Blue Hap has Ich....

[MrPillow]

Hey guys,

After finishing cycling my new tank it was time to put some fish in it, and I decided to go with a Blue Hap, roughly 2.75". I got him about 5 days ago. First 2 days in the tank lights were off and he was acclimating. He has already gotten used to eating out of my hand, knows when it's feeding time, etc. I noticed yesterday a few rogue white spots on his fins, and a couple on his face...

Over the course of 2 days I raised the temp from its norm of 79 up to 86/87. I added salt at a concentration of 1tbs per 5 gallons. Is waiting it out all I can do at this point? Would daily gravel-vac's help eliminate the bugs?

Tank parameters are as follows -

NH3/4 - 0ppm
NO2 - 0ppm
NO3 - 10/15ppm
pH - 8.4


Are there any precautions I should take during the heat/salt treatment in a newly established tank?

Hopefully the lil guy will pull through, he's been awesome so far, one of my favorite fish

Any other ideas? He's the only one in his tank, so pretty much anything goes as far as he is concerned!

 

[Smcoyle87]

Raising temp and adding salt is one of the ways to go about treating it. So you got that right! Personally, i use Mardel Coppersafe, its worked every time i have used it. If you want to try that, get a copper test kit also, as too much copper in the water is REALLY bad. Good luck!

 

[MrPillow]

I already have Coppersafe and a API liquid copper test kit, but I am hesitant to use it as I have not had good results in the past, and I do not want to destroy my bacterial colonies.

Then again, I was previously using at at lower-than recommended levels with sensitive fish. Do you think the coppersafe would be a good way to go in this tank? I also have a bottle of Rid-Ich Plus.

My main concern with chemical treatment is the negative affect it might have on my bio-filter, I do not want to subject the poor guy to having to resestablish the bio-filter with him in the tank. I do not have another tank I would feel comfortable putting him in once the Ich is gone.

 

[Smcoyle87]

Yeah I hear ya. All i know is that i have had success with Coppersafe. Just an idea but maybe while your dosing coppersafe you can keep the bacteria alive in another bucket of water or something makeshift like that?? Good luck and ill be following.

 

[Smcoyle87]

Sorry i cant be of more help, ich is the worst!