get away with a 20-29 gallon tank but a 30 will see him through his 15 year lifespan.

If you can keep the tank at 87° with some aeration that would be awesome. 

It's best to try a local fish store for driftwood. Look for a small chunk of Malaysian driftwood. Petco carries Zoo Med Mopani which will also work, it's just harder. Be sure to soak it for a few days an boil it before putting it back in the tank. But it's not critical at the moment, let's cure the Ich first.

Yes, the Ich is going to get worse before it gets better and will spread to the other fish in the tank. That's why we need to treat the tank and not isolate the pleco.

Try to get some algae wafers if you can, I use Omega One & New Life Spectrum.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

I have Omega One _betta pellets_, but not algae wafers, so I suppose those won't work.

I'll do my best to keep it at 87*; is it okay if it goes up/down a server or two?
I feel kind of bad, not giving him the life he deserves. I suppose it's not the best thing to listen to pet stores about fish. They don't tend to be very educated. I really want to give him a good life, but the biggest tank I have is 10 gallons. 

When I get the drift wood, do I just put it in and leave it in?

I just checked my tank, and I don't think they've touched the cucumber yet


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Just do the best you can with what you have and make him well.

Keep the temperature as stable as possible.

Yes, you will leave the driftwood in as part of the decor. He will rasp on it with his mouth and the wood will provide a source of fiber in his diet. 

He might not realize the cucumber in food yet. He might not even like it. Zucchini is great, I've never met a pleco that didn't eat zucchini. His appetite may be off as well, he's not too comfortable at the moment with the Ich. 

A pleco will eat the pellets but for him to thrive he will need a diet primarily of veggies & algae.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Cucumber still hasn't been touched. Here's the Latest Picture:


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Any idea on when you will be able to get the medication?


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Actually, no, but I'd like to try ASAP, or at least in the next couple days... Why? Is it really bad?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

The sooner you can start treatment the better. Fish have died from Ich which shouldn't happen because it's one of the easier diseases to treat.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Okay. I will do my best to get the medicine as soon as I can. I hate to see fish die when I know I could have helped.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

Update: cucumber is _still_not touched. 

If I get medicine, do I still need to get the gravel vacuum and adjustable heater?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

A healthy pleco will generate a huge amount of waste and a gravel vacuum is necessary to help preserve water quality, especially in such a small tank.

An adjustable heater is helpful in controlling temperature and treating diseases.

If you had an adjustable heater and a gravel vacuum, we already be 2 days into treating your fish. So in my opinion they are essential.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

I think he's gotten worse. I am going to try to go out tonight to get the medicine. They still haven't touched the cucmber do I just took it out. Do I need to maybe cut of the skin on the outside next time?


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

He's not moving. I put a net in in front of him and he still didn't move.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

He looks very stressed and emaciated. You neep to start treatment ASAP.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

I have the medicine, but I guess I was too late, because the pleco passed away. SIP . I'll miss him, he was kinda cute. Anyway, I bought API Super Ick Cure and started the treatment after I got home, and the platys looked better only an hour or so after I put it in! They're find, which had been clamped for the last few days, aren't clamped anymore!


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Sorry you lost the pleco. I was really rooting for him. Be sure to follow the directions on the package. Just because you think you see the last Ich spot doesn't mean it's gone. It may take up to two weeks to fully eradicate it.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

K thanks. I'll keep you posted, also incase I need more help. How do I know when the Ich is really gone?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Time. If you go more than three weeks without seeing white spots or flashing I'd say you are in the clear.


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## bettagurl777 (Mar 19, 2015)

1. What's flashing...?
2. Do I continue to medicate during the three weeks?


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Think of flashing as itching. When a fish has parasites they become irritated and sometimes will quickly scrape up against objects like rocks, decorations & wood in the tank. It kind of makes a flash when they do it on account of the way the light hits their lighter colored belly, hence the name flashing. It's usually the first sign that there are parasites but not always. 

It could also occur due to stress. My Bolivian rams will rub their chins on the substrate when they feel their territory is threatened. My black phantom tetras do it against each other but it is a spawning ritual and or nipping.

No, follow the instructions on the box and do a complete round of medication.
You need to watch them carefully for about 3 weeks to make sure the Ich is completely gone. If it isn't, you are back to square one and will have to medicate again.


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