Stock Salt Sensitivity/Intolerance?

[skywhitney]

so i found Ich on some of my fish in my tank, i wanted to dose with salt to help fix this issue but i'm not sure if my guys are sensitive or intolerant. Will i have any issues doing the recommended dosing of 1Tbsp/5gal?

My stock is:
15 Neon Tetra
2 Peppered Cory
1 Clown Pleco

I have already started raising the temp as a side note. any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: this is a 10g tank (way overstocked but moving to a new 60g today actually) and the water parameters are:
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0ppm
NitrItes - 0ppm
NitrAtes - 10ppm

 

[LyndaB]

You cannot use full dose with your stock. You could try 1/2 dose, 1 flat tablespoon per 10 gallons.

Add an airstone to increase oxygenation, if you haven't.

Raise the heat slowly to 86 F.

Do gravel vacs every 2-3 days to remove ich spore from substrate.

Maintain this schedule for 2 weeks minimum.

Ich gets worse before it gets better, so keep the faith.

 

[skywhitney]

I think this is actually on the tail end of the outbreak that I started fighting a month and a half ago so i'm hoping that this round will be the last!

 

[LyndaB]

What method have you been using to cure the tank?

If you do get ich often, we need to find out why.

 

[skywhitney]

What method have you been using to cure the tank?

If you do get ich often, we need to find out why.

the methods i've been using were upped heat, minimal salt, I also used "Quick Cure" for a while but i didn't really feel to comfortable with it, then i found an organic treatment called Ich-Attach which doesn't contain Formalin or Malachite Green.

It seemed to have disappeared but i noticed it came back when I got my clown Pleco (who was qt'd for a week and showed no signs to any illness). do you think its just the stress of a new tank buddy that threw everything out of wack?

 

[skywhitney]

I would absolutely love to figure out why i am having to deal with this as frequently as i am. What am i doing wrong?

 

[LyndaB]

Stress seems to be the top cause of ich. It can be introduced to the tank by a new fish that you have not quarantined. If you have temperature fluctuations that are too rapid, that can cause it. Fish used to cycle a tank seem to be affected more so than other fish.

Stability in your tank parameters is key to keeping a healthy tank. Having a regular schedule for tank maintenance including water changes and rinsing off filter media is important.

Observation is crucial. Take a good solid look at your fish every day, each one, if possible. Check them for anything out of the ordinary.

The more you bounce between meds and any chemical other than a dechlorinator, the longer it seems to take to get the stability you're looking for.

How are you cycling the new tank? With the 10 gallon filter media?

If it were me, I wouldn't move them to the 60 until you get the ich out of there for at least 2 weeks.

 

[KaylNeko]

The clown could have brought it in. I've just started treating for what looks like ich that showed up the day after the end of a 2.5 week quarantine. Considering the life cycle, once this outbreak is cleared up, and I would hold off on moving them until it is, then I, personally, would either hold off on transferring the substrate with them for a week, or let it dry out completely before moving it over--the one would have it go through a life cycle, not find hosts, and die. The second would kill it since ich parasites can't live outside of water. If you have plants that need the substrate, they would either need to wait as well or float for the week if you decided to go that way. And don't tranfer any water. This may be considered overkill *lol*

 

[skywhitney]

How are you cycling the new tank? With the 10 gallon filter media?

If it were me, I wouldn't move them to the 60 until you get the ich out of there for at least 2 weeks.

I'm not planning on moving them to the 60 for a while for exatly this reason. I was originally thinking about using some of the media from the 10g but if there is a possiblity of it contaning ich then i'll just cycle it like a brand new setup.

i havn't done any real fluctuations with the temp, it has stayed pretty constant.

Fighting stuff like this has to be the worst part of this hobby

 

[LyndaB]

Ich's one of the easier things to deal with, hopefully you'll never have to treat for columnaris.

By fluctuations with temp, I mean that many people see ich when it's the beginning of air conditioner season or the beginning of furnace season. My husband is forever throwing open the front door on the first nice day and I have to close it because it's too close to my tanks.

 

[skywhitney]

The clown could have brought it in. I've just started treating for what looks like ich that showed up the day after the end of a 2.5 week quarantine. Considering the life cycle, once this outbreak is cleared up, and I would hold off on moving them until it is, then I, personally, would either hold off on transferring the substrate with them for a week, or let it dry out completely before moving it over--the one would have it go through a life cycle, not find hosts, and die. The second would kill it since ich parasites can't live outside of water. If you have plants that need the substrate, they would either need to wait as well or float for the week if you decided to go that way. And don't tranfer any water. This may be considered overkill *lol*

I have enough new substrate to use for my plants (which are new as well) so i'll just let my current substrate cycle through the life cycle that way i might be able to get some of the BB from it...maybe, hopefully, but not quite sure if it would be worth it in the end.

 

[skywhitney]

Ich's one of the easier things to deal with, hopefully you'll never have to treat for columnaris.

By fluctuations with temp, I mean that many people see ich when it's the beginning of air conditioner season or the beginning of furnace season. My husband is forever throwing open the front door on the first nice day and I have to close it because it's too close to my tanks.

haha well then i'll count my blessings! I know there is always worse to be dealt with out there. Just a little frustrated. I do move my tank away from the back door to the living room where the temp is much more stable, so i guess there could have been some fluctuation after all.

 

[skywhitney]

So i set up the new tank last night and after i was done geting the substrate in i realized that i forgot the stuff from my 10g. Due to the problems i've had, and the fact that i already had more than enough in the new tank, i just decided to toss it. I"m starting the cycling process on the 60g today so i'll just start brand new

 

[Saltair]

I read a lot on here about no salt for Cories, Oto's, and Plecos, but I have 1tblspn/5gal in my tanks with populations of those fish and no problems. I have an LFS close by owned by a guy that has been in the hobby for 40 years and he used salt with all these fish as well. His tanks are the healthiest around. He swears you will end up with more problems by not using it. FWIW

 

[skywhitney]

well so far the cories and pleco have been the only ones not showing any signs of infection. I've lost 7 tetras already though :-(

 

[skywhitney]

I know the Cory's don't due to good with salt but how will the Clown Pleco take it?

 

[skywhitney]

Anyone know?

 

[KaylNeko]

Same thing as corys. Not well. Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but it's for the same reason too--scaleless fish.