Parasite Clear Help???

[GhostKnife]

What should I do?
I have been noticing on a couple of occasions a fish randomly dart and scrape along the rock or driftwood. I know this is a type of external parasite. Also one of my clown loaches is kinda looking funny. Not dying funny but I dont want it to get that far. I purchased parasite clear. Works with external and internal parasites. They are the fizzing tabs. Now it says to remove carbon from the filter... I cant. I have a bio wheel and the carbon is already in the filter cartridges I put in the filter. What should I do? Remove the filter cartridge altogether. For those of you who dont know the bio wheel it will remove all sources of scum entrapment or is it okay to leave the carbon filter cartridge in and dose anyways????

 

[CTD]

Remove the Carbon Filter Cartridge!

 

[jsoong]

Actually, I would suggest cutting a hole in the filter material & remove the carbon from the cartridge, & use that "empty".... you would still have the floss, etc for mech. filtration & you are also NOT removing all your bio-filter.

 

[booginish]

yea i had the same issue, but i just cut a slit in my filter and removed all the carbon from my filter then put it back in so my tank would not lose valuable bacterium, but when your done the whole process you just replace the filter, unless your able to put all the carbon back without makeing a mess in your tank(dont recommend putting carbon back unless you know you can safely) other wise u have to cycle a new filter again(use bio zora, expensive but works quikly and efficiently), which is ok as long as your fish are healthy and happy

 

[GhostKnife]

Well its too late. I already took out both of my filters and left the bio wheel in as the product I used(parasite clear) said it does not harm bio filtration. Now I did use dual filter cartridges but I have replaced both at the same time with no water parameter problems. Now I dont understand telling me to remove the filter cartridges or cut holes in them. In the end I am going to have to replace them anyways so.... I just took both of them out like CTD said. If I am going to have to replace both of them in the long run, why not?

 

[GhostKnife]

How long should I leave the water like this ... Unfiltered... When I do put the filters back in I am going to do a PWC soo...but when???

 

[kribensis12]

Did you keep the filter running? If the bio-wheel still touching water? If so, you shouldnt have a mini-cycle. Parasite Clear is NOT a good product. Most things by Jungle Lab dosent work IME. What are the ingredients for the med? What do you mean your fish is "looking wierd"? Can you post a pic?

 

[timwag2001]

i know its kinda late for this but i would purchase some sort of filter pad. i have some marineland rite-size bonded filer pad. its something you cut to fitwhen i had to treat my tank i removed the carbon and stuffed the area with that. this way it would still trap some of the crap that the filter sucks up.

 

[GhostKnife]

No the bio wheel stayed in I did a water change because I heard the jungle products were not good and my fish really started acting different and my pleco died... So I did a 50% water change. No my german blue rams and a gold gourami and clowns are all showing more sings of ich on their bodies. What should I use and what do I need to get. Please help before I loose more.

 

[GhostKnife]

I know this spreads fast I need a good medicine. What the fish have is ich I know it is. The little white dots.

 

[buddha_red]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/29/1/Freshwater-Ich-Yuck-/Page1.html

here is the link to an article on ich, its better than anything i could say about it.

 

[timwag2001]

have you tried that raising the temp trick? i think you're still supposed to use meds for it. but the heat quickens the life cylce of ich. if you're lucky someone who knows what they're talking about might speak up on the matter.

 

[kribensis12]

Shoot for CopperSafe

It is the most effective treatment i have ever come across for ich. Make SURE your Carbon is out of the water though

 

[buddha_red]

remember he has Clown loaches so half dosage and run the treatment for longer.

 

[kribensis12]

^ true.

 

[timwag2001]

if he uses coppersafe does he have to remove plants?

 

[kribensis12]

Nope. It dosent harm plants.

 

[bluerose]

It will harm inverts and any chance of having inverts though... so no snails, shrimp, etc.

Heat treatment (raising up to 88 degrees and leaving it there) and increasing aeration (lowering water level to increase filter splash or adding an airstone) will work by itself, but will take a bit longer.

 

[GhostKnife]

I didnt feel I had time... I did not catch this as soon as I should have/could have. The blue rams I introduced I think had this and hence introduced it to all of my other fish. The bala shark got the worst of it. I added it today and since I just replaced my filters with activated carbon and a partial water change on sunday. I had to make filters out of the marine land floss and filter pads everything but the carbon. It said on copper safe that if you have the filters with activated carbon in for 6 or more days you are fine to leave them in... This wasnt my case so I made some as I am going to keep this in until I know the ich is gone. I do know that you are supposed to leave meds in even a few days after you see the last of the ich disappear. How will I know?

 

[buddha_red]

You will need to treat ich for a long time, I treat for a month or longer but in a QT tank. Remember to follow the directions for scaleless fish since you have loaches.