Ongoing threat of ich

[Robbieg]

I guys, long story short : got ich in my 30g tall last monday. Heeded advice in this forum , turned heat up to 86f, 3 days later 5 emerald eye raspboras died (none of these fish aid signs of ich) . Check water params everything was normal. Ask members on the forum they suggested heat may have been turned up to quickly. A day later 4 galexy raspbora dead . this morning I wake up 3 neons dead. Checked params again everything was normal. (only one of the dead fish showed signs of ich others showed no signs)

Since this started last week I've been vacuuming the gravel every two or three days doing 40% water changes. I have no clue what's going on dont really want anymore dead fish pls any suggestions would be great. And should I consider meds? Clearly raising the temp the the aquarium isn't helping. Thank you in advance looking forward to you're help

 

[reefdiver]

It may not be the temp as in summer my tanks get that high. Try a adding salt in a smll container I use maybe a spoon full or two for a 46 gal. Also you maybe doing to much water changes and not matching water temps from faucet to tank.

 

[Robbieg]

Oh I was told every two to three days to make a change and vacuum the gravel ? Hmmm... I have a thermometer that I test the water temp with before refilling the tank

 

[Robbieg]

Is salt safe with corys ?

 

[reefdiver]

Ive done it before. Have had ich in a while . What kind of water conditioner do you use.

 

[Robbieg]

The name of the product that I use is called aqua plus by nutra fin

 

[mikeISright]

Maybe the reason some died were from ich being in their gills and not visible on their bodies. They could have had ich for a while if it was in their gills and you would never know. Goodluck. My GT has ich currently along with to synodontis eupterus.

 

[Robbieg]

Guys pls help another two fish just died ! This is crazy soon I won't have any fish left !! What the hell is happening to my poor fish ???

 

[jlk]

Are you 100% sure you are dealing with ich? For fish to be dying at this rate, I am very suspicious that its not actually ich you are dealing with. Did you purchase fish recently/when this started to happen that were not qt prior to adding them to your main tank?

 

[Robbieg]

After another fish death I decided to go to my lfs, they said something very similar to what you said. The fury signs of what I saw on my fish was something that was white and looked like crushed rice krispies on him. That was 10 days and many fish have died until I got to this point. They suggested a product called para guard. He said that ich looks like grains of salt on the fish. I'll be treating the tank when I get home from work this evening. Have you ever used this product ? And to answer you're question I think it was from a new plant that I bought.

 

[jlk]

Rice krispie size spots are too large for it to be ich. Ich looks like a fish was dusted with grains of sugar or sand (miniscule). Where were the spots? On the head or mouth or back? I am suspecting it may be columnaris infection- this is the only disease that I know of that can kill this quickly even before fish have symptoms. Raising the temp actually would cause the flexibacteria that cause columnaris to multiply much faster & cause it to be deadlier, quicker. Paraguard I believe only treats parasites but I am not personally familiar with the product.

 

[Robbieg]

It was on his body and his back fins. Oh no ! So you don't think the product that I have is correct ?

 

[jlk]

I looked up the product and it says its very effective aginst parasites & some fungal/bacterial issues. Malachite green, one of the main ingredients is not effective against columnaris if thats what you have. Are the spots a white film or fuzzy? Do they seem to be spreading/growing?

 

[Robbieg]

No they initially looked like rice krispies White color, after a few days the ended up looking matte grey. Almost as if a pimple had been popped. When I thought I was dealing with ich I though we were in the clear. Unfortunately that fish has since died . None of the other dish have any visible signs, the only thing that has changed is their behavior, they hide a lot and don't have the appetite. Honestly I REALLY appreciate all of you're help,

 

[jlk]

I am sorry to hear this! Ok, this would be my suggestion. Gradually start reducing the temps over the next 2days into the low 70's. You will have see what you available to you antibiotic-wise at your lfs. Kanamycin would be my first choice but its generally only available online. Maracyn 2 (not regular maracyn) is pretty common in most petsmarts/lfs if you live in the US. If you are not in the US, then we will have to look at other options. What you seem to have is a pretty lethal strain of bacteria and theres no guarentee meds will help at this point but its worth a try! If you have fish that are not salt sensitive, you can also add 1 tbsp per 5g of aq salt (predissolve in tank water & add gradually over 24hrs). If you have salt sensitive fish, skip it. Good luck! Please ask if you have any questions!

 

[Robbieg]

Thanks for the tips, ok I've started lower the temperature two days ago, about 1.5 celsius (I'm Canadian ) about every 12 hrs. So should I return the stuff I got today (para guard) ? Thank you again

 

[Robbieg]

I'll also research the items that you told me about.

 

[jlk]

Ok, let us know how you make out! If you need help, just ask! Heres link with some more info on columnaris- it explains things in a bit more detail.

Columnaris (Flexibacteria); Aquarium, Pond Treatment, Prevention; Fungus, Saprolegnia

 

[Manofmagnum]

Aquarium Salt... Think about it like this, how did our ancestors preserve meat without refrigeration? They used salt. The salt kills fungus and bacteria. With the right amount of salt in the aquarium along with a temperature of around 86-87 degrees, the fungus cannot survive. I would add about a tablespoon for every 5 gallons. 6-7 tablespoons total for your tank, give it a few days and you should be all cured.

 

[Robbieg]

Thanks for the links and I will for sure keep you posted, cross our fingers ! I was told that I can't use salt with corys can I ?