White blobs on the fins, do not sound like Ich to me. That sounds more like a fungus.

If the camera won't cut it can you describe *exactly* what you're seeing on the fish. Ich looks like grains of salt stuck to them. Does it look stringy, cottony or like mold you'd see on fruit? Are there any red streaks, or any other distinguishing characteristics that you notice.

Once we get a better idea of what it is, hopefully we can get you something to treat it.

If you can at all move out the sick ones you should do it. Even for temporary on the cheap you can get a concrete tub at a hardware store (the lowes by me has 55g ones for around 12 bucks) sometimes the bigger walmarts have a complete 20g tank kit for $35 as well.

lol dont make fun but here is a paint version ... lol they have little black spots and the white crap is almost like a cotton / mold look. Ich doesnt explain the fked up tail fins from what ive read anyways.

Also I do appreciate all the help everyone.

Damn, I really wish I could be of more help....I am bad with desease ID and treatment. I know the discussion has been ongoing but there is a peroxide discussion in the health section...Maybe you can try it out. I have never tried it but sounds like it may be worth a try if you don't have anything else on hand. The author of the thread is cichlidsrool maybe PM or email him. Hopefully someone else chimes in.

Heres the link

http://www.freshwatermadness.com/fish-health-and-medications-f13/how-you-use-peroxide-to-help-with-fish-sicknesses-t1255.htm

I wouldn't recommend that just yet. The whole peroxide thing is fairly untested, my interpretation of dosage isn't tested at all for that matter.

Without pictures, I'm suspecting that it may be Columnaris, also called cotton mouth or cotton wool or a couple of other things I think.

There may be more but these are the common symptoms off the top of my head:
There's white spots on the mouth, edges of scales, and the fins.
Cottony scuzzy that grows on and rots out the mouth.
The fins disintegrate edges in.
Sometimes there's a big lesion by the dorsal fin.

The bitch of it is, is that if it gets bad enough that a fungal secondary infection will set in.

Big disclaimer here I rarely ever see or treat Africans all my info here is based on SA Cichlids or Koi/Goldfish. Anyone with more African experience if I'm suggesting something that won't work speak up.

First off, lower the temp on the tank to about 74. If it's Columnaris it will slow it down and give you some time to work.

A common one at fish stores (around here anyhow) is called Maracyn and Maracyn 2. Get them both, pull the carbon and any other chemical filtration and treat them for 10 days.

If you can't find Maracyn, antibiotics that take care of Columnaris are: Erythromycin, nitrofurazone, nifurpirinol, acriflavine, chloramphenicol or tetracycline.

You're also going to want to disinfect your nets that you used on the fish. A rubbing alcohol bath is sufficient, unless for some reason you have chlorhexidine sitting around.

1 acei is dead this morning.

Definitely not Ich.

I agree that the white cotton sounds like a fungus and is a symptom of columnaris. I'm not sure how to treat it but keeping up with your weekly water changes won't hurt.

Sorry to hear you lost a fish.

It's the secondary fungus and other potential problems that are the biggest worry right now. It's why I was sayin to get both Maracyn and Maracyn 2.

2 for sure can kill off columnaris, and Maracyn has enough broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-fungals that you may be able to save most of them.

I do trust your advice 100% SF. I just don't have any experience treating the problem so I didn't want to comment on that part. I do know that columnaris can be caused by poor water quality. If it didn't come in on the fish, it may be a problem with the tank not being maintained properly so I did want to bring that up.

True that, but it sounds like he was doing enough water changes.

There is the possibility that he was doing too much and stressed the fish out. I know usual causes are shipping, poor water quality and a bad diet are big culprits. I've seen it more often on shipped feeder goldies more than anything else, but they're usually working on two out of the three causes.

Since he added the Acei after the other guys, and the Acei fell sick first, I was hoping that they were the source and it wasn't a water quality issue. I don't know for sure, but I'm hoping that's the case.

Waiting too for a weigh in from Wyite. He's really good at this too.

Ok Im off tomorrow so im gonna hit up petsmart.... Im gonna grab Maracyn and Maracyn 2 but whats the difference? do i need both? my monies is tight atm lol verrry tight

Here's the problem, Maracyn is meant for gram positive bacteria infections, as well as having some anti-fungals in it. Maracyn also has erythromycin in it which is a broad spectrum general antibiotic.

Maracyn 2 is meant for gram negative bacteria of which Columnaris is. The problem is at this point for how long it's been going on, there may be a good chance of secondary infection, or fungal growth.

If cash is tight. You can try and start with just Maracyn 2. You just need to be aware that it alone may not get it all. Make sure you get enough to dose the whole tank for the set ammount of time too.

If you bought the fish from that petsmart and have a recipt try talking to them about giving you a discount on the meds since the fish were sick.

Sorry I missed this yesterday eveining, grays, but from what your describin' I agree that saint has ya headin' down the right road.

WYite

Hurray!

I was worried I missed or messed up something with them being Africans.

ok back and ive got the stuff ... so i remove the carbon for like a week to run this stuff?
Wish my luck the acei looks horrible today even more fungus crap on them and the fin still not working.

Good luck...Remove all carbon till you are completley done dosing the meds.

as odd as this sounds the white stuff on the zebras is gone after 1 day of treatment... the acei still have large spots and not using there tails. It may be to late for them but ill keep doing this for a week

The gunk and fuzz is going to disappear quickly. Make sure you treat the tank with whatever the recommendations are on the box. It's important otherwise you may end up with a bacterial resistant strain.

yea kinda like any anti biotic use the entire thing even if you feel fine. Im gonna go get some more rocks today to jazz up the tank and take my bridge out.

Exactly.

Good luck on the rock hunt.

Cool, Glad to hear it the meds recommended are very good and work fast.