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| Ich or Ick (Ichthyphthirious) |
| Symptoms : Most
obvious symptom is the little white specs all over the body. These white
specs will looks like salt that has been sprinkled on your betta.
Another common symptoms is that your betta may appear spastic and
attempt to scratch itself on the bottom of the tank or anything it can
scratch on. Your betta may also exhibit labored breathing. |
| Info : Ich is a protozoa
and is extremely contagious. By the time you have discovered ich, you can
count on that the majority of any other fish in the tank are also
infected. I would recommend treating the entire tank. This parasite
resides in all water and strikes on a stressed fish. You will notice the
parasite in their adult stage, when they are embedded in your fish's
skin or gill. At this point it is feeding on red blood cells and your
fish's skin. After a few days on your fish, it will release itself from
your fish and fall to the bottom of the tank forming a cyst. During this
time it uses rapid cell division to create up toward 1000 new free
swimming parasites! If a host isn't found within the first 72 hours, the
parasite will die. If a host is found a new cycle will begin. These
phases take approximately a month at 70°F but the process is
considerably increased to a 5 day cycle when the temperature is raised
to 80°F. For this reason, it is recommended that the temperature be
raised anywhere from 80°F - 85°F during treatment. Ich is best treated
during the free swimming phase, of raising the temperature will ensure
you treat during this phase. |
| Treatments :
Malachite Green, Coppersafe, Quick
Cure, Aquari-Sol or Maracide. Follow the
directions on the packages, raising the temperature to 80°F-85°F if at
all possible. If you cannot raise the temperature due to the betta being
in a small bowl, do a full water change and then treat. Move to a warm
area of the house if possible. |
| Prevention : You can
prevent Ich by adding Aquarium Salt and Aquari-Sol to your tanks every
water change. |
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