Red Platy Spots?

Question
One of my 6 red platies in a 10 gallon tank seems to have small, salt-sized white spots on it. there's some on its body, and some on its fins. What should I do? Is it Ich? The platies are the only fish in the tank.

Answer
Hello!
Your Red Platy does in fact have Ich, also called Ick. Ich is a protozoan that infects the skin of fish. It is also very highly contagious, and it's most likely that your other fish have Ich as well. Fortunately, Ich is easily treatable.

Steps to solve the problem:
1) Perform 20% water changes every day, with gravel vacuuming.
2) Buy a medication from the fish store that treats Ich, such as Quick Cure. Follow the directions.
3) Raise the temperature by a couple of degrees every 2 hours. This is because heat speeds up the life cycle of the protozoan, which means your treatment will work faster. A temperature of 86F or higher will kill Ich, but such high temperatures are not recommended. Your Platies should be able to go up to 82F.
4) Add an airstone with an air pump during treatment. This is because higher temperatures result in a lower oxygen level. The airstone will maintain a high oxygen content.

Whenever raising temperatures, make sure to watch the fish. If they are stresses, DO NOT raise it further. If they are panicking, use a cup of cold water to help cool the water.

I hope your Platies recover, platies are amazing fish.
Here's a great link to treating Ich, in case I've missed something:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ich.htm