Not sure if this is Ich

Hi,

About once a week I see one of my Cories flash. But I've only have seen them do that at feeding time and I think that they get all those bits of shrimp pellets in their gills and just feel a little itchy :) .

Cory Lover
 
Cory Lover said:
Hi,

About once a week I see one of my Cories flash. But I've only have seen them do that at feeding time and I think that they get all those bits of shrimp pellets in their gills and just feel a little itchy :) .

Cory Lover
Just out of curiosity do you have sand as the substrate in your aquarium? Like I mentioned earlier IMO it is very easy for the sand to get sucked in while eating and irritate the gills of the fish.
 
H3D said:
I disagree in my experiences clown loaches are one of the fastest fish to show ich.
May well be, I had cories. They just swelled and burst within a few hours. Then the other fish showed ich. But this doesn't fit the description of the current problem, anyway.
 
H3D said:
Just out of curiosity do you have sand as the substrate in your aquarium? Like I mentioned earlier IMO it is very easy for the sand to get sucked in while eating and irritate the gills of the fish.

Hi,

I just have gravel now. In the future I'm thinking of making a sand pit for my Cories.

Also, I agree that Clowns get ick really easily.

Cory Lover
 
Have the same problem in my 50 gal. No sand. Q) Would high ph have anything to do with the symptoms, (Flashing)? Tank has been established about 8 months now.
 
I read fish_freaks article, but I am puzzled because I am sure the clowns would show visible signs of ich by this time, or at least one fish in the tank would have some visual clue. From what I have read, dojo's are ok as long as the temp does not get above 76, so I try to keep the temp at 74 so all the fish are comfortable, but I am looking into another tank for the dojo's which will be un-heated.

The water is basically steady parameter wise, ph, nitrates, etc. It is always the same. I asked about salt settling in the sand because I have tried smaller doses in the past to relieve gill irritation, but water changes since that time should have removed it. Plus I am trying to find reasons for this behavior.

The common thread I see is that only the bottom dwellers exhibit this, and they happen to be scaleless. And I also see that a couple others noticed this problem too. I have thought about a mild dose of medication to see if it would solve this, but I am very hesitant about it. The fact that it is the bottom feeders led me to believe that it is the sand irritating the gills and the flashing is an effort to remove it. I have to keep all options open in case it is parasitic. And I would hate to have to replace the sand, this would be a major undertaking.
 
I guess the best course of action will be to assume the 'sand in the gills' theory and accept this as a fact of the tank. Since I cannot see any signs of parasitic infection, I do not want to use medication, heat, or salt. All the fish look healthy and well fed with good color and activity. Best to leave things as they are for now.

Thanks for the input!
 
BioFilter said:
I read fish_freaks article, but I am puzzled because I am sure the clowns would show visible signs of ich by this time, or at least one fish in the tank would have some visual clue. From what I have read, dojo's are ok as long as the temp does not get above 76, so I try to keep the temp at 74 so all the fish are comfortable, but I am looking into another tank for the dojo's which will be un-heated.
Wait a minute you have temp at 74 degrees? This is way too cold for clown loaches. Clown loaches cannot live at that temperature they need it to be around 80 degrees. This could also cause slow growth in parasites. It could be ich and it just has not reach the visible stage in its life cycle yet.
 
Then I am getting conflicting information. According to www.loaches.com,

Clown Loaches
Distribution: Sumatra and Borneo
Length: Up to 12in (30cm)
Diet: Worms, crustaceans, plant matter,and dried food
Water temperature: 75-86 F (24-30 C)
Community Tank environment

Until I move the dojo's, if I raise the temp, the dojo's will suffer, if I lower it, the clowns will not like it. Are you suggesting I raise the temp?

edit
Should I raise the temp to 78F?
 
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