Question on long lasting ICH

[procyg]

So i know i have already posted something similar in the General Discussion forum but i have a slightly different question.  I have just stopped ICH-X treatments after doing it straight for 2+ weeks.  I also have had the tank at 86 degrees for over a week during that same treatment time, yet i still show a white spots on some of the fish.  My cardinal tetras only have a few but my EBA has a decent amount still on their fins. Nothing looks new but also doesn't appear to be going away and i dont see any new infections in other fish. 

Is it common that the cysts remain on the fish even after the treatment has killed all the parasites?  Or does this indicate i still have an active infection?  I thought that once the temp was raised to 86 the parasite could not reproduce and 2 weeks of ich x should have killed all the theronts.  Everybody is eating and acting well so i am not sure what to do at this point.    

thx

 

PH 7.2 - 7.4

Nitrates 20-30 ppm

Ammonia 0

Nitrites 0

KH 0-10

GH 150-180

Edited September 13, 2022 by procyg
adding of parameters

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Do you have any photos?  Ich symptoms should start to go away in 5 days, and if they do not, you may be dealing with another illness that looks similar to ich (velvet, for example). Also ich can live in the tank as it goes through its life cycle and come back up out of the substrate to reinfect the fish, but if you've had the temp at 86 degrees for 2 weeks, that's an excellent prevention since ich is a cool water disease. 

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/how-to-treat-ich-on-freshwater-fish

What I did when I had ich was make a garlic infusion.  It involved taking a garlic clove and crushing or grinding it down til it was pulpy, then pouring hot dechlorinated water over it.  Once it cooled, I dumped just the juice into the tank. Warning - if you try it, it will make your tank stinky.

@Colu

[procyg]

On 9/13/2022 at 11:35 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Do you have any photos?  Ich symptoms should start to go away in 5 days, and if they do not, you may be dealing with another illness that looks similar to ich (velvet, for example). Also ich can live in the tank as it goes through its life cycle and come back up out of the substrate to reinfect the fish, but if you've had the temp at 86 degrees for 2 weeks, that's an excellent prevention since ich is a cool water disease. 

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/how-to-treat-ich-on-freshwater-fish

What I did when I had ich was make a garlic infusion.  It involved taking a garlic clove and crushing or grinding it down til it was pulpy, then pouring hot dechlorinated water over it.  Once it cooled, I dumped just the juice into the tank. Warning - if you try it, it will make your tank stinky.

@Colu

Here is an older photo (about 8 days ago) of the cardinals. I dont have a current one.  i will try and get one of the acara tonight since he is the only one that is still showing lots of cysts.  i will try the garlic infusion, i cant add more salt as my well water already has plenty of salt in it naturally.   

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

7:35 in this video

[Colu]

Epistylis is often confused with ich he's how you tell the two apart if it is Epistylis the best treatment is kanaplex in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days if it is ich your dealing with you want to keep treating for 3-5 days after you see the last spots

Edited September 13, 2022 by Colu

[procyg]

Just purchased focus and kanaplex from Amazon so that will be a few days.  I will start steeping the garlic tonight as well.  

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

That’s such a pretty fish. Maybe it is epistylis as Colu suggested because it seems their fins are the only affected parts?

[BAT]

What about stores ich? Is that a thing?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I think you are referring to stress ich. Yep, that’s a thing (see article link above and in it you will find another link to stress ich). Stress ich is not contagious and does not react to meds. To combat stress ich, it’s all about conditions: is the water quality good, do fish that need cover (plants/caves) have it, is lighting too bright, are species compatible, etc.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[BAT]

Yes! Damn autocorrect! LOL

[procyg]

Pretty sure it isn’t stress ich. About 13-14 of the inhabitants had it all in a few days and has cleared up from all but 5. Lost 2 cardinals but every one else is looking good now.  Just concerned that it will spike again if I drop temperature. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/13/2022 at 7:28 PM, procyg said:

Pretty sure it isn’t stress ich. About 13-14 of the inhabitants had it all in a few days and has cleared up from all but 5. Lost 2 cardinals but every one else is looking good now.  Just concerned that it will spike again if I drop temperature. 

I’d recommend keeping that temperature where it is until symptoms are gone, and try the recipe from Colu and see how things go.

[Colu]

You can use ick x with kanaplex as long as kanaplex is in food to cover all bases also the active ingredient in ick x Malachite green can cross the cell walls of gram negative bacteria killing them as epistylis feed's off gram negative bacteria on the skin of your fish and spreads more quickly at higher temperatures the combination of the two medication is very effective treatment for Epistylis

[procyg]

Thanks for all the advice.  Think i am finally on top of it.  Just finished dropping the temp back to normal operating and everyone is looking good.  I will have to keep an eye on everyone to make sure nothing comes back up.  

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/13/2022 at 8:43 PM, Colu said:

epistylis feed's off gram negative bacteria on the skin of your fish and spreads more quickly at higher temperatures

I just caught this.  Two illnesses that look similar. One dies at higher temperature. One spreads at higher temperature. (!!!!) 

[Colu]

On 9/20/2022 at 4:27 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I just caught this.  Two illnesses that look similar. One dies at higher temperature. One spreads at higher temperature. (!!!!) 

Ich doesn't die at higher temperatures it just speeds up the life cycle of the parasites they are often mistaken for each other

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/20/2022 at 1:19 PM, Colu said:

Ich doesn't die at higher temperatures it just speeds up the life cycle of the parasites they are often mistaken for each other

Do the theronts die at higher temp since they are outside of a host?

[Colu]

Once they leave the fish produces a large number of free swimming young with these must find a host with in 48hr  or they will die in the confines of your aquarium it's very easy for free swimming theronts to find a host @Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/20/2022 at 2:09 PM, Colu said:

Once they leave the fish produces a large number of free swimming young with these must find a host with in 48hr  or they will die in the confines of your aquarium it's very easy for free swimming theronts to find a host @Chick-In-Of-TheSea

Ich is such a pain.